Duster goes Looney Tunes in a rollicking episode

Well, that was fun! After a second episode that channeled some Quentin Tarantino flair and a third that went full Halloween II slasher, Duster goes Looney Tunes this week. And by that, I mean this episode literally opens with Josh Holloway's Jim Ellis imagining his current criminal predicament as a Looney Tunes cartoon. It's a hilarious bit of animation and a welcome reminder that Duster doesn't take itself too seriously, so neither should we.
In fact, this episode ends with one of my favorite action set pieces yet: a bathroom brawl between Jim and an assassin that eventually turns into a team-up car chase motivated by a dose of Russian sociology. It's not at all how I expected this more character-centric hour to end. But part of the fun of Duster is that you never know what you're going to get when you tune in each week, and this hour totally delivers on the surprise front.
The other thing that impresses me about Duster is how it's balancing episodic and serialized storytelling. Though each of the first three installments felt like distinctive hours of TV, they've all been continually adding to the overarching plot as well. Back in the premiere, Jim briefly made and then broke a deal to drive for Mexican crime lord 'Mad Raul,' which now comes back to haunt him here as Raul's assassin Enrique the Blade (Rigo Sanchez) enters the scene. Meanwhile, it turns out Nina's trip to the Kirkbridge Sanitarium last week wasn't so pointless after all. Agent Breen may be dead by suicide (yikes), but it turns out he left a secret code for his replacement to follow. And Awan's love of comic-book riddles is just the thing to crack it.
Even Elvis' blue suede shoes are still in play, as Jim didn't bury Sunglasses in them after all. It's fun to see Duster maintain such a strong sense of continuity even as the tone and locale changes week to week. This time around, Jim and Nina both get out of Phoenix for the day, as he offers to drive Saxton's son Royce to the Snowbird warehouse in Scottsdale while she pays a visit to the Navajo Nation reservation with a reluctant Awan in tow in order to find the secret message Breen hid there. After two 'showcase' episodes, it's nice to see our two co-leads on more of an equal playing field again—especially when characters like Izzy, Royce, and Awan all get some new dimensions this week too.
If there's an overall theme to this episode, it's about feeling caged in by 'the man.' Izzy, for instance, is struggling with the reality of being one of just 126 female long-haul truckers in her union. There aren't safe bathrooms or showers on the road, and sexual harassment is a frequent reality of the job. When union president Bob Temple (Kevin Chamberlin, returning from the premiere) refuses to take her concerns seriously, she rallies some of her fellow female drivers to take him down.
That Izzy lets Luna serve beers and listen in on some very adult ranting is a hilarious bit of low-key '70s parenting in action. But it's also a sweet example of the way she lets Luna into the realities of daily life as a woman in a male-dominated field. Izzy is letting her daughter understand both the hardships women face and the solidarity they can find together, and those are lessons that will surely serve Luna well as she grows up.
If only Royce could be so lucky. Unlike Luna, Royce has been shut out of the day-to-day details of his father's work life. Though he's ostensibly a power player and future leader of Snowbird, in reality he's being treated more like a child. And in a classic 'chicken or the egg' dilemma, it's hard to tell whether that's keeping him in a childlike state or whether Saxton might have the right instincts that Royce isn't really up for the tough jobs.
While Royce was sympathetic when he was recovering from heart surgery and reading his little sci-fi novels, he comes across like a bit more of an off-putting dweeb this week. He picks up Howard Hughes' famed Lincoln V12 'Aeromobile' only to immediately overheat it on the road. And he fails to do even the most basic of price negotiation with the mechanic he hires to fix it. Royce is naive at best and ineffectual at worst. Thankfully, that makes him just the right mark for Jim's newfound interest in sleuthing.
It's kind of hilarious how easily Jim is able to manipulate Royce's 'we both feel powerless' sympathies into a full-on tour of the Snowbird Mesa Scottsdale warehouse. One of the main pleasures of Duster is watching Jim grow in confidence as a spy as Nina keeps pushing him for more and more hard evidence about Saxton's organization. Holloway is doing a fantastic job layering Jim's rough-and-tumble demeanor with a level of charisma and confidence that makes him a really believable double agent.
