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Duster Season 1 Ending Explained
WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Duster season 1, episode 8.
The Duster season 1 finale, “’66 Reno Split”, finally reveals who Xavier is and what happened to Jim’s brother, Joey, with a shocking double-punch twist. After Nina Hayes’ FBI superior, Nathan Abbott, admits to the FBI conspiracy that she and Awan had been investigating, he tells Nina the truth about Xavier.
Jim thinks about hitting the road in the final moments of Duster season 1, but is forced to stay after learning about Izzy’s cancer. He has yet to reveal to Luna that he’s her father, not her uncle, but a potential second season of Duster sets up Luna to finally learn the truth about her father.
Jim’s Brother Joey Is Alive & Living Under The Alias Xavier
Saxton Knew Joey Was Alive But Never Told Jim The Truth
Image via Max
The mysterious Xavier that was referred to throughout Duster season 1 is revealed to be Jim’s brother, Joey Ellis. Jim thought Joey was killed by Saxton, but instead, the truth is revealed that Saxton helped Joey go undercover. Saxton never revealed this to Jim, even as he was dying.
Xavier is at the head of Saxton and Howard Hughes’ purchase of the infamous and incriminating Richard Nixon tape. He also appears to be orchestrating the FBI conspiracy cover-up, enlisting Cowboy and Agent Grant to go after Nina Hayes. Xavier is incredibly powerful with ties to D.C. – and he’s also Jim’s brother.
The Richard Nixon Tape Ends Up In Mad Raoul’s Hands
Saxton & Hughes Originally Planned To Give It To Xavier
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The valuable tape of Richard Nixon ends up in Mad Raoul’s hands at the end of Duster season 1. Saxton had initially secured it from Greek Sal by exchanging it for Jim, which would have brought the tape back to Xavier, Jim’s brother. It’s not clear what Xavier was planning to do with it.
The real-life audio recordings of Nixon were infamously part of the Watergate scandal of 1972, which is right around when Duster season 1 takes place. Duster portrays a fictional version of the historical event in which one or more of the characters, potentially Cowboy, works at the White House and steals one of Nixon’s tapes.
Ezra Killed Greek Sal & Saved Royce & Jim Before His Death
Ezra Wasn’t Going To Risk Wade Killing Genesis
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Saxton had the opportunity to walk away from the deal with Greek Sal unscathed after handing Jim over. He makes the shocking move to save Jim by killing Greek Sal and sparking a shootout. The shootout kills Billy and Ezra, who jumps in front of his son, Royce, as one of Sal’s guys aimed and fired.
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Ezra was motivated to save Jim and kill Sal because Jim’s dad, Wade, was with his daughter, Genesis. If Jim had been killed, Wade would have sadly killed or hurt Genesis, even though the two served in World War II together. Ezra says to Jim, “I can’t do this to my kid.”
Izzy Reveals She Has Cancer & David Is Her Oncologist
Jim Has To Stay Around Phoenix To Look After Izzy & Luna
Image via Max
In the aftermath of Saxton’s death, Jim tells Izzy he plans to leave Phoenix for an indefinite time. Izzy tells him that he can’t because David, her new boyfriend, is not just any oncologist, but her personal oncologist. This is how Izzy tells Jim she has cancer and that he needs to stick around for Luna.
Because of this shocking twist, Jim may finally tell Luna that he’s her father in a potential Duster season 2. Things with David could get tricky down the line when it comes to guardianship, but Jim would have to give up his wild lifestyle in order to be a dad, which seems incredibly unlikely now that he knows his brother is alive.
Cowboy Ordered The Corrupt FBI Agent Grant To Kill Nina
Cowboy Appears To Be Taking Orders From Xavier, Jim’s Brother
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Cowboy still remains a mysterious character by the end of Duster season 1, but it’s clear that he and Saxton both have a lot of respect for Xavier. Xavier appears to be the one who instructed Cowboy to go after Nina. Cowboy enlists the corrupt agent Grant to finish the job, but Awan takes him out in the nick of time.
Grant was assigned by Cowboy to keep tabs on Nina because she was uncovering the FBI conspiracy.
Grant was assigned by Cowboy to keep tabs on Nina because she was uncovering the FBI conspiracy. Now that Abbott has confirmed the conspiracy is real and identified Xavier at the top of it, Nina will have her hands full trying to track down Xavier in a potential second season and may just ask Jim to be her bait.
Ezra Killed Nina’s Father Virgil Because He Was An Informant
Virgil Ratted Ezra’s Illegal Numbers Game Out To The Police
Image via Max
Another lingering mystery is solved in the Duster season 1 finale when Ezra reveals the truth about the death of Nina’s father, Virgil. Ezra admits that he did kill Virgil, but only because Nina’s dad was a snitch for the Philadelphia police. Virgil informed the cops about Ezra’s illegal numbers game, and Ezra paid him back by blowing up his car.
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Nina finds it hard to believe that her dad was dishonest, but she also blames Ezra for wanting to flex on an innocent person and make an example out of him to the community. Ezra shows no remorse for killing Virgil and defends his reasoning for doing so.
How Duster’s Season 1 Finale Sets Up A Potential Season 2
Both Jim & Nina Will Be Looking For Xavier
Duster season 1 sets up a new target for the unlikely duo of Jim Ellis and Nina Hayes. Jim will go after Xavier to discover if he is actually his brother, Joey, while Nina will pursue her investigation into the FBI conspiracy that Agent Grant died trying to keep secret.
One of the first things that Jim may be asked to do by Xavier, who is bound to make his introduction in a potential Duster season 2, is retrieve the Nixon recording from Mad Raoul.
Royce and Genesis will have to carry on without a father, as a massive hole has been made in Phoenix’s underground world of organized crime. One of the first things that Jim may be asked to do by Xavier, who is bound to make his introduction in a potential Duster season 2, is retrieve the Nixon recording from Mad Raoul.
