The Lowdown (American TV series)

Last updated

The Lowdown
The Lowdown (American TV series) logo.png
Genre
Created by Sterlin Harjo
Starring
Music by JD McPherson
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
Production location Oklahoma
Cinematography
  • Adam Stone
  • Mark Schwartzbard
  • Christopher Norr
Editors
  • Patrick Tuck
  • Dane McMaster
  • Gina Sansom
Running time50–60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network FX
ReleaseSeptember 23, 2025 (2025-09-23) –
present

The Lowdown is an American television series created by Sterlin Harjo for FX. It stars Ethan Hawke and it premiered on September 23, 2025.

Contents

Premise

The series is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It features a man "who knows too much" [5] and is loosely inspired by Lee Roy Chapman. [6]

Cast

Main

Recurring

Notable guests

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten by  [9] Original release date  [10] U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Pilot" Sterlin Harjo Sterlin HarjoSeptember 23, 2025 (2025-09-23)0.267 [11]
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, self-styled "truthstorian" and bookseller Lee Raybon has published an exposé about the powerful Washberg clan; Dale Washberg, the black sheep of the family, hides a letter before committing suicide. Investigating the Akron real estate development group, Lee is approached by a stranger named Marty, and is later attacked by skinheads Blackie and Berta. At Dale's estate sale, Lee discovers the letter, which reveals Dale hid more letters about a family conspiracy in his collection of Jim Thompson novels. Lee convinces antiques dealer Ray to acquire the collection for him in exchange for a stolen Joe Brainard painting, while tabloid editor Cyrus agrees to publish Lee's follow-up article and gives him a gun for protection. Dale's brother Donald is running for governor, and Lee deduces that he is having an affair with Dale's widow, Betty Jo. Blackie and Berta kidnap Lee to deliver him to Akron contractor Allen Murphy, who kills the skinheads instead, unaware Lee is in their trunk. Freed by Marty, who has been following him, Lee flees in Blackie's car and discovers a large envelope of cash.
2"The Devil's Mama"Sterlin HarjoSneha KoorseSeptember 23, 2025 (2025-09-23)0.175 [11]
A battered Lee uses some of the skinheads' cash as overdue child support for his ex, Samantha, taking their daughter Francis for the weekend. Leaving her with his bookstore employee Deidra, Lee pays Deidra's recently paroled cousins Waylon and Henry to dispose of Blackie's car. Cyrus's office was vandalized by the skinheads, and Lee poses as a friend of Blackie to question his mother Bonnie, whose boyfriend Phil confirms that Blackie and Berta were working for Allen, a fellow racist ex-convict, who paid them for a job in Skiatook, where Dale lived. Donald's wife Maryann is unhappily aware of his affair, and Dale and Betty Jo's daughter Pearl returns home for her father's funeral, where Lee publicly accuses Donald of working with white supremacists. Marty reveals himself as a private investigator hired by Donald to follow Lee, who berates him for refusing to believe a greater conspiracy is afoot. Waylon and Henry post a rap video of themselves burning the car, and Allen visits Lee's bookstore with a veiled threat to stop his investigation.
3"Dinosaur Memories"Sterlin Harjo Scott Teems September 30, 2025 (2025-09-30)0.303 [12]
Fearing for his daughter's safety, Lee rents a new apartment from amorous real estate agent Vicky. Donald offers to make Marty the head of his security detail in exchange for informing Betty Jo that her prenup allows Donald to seize Dale's ranch, much to Betty Jo's outrage. Marty is later approached by Allen, but refuses to betray Lee's confidence. Ray admits that Dale's novels were brought by rival antiques dealer Catalina, and takes Lee and Francis to find her houseboat on Keystone Lake. Posing as a Fish and Wildlife officer, Lee is captured by Catalina's estranged husband Marlon and his brother Hook, part of a group of poachers selling paddlefish eggs as beluga caviar. They let Lee go after his enthralling story about winding up in jail, and he writes Marlon a love letter for Catalina, who catches Francis stealing the novels. Lee returns to discover Catalina has burned the books out of spite, but Francis was able to save Dale's mysterious letters, and they drive a drunken Ray home.
4"Short on Cowboys" Macon Blair Duffy BoudreauOctober 7, 2025 (2025-10-07)0.180 [13]
Dale's letters reveal an attempt on his life by the skinheads, and Lee realizes Allen murdered them for failing to kill Dale, who had a heated argument with Donald over land a week before his death. Allen shares with his Alcoholics Anonymous group that he was saved from addiction by his boss, and learns that Bonnie and Phil were questioned by Lee. Samantha is getting married, and a mysterious loiterer sells Lee a drawing of Dale, while Lee's editor Elijah warns that Donald is suing the Heartland Press for publishing Lee's article. To placate his wife, Donald is trying to evict Betty Jo, who brings Lee home to seduce him after a drunken night together. They each accidentally fire Dale's gun, and Betty Jo confesses that Dale was secretly gay; in his argument with Dale, Donald revealed that he was actually Pearl's father. Lee spends the night with Betty Jo, but suspects she may be manipulating him, and Donald spots him leaving in the morning. Allen contacts someone for help covering up the skinheads' murder, but is instead killed by a one-eyed hitman.
5"This Land?"Macon BlairOlivia PurnellOctober 14, 2025 (2025-10-14)0.254 [14]
Wendell, Lee's estranged former business partner, makes his annual visit and helps investigate the land Dale and Donald argued about in Indian Head Hills. There, Lee comes to blows with Wendell, who blames him for the fatal overdose of their friend Jesús, but they escape when armed men arrive. Vicky discovers the land is being sold at an overinflated value, which Lee suspects is essentially a bribe to Donald. Akron executive Frank Martin, Allen's boss, leads Donald and fellow white businessmen in a campaign to seize power from Native Americans. Waylon and Henry's video draws Phil and his fellow skinheads to the bookstore, but Henry scares them off. A furious Donald confronts Betty Jo over her tryst with Lee, while Marty enjoys a blind date and agrees to join Donald's staff. Betty Jo tells Lee that Donald took Dale's gun, and Lee sends her to lay low at a "self-care retreat". Honoring the memory of Jesús, Lee and Wendell agree to repair their friendship. When Lee attempts to warn Pearl, he is forcibly taken to a drunken, explosive party of police officers to meet with Donald.
6"Old Indian Trick" Danis Goulet Jason SackOctober 21, 2025 (2025-10-21)TBD
7"Tulsa Turnaround" [15] Danis Goulet Walter Mosley October 28, 2025 (2025-10-28)TBD
8"The Sensitive Kind" [16] Sterlin HarjoSterlin Harjo & Liz BloodNovember 4, 2025 (2025-11-04)TBD