In fact, Jim is so charming that he literally gets Enrique the Blade to share some bourbon with him mid-fight, Princess Bride style. ('It wouldn't be very sportsman-like killing a man you just had drinks with.') Where Sawyer always had a chip on his shoulder on Lost, Jim is much more inclined to play nice where he can, which makes him a great take on the crime-driver archetype. Though I initially thought the show was just trying to pretend Holloway isn't in his fifties, it now feels like age and experience are real assets for the character. Where others in his position might be hotheaded or impulsive, Jim is smart enough to see the big picture and patient enough to know which battles are worth fighting. 'At least I get to live to fight another day,' he tells Enrique as he hands over Hughes' car to pay off his debt to Mad Raul.
This episode ends with our most explicit cliffhanger yet, with Jim on the side of the road in the middle of the desert, unsure how he'll explain what happened to Royce. But it's actually the Nina/Awan half of the episode that felt a tad unfinished to me. Though I enjoyed pretty much everything about their trip into Navajo Nation, I was waiting for a slightly more substantial climax to bring it all together.
It's interesting to see a 1970s reservation in action and fun to meet Awan's old friend Daryl (a delightful Tyler Laracca). I'm also intrigued by the idea that Awan's father sees him becoming a fed as a betrayal of his Navajo community—even as Awan feels that working for the FBI is the best way to get his community equal justice. Again, it's a moment where we see how 'the man' is weighing on our heroes in different ways, which is something Nina can relate to as well. Her criminal father wouldn't have wanted her to become a fed either, while her doctor ex-fiancé didn't want her to have a career at all. I just wanted one more button or elevation to really tie everything together.
Hopefully the reservation will be a location we revisit often because it's a welcome addition to a series that's clearly trying to shine a light on the non-white-male 1970s Southwest experience. For now, however, the detour mostly exists to give Awan a little backstory and provide our FBI heroes another clue from Breen: a scratchy video recording in which he warns against Xavier, the same person Jim overheard Saxton and the Russians discussing last week.
Still, even if some of the plotting is a little underbaked, that's a minor complaint for an episode that adds Robert Rodriguez as yet another directorial influence on the series. Enrique's endless hidden knives and over-the-top throwing skills bring some of that opening Looney Tunes energy into live action, albeit against some Mormon-looking carjackers rather than Jim. That the Jim/Enrique climax can be really goofy, violent, and unexpectedly noble all at once is a great example of what Duster is adding to our current TV landscape.
The fact that Jim moves from fake bonding with Royce to really bonding with Enrique is also a welcome reminder of the ties can be forged in solidarity against 'the man.' If all of our characters are looking to 'move upward' in one way or another, here's hoping there will be more fun, unexpected pairings in the future.
• This week in 'It's the 1970s!': I don't have much first-hand experience with urinals, but that trough-style one sure looked like a relic from the past. Also, David rocks some incredible cutoff jean shorts to go with his '70s stache.
• Opening-credits watch: We get an advanced glimpse of Howard Hughes' car before it debuts in the episode. Plus, we finally see the Snowbird Mesa warehouse IRL this week, while David gives Luna a set of Hot Wheels complete with a loop track.
• My main reference point for Kevin Chamberlin is Seussical The Musical, so it's hilariously jarring to watch him play a lecherous union president here.
• Izzy walks into a building labeled 'Truckers Union Office Local 649,' but aren't they called Teamsters?
• The one thing Nina kept from her college ex-fiancé is the idea of doing push-ups when you get stressed.
• I never noticed the geometric shape of Nina's glasses before, but they look so cool!
• It turns out Awan's love of superheroes extends to Adam West's Batman as well. 'I love Frank Gorshin, don't you?' he asks Nina. 'I'm more of an Eartha Kitt girl,' she responds.
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Yahoo

