Why HBO Max’s ‘Duster’ Shouldn’t Have Been Cancelled
By Keiwana Grant-Floyd | September 8, 2025 | Celebrity & Culture
DivaGalsDaily’s newest contributor, Keiwana Grant-Floyd, delves into the cancellation of Duster and explores one reason that may have led to its demise.
Imagine a period piece about the first Black woman to be an FBI agent. Imagine the impact of the political climate on her career, but also the exact reason why she became an FBI agent in the first place. Well, there’s a show called Duster, a thriller created by JJ Abrams (the co-creator of Lost and Star Trek) and LaToya Morgan, who has writing credits for Parenthood, Shameless and The Walking Dead. It aired on HBO Max from May 15 to July 3, 2025, and I was glued to my seat for those seven weeks, curious to see what would unfold next in the mystery.
Set in Arizona in 1972, the show stars Josh Holloway as Jim Ellis, the handsome, dimple-faced, getaway driver; Rachel Hilson as Nina Hayes, the beautiful, driven and multifaceted FBI agent and Keith David as Ezra Saxton, the cunning crime boss and main antagonist. Personally, historical fiction is my favorite genre of television, but the shows tend to get cancelled after one season. Honorable mention for Amazon Prime’s A League of Their Own. And unfortunately, that is precisely what happened to Duster, which was cancelled a week after the season finale. It shouldn’t have been cancelled, and here’s why—without any major spoilers, of course.
Strong Black Woman Lead Representation
The story of Duster was appealing; I rooted for Nina Hayes in her pursuit of justice. I’ve never watched any of the 1970s Blaxploitation films, but I am familiar with the style, and I was in awe of how accurate the costume and makeup departments were in capturing the era through Nina. It was very reminiscent of Cleopatra Jones. The cars, the clothes, the jargon, and the music really made it feel like you were living in 1972. Shazam was on standby throughout the episodes, and Duster truly improved my playlist.
With her partner, Awan Bitsui (Asivak Koostachin), a Native agent from the Navajo Nation (who I shipped her with), they would push boundaries and explore dangerous situations to uncover the truth. It truly was engaging to watch.
What People Are Saying about the Cancellation
I’m not the only person unhappy with the cancellation. Here are some of the posts about the cancellation made by users on X (formerly known as Twitter):
@mommabiia: “It’s depressing. My last fav lesbian couple didn’t get more than one season, then got a Black lesbian in Duster and another cancelled show”
@DeshadCato: “Duster shouldn’t have been cancelled man. That second season was gearing up to be really good”
@JamesWeber16: “Anybody watching #Duster on #HBO. Just finished and thought it was amazing. Come to find out it was cancelled for low viewership.
How were we even supposed to know to watch it? I saw no ads for it. Nothing! Doesn’t seem fair.”
@jasimisinclair: “Duster could have been big if HBO Max cared. It was finding its audience.”
It’s All in the Marketing
Several people expressed their disappointment with the marketing of this show, which I agree with. Admittedly, I discovered Duster through an ad promoting upcoming shows on HBO Max while watching another show, but most of the marketing for the show was actually created by fans. It’s almost like it was set up to fail.
Interestingly, HBO Max launched a campaign in 2021 called “Scene in Black.” It’s billed as a “social-first [platform] designed to celebrate, connect and amplify Black talent, creatives and fans.” I’ve interacted with its TikTok and Instagram accounts mainly, which have nearly half a million followers combined and great engagement.
However, on those same platforms, HBO Max has a collective 9 million followers. Why wasn’t Duster pushed more on the main accounts? And what is the true end goal of initiatives like “Scene in Black?” Duster had the potential to become a staple on HBO Max, but now we’ll never know.
Ironically, HBO is airing Issa Rae‘s documentary Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television, which explores questions just like the one posed above. The two-part film premieres Tuesday, September 9 and Wednesday, September 10, on HBO.
Photo credit: HBOMax
