HBO Max cancels ‘Duster’ after one season despite praise for J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan series

HBO Max has cancelled Duster after just one season, less than a week after the season finale aired. The 1970s crime drama was created by J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, reuniting Abrams with Lost star Josh Holloway, who led the series alongside Rachel Hilson. 

The show followed Nina, the first Black female FBI agent, played by Hilson, who heads to the Southwest in 1972 and recruits Holloway’s character, a gutsy getaway driver, to help take down a rising crime syndicate.

Despite positive reception, Duster did not generate enough viewership to secure renewal, although it maintained a strong critical score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 83% audience rating.

In a statement, HBO Max said, “While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a second season of Duster, we are so grateful to have had the chance to work with the amazingly talented co-creators J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, and our partners at Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television.”

Warner Bros. Television added, “J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan delivered a thrilling, multi-dimensional crime drama in Duster, with textured characters that took the audience back to the 1970s in a new and innovative way.”

The cancellation sparked disappointment among viewers, with many taking to social media to express frustration that the series ended so soon despite its strong reviews.

Some fans called it a “massive blow” and criticised the lack of promotion, while others praised the show’s 1970s setting and characters, wishing it had been given more time to build an audience.