25 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Women Who've Rejected Marriage Proposals Are Sharing Exactly Why They Said No, And Honestly, Thank Goodness They Did

Reddit user rosieposiepoo333 recently asked, "Women who have turned down proposals, how did you do it?" We also asked women of the BuzzFeed Community to chime in with their stories. Here's what they shared: 1."I broke up with my ex on the day we were supposed to go ring shopping. He tearfully told me how he had inherited enough money from his great aunt to buy the ring of my dreams, and I told him it didn't matter because our relationship wasn't meant to be. It was not an actual proposal, but the closest I got to marriage before I met my now-husband." —question_girl617 2."It wasn't pleasant. I walked him further down the beach and explained why the proposal failed. They were things we agreed upon, or so I thought. We wanted and agreed on a private moment, but he invited everybody. We wanted something very quiet, but he had a whole band playing and photographers. I wanted a simple, low-key necklace, maybe something simple with moonstone, mother of pearl, or opal, which he seemed excited about. But he gave me a very expensive amber chunky ring with a dead bug in it. Only our entomology friend liked the ring; everyone else was very confused or grossed out." "Then I asked him to try again. He took it well until he saw our friends. Then he sobbed loudly and complained to everybody about how I rejected him. We were engaged for like eight years. He never tried again, by the way." —Not-A-SoggyBagel 3."I did it in the worst way. I said, 'That will never happen.' To be fair, we were not in love; he was my boss, and he told me he had a list of things he looked for in a woman, and I checked off the boxes." —After-Carpenter-4089 4."It was the wrong ring. I know that sounds super shallow, but I have a very specific ring in mind and am very vocal about it. My friends know, my family knows, my colleagues know. There is no hiding my particular style. I like yellow gold, and I detest diamonds. Anything that fit that description would have worked. Instead, I ended up with a sterling silver ring with the ugliest cut diamond I have ever seen. My partner was obviously not listening to me and had not discussed proposing to me with my father (I'm a little traditional) or my friends. So I said no. Now, I'm in a relationship with a man who has already talked to me about ring choices, discussed his engagement plan with my closest friends, and had the conversation with BOTH of my parents regarding the proposal and his plans to marry me." —Anonymous 5."I was proposed to three times before I met the man I eventually married. In those days, a proposal was considered a private moment between two people, not a public performance. In each case, I told them that, while I cared for them and was honored that they cared enough for me to want to marry me, I did not think we had the foundation for a compatible and happy marriage. In all three cases, they were not surprised that I said no. They were just hopeful that, if I saw how serious they were, I might be more willing to compromise on what I wanted for my future." —readbackcorrect 6."It was not in public, and it was not done politely. A lot happened between us, and it was mostly not good. I may have laughed and told him that he'd lost his mind, and maybe he should've asked one of his side pieces (he didn't know I knew). I knew he was never going to be the person I married. He was toxic, and he turned me into the worst version of myself, and I was finally starting to see it. He just didn't realize the same thing." —GiveMeAlienRomances 7."My ex gave me a ring that he picked up from his mom's house as she was going through her jewelry and getting rid of some stuff. The ring itself was the same engagement ring she had received from my ex's dad when they first got married, but then they divorced years later because he cheated on her with his secretary (whom he then married). So the ring itself was already haunted with a terrible origin story, and it was also missing several stones and was way too big for my finger. My ex gave it to me and said he wanted to 'fix it up' for me. We had only been together for about six months, and I had to tell him I didn't want to get married to him, and also, the ring was not one I'd ever wear. It wasn't a public conversation, but it was still one I didn't want to be a part of." —msnegative 8."My ex proposed AFTER I had broken up with him and moved out. I had found out he was hiring sex workers. I had gone to the house to pick up some things, and he got down on one knee and held out a ring. I rolled my eyes and told him to F off." —squirrelly_chaos 9."The guy I was dating just kind of assumed we'd be getting married, and I'd follow him to his next job. To be fair, I was kind of up in the air, but I was planning to go to grad school and just hadn't shared that with him. When he asked me when, not if, I wanted to get married, I flippantly said, 'I'm not marrying you.' He was shocked. We were not on the same page at all!" —Hazelstone37 10."We were in a restaurant, and a violinist appeared. A box was produced containing a ring. We were in a relationship, and had been for about a year and a half. He was a sweet guy, but nine years younger than I. I said no and explained that we weren't there yet. He was sad. Within a year, he was showing signs of a nervous breakdown. I had no idea what was happening. He became incredibly paranoid, and his behavior became very strange. Turns out he had a crack problem. I had never taken drugs other than trying weed as a teen, so I wasn't able to read the signs correctly. He was doing it at night when I went to bed. That was the end of that." —Poullafouca 11."My partner has 'proposed' four times to me and I've always said no. He proposed the first time after two years of being together. I said no because we were long-distance at the time. Then I finally got a job near his place, so we moved in together, and I soon got pregnant. We had our son, and our relationship turned very sour. I think we both had postpartum depression. This is when he decided to propose for the second time. Of course, I said no. We worked on our relationship. It took us a very long time, but we managed to get through our problems — at least it felt like it. Fast forward seven years, and we got pregnant with our second son. I thought we were in a good place, but I found out he was chatting with other women during the first few months I was pregnant with our second son. When I confronted him, after a week of arguments, we agreed to go to a restaurant to have a 'neutral' place to talk, without our sons, and he proposed again. I said no." "It's been eight years since then, and I've been in survival mode for my sons. He proposed once again last year. The ring has changed, but not my answer. As I type this, I realize how toxic we are for one another, and we are both to blame. I guess he proposes to me for the wrong reasons, and I keep saying no because I probably know deep down he's not the one for me, and I'm not the one for him. We've been together 19 years; our sons are nearly 16 and 9. The proposals were always casual, but they always came with a ring. I'm turning 40, and I know my sons deserve better because both my partner and I are unhappy in our silent relationship." —Anonymous 12."I knew he was planning to propose because I overheard him talking to his mother about redesigning family heirloom rings. I wasn't sure how much I even liked him, let alone if I'd commit to marrying him! I tried to talk to him about how good it was to take things slowly, but a week later, the proposal came regardless. I said how I felt honored by the rings, but couldn't accept them because it felt too soon for me, and then I returned them. He became very pushy, saying things like I was just overwhelmed, and of course, I wanted to be with him forever. I said I wasn't overwhelmed, I just didn't think he was 'the one.' It was sudden, and we hadn't even discussed our core beliefs." "He said I'd never get anyone better than him, and he'd give me a week to think about it. I had many possessions at his house but packed everything and left when he went to work. He was furious, so I stopped taking his calls. I spent the next decade dating, loving, and losing, and then I found a guy I knew I had a good future with. We've been married 28 years and he is MUCH better than him, who, interestingly, never got married." —Maclardy44 13."We were at IHOP. I told him to shut up and eat his pancakes. A couple of months later, he was banging my mom." —busterann 14."He proposed in public, but it wasn't a grand gesture. We were eating out, and he quietly asked. I told him I wasn't ready (we had been having problems beforehand). The problems got worse, and we finally broke up. He's been living with someone else longer than he and I were together, and they aren't married." —Loisgrand6 15."I smiled, held his hand, and said no. It was high school, he was a year above me, and we were on a school group spring break. I explained that we were way too young to even consider it. He pressed and tried to give me the ring as a promise ring, and I still shook my head and told him to get a refund for the ring and use it towards food (his family wasn't doing well)." "The second one I struggled with. He did it privately in a hotel room, and I felt nothing. I realized right there that I cared about him, but wasn't in love. He tried for two weeks, and I politely told him I wasn't ready, but he didn't seem to want that. (Now I know he was afraid of me leaving him, so he was trying to tie me down.) The third person was nice, but I simply reminded him I wasn't interested in marriage. We dated for another year before we split." —VivianKink 16."We'd been dating for over two years, not exclusively, because neither of us wanted to marry again. We'd both gotten screwed over before. He was very insistent, even while driving through nice neighborhoods he was looking to buy into, reminding me the house would be his, not ours. He constantly told me I wasn't going to lock him down. I met someone new who asked for monogamy. I agreed and broke off the dating relationship. Suddenly, he wanted to buy 'us' a house, showed up with a ring, and stalked me. I had to get a new phone number because of all the voicemails and texts. I've been married to the other guy for over 18 years." —Anonymous 17."We'd been broken up for about a year. It was a bad breakup, and that was his choice. I'd moved back home for a part of the time (another state, 2,000 miles away), and he worked hard to get me to move back to where we'd met and lived. Within five minutes of picking me up, he proposed in the car while driving. In all seriousness. I said I wasn't ready to talk about that. Apart from the whole breakup/get back together thing, I was 23 and am not keen on marriage in general. It never came up again. We broke up for good about a year later, which made sense to both of us. He greatly impacted my life, but I have no regrets. He's been married and divorced a couple of times since. I had a partner for 20 years. Neither of us was into marriage." —bootsbythedoor 18."My ex dropped down on one knee on a beach in Mexico during a Christmas vacation. My knee-jerk immediate reaction was to scream, 'OH DEAR GOD, NO!' He immediately fumbled and pretended to fix his shoe. We pretended it never happened, and I left him a few months later." —little__boxes 19."When it happened in private, I stayed quiet and pretended I didn't hear it—not out of cruelty, but because I didn't want to hurt him, not even gently, with words I wasn't ready to say. But the one time it was real and in public, I felt my heart ache. I knew I couldn't say yes, but I also couldn't let him carry that rejection in front of a crowd. So I kissed his forehead, held his hand, and softly asked if we could talk privately." —Creative_Purple9077 20."It was not in public. We were broken up for about six weeks. He slept in his car outside my house all night, and when I woke up in the morning to get ready for work, I realized he was there. I went to talk to him, and he immediately tried to get down on one knee and had a ring box in his hand. I told him to stand up and that we weren't doing that right now. That was 12 years ago. We tried making the relationship work then, and tried again a few years later. Twin flames for sure; we loved each other fiercely, but never worked because we never wanted the same things. I knew potentially marrying him then would have been a mistake, just like I know now that my life has worked out as intended: without him." —sluttychurros "It was not in public; it was just the two of us. I just explained we were too young and I was not ready to commit to marriage. Five years later, I committed to the same man. We're still married 20 years later. To me, marriage is a massive commitment and is done only once. When I was ready, I didn't look back or reconsider. If it was tough. I was changing part of my identity (name), so I had to be sure." —Neat3371 Women, have you ever rejected a marriage proposal? How come? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form.

Yahoo

27 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Hailey Bieber Warned To Get ‘Mid-Nuptial Agreement' Amid Justin Bieber Drama, Say ‘Sources'

Hailey Bieber reportedly received advice to arrange a 'mid-nuptial agreement' with Justin Bieber as divorce rumors persist. Lately, sources have alleged that the model is at her wits' end because of her husband's behavior, as friends warned her to sort out her assets. These claims surfaced weeks after Hailey landed a massive $1 billion deal for her beauty brand, Rhode. These apparent warnings surfaced after reports mentioned she is 'emotionally spent,' despite her show of support for him. RadarOnline unpacked the latest claims surrounding Hailey and Justin Bieber's divorce rumors and a 'mid-nuptial agreement.' Sources notified the publication about her friends' warnings to get her assets in order before 'it's too late,' amid speculation of ongoing marital tensions. The supposed advice from some of Hailey's close pals came in light of her string of successes, including featuring on the cover of Vogue and securing a billion-dollar Rhode deal. 'People around Hailey are cautioning her to get a mid-nuptial agreement to cover herself,' claimed the insider. They highlighted that her and Justin's 'future' together 'looks uncertain' if he fails to 'get his act together,' despite her constant support for him. The source believes it would be 'wise' of her to put her 'personal assets in order before it's too late.' These alleged warnings emerged with the musician's massive financial debts coming to light. According to the source, Hailey Bieber's friends believe a 'mid-nuptial agreement' would be the proper course of action. Reportedly, the buzz surrounding Hailey and Justin Bieber's possible divorce has been around for months. During this time, they shared cryptic messages on Instagram, fueling rumors of tensions. The mom once posted a caption, 'Lemon drop martinis and therapy all summer long,' and deleted the mention of 'therapy' later. Meanwhile, Justin admitted to being in 'transactional relationships.' Regardless of online tittle-tattle, the Rhode founder has stood by her husband and even defended his latest paparazzi confrontation. A week ago, Justin engaged in a heated argument in the paps in Malibu, and the 28-year-old later took a stand for him online. The post Hailey Bieber Warned To Get 'Mid-Nuptial Agreement' Amid Justin Bieber Drama, Say 'Sources' appeared first on Reality Tea.

CNET

37 minutes ago

• CNET

Today's NYT Mini Crossword Answers for June 22

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today's Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Need some help with today's Mini Crossword? There are some tough clues today. Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips. The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times' games collection. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET's NYT puzzle hints page. Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword Let's get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers. The completed NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for June 22, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNET Mini across clues and answers 1A clue: Man's name with the same two vowels as BOAT, fittingly Answer: NOAH 5A clue: Watch in one sitting, as a TV series Answer: BINGE 6A clue: Mammal that cracks open sea urchins with rocks Answer: OTTER 7A clue: Publicist's concern Answer: BRAND 8A clue: Chooses, with "for" Answer: OPTS Mini down clues and answers 1D clue: Like some cold brew coffee Answer: NITRO 2D clue: How beer may be served Answer: ONTAP 3D clue: One helping to seal the deal Answer: AGENT 4D clue: Groups of buffalo Answer: HERDS 5D clue: ___ the Drag Queen, "RuPaul's Drag Race" winner who competed on "The Traitors" Answer: BOB