Production

A drama pilot titled The Sensitive Kind created and executive produced by Sterlin Harjo and starring Ethan Hawke was announced in February 2024 by FX. [17] Hawke is also an executive producer alongside Garrett Basch and it was produced by FX Productions. [18] In May 2025, the series title was confirmed as The Lowdown. [19]

The pilot was filmed in Oklahoma in April and May 2024. The cast of the pilot includes Keith David, Siena East, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tim Blake Nelson, Scott Shepherd, Tracy Letts, Kyle MacLachlan, and Macon Blair as well as Kaniehtiio Horn, Killer Mike, Cody Lightning, Michael Hitchcock, and Ryan Kiera Armstrong. It received a series order from FX in October 2024. [20] [21] Principal photography began on February 10, 2025. [22] Adam Stone, Mark Schwartzbard, and Christopher Norr serve as cinematographers. [23] [24] [25] Patrick Tuck, Dane McMaster, and Gina Sansom are editors. [26] [27] [28] [29]

Harjo confirmed the series to take place in the same fictional universe as Reservation Dogs , another FX series which he co-created, and which Hawke and Horn appeared in as different characters. In the pilot episode, Paulina Alexis makes a cameo appearance as Willie Jack, her character from that series. [7] [8]

Release

The series had its world premiere on September 4, 2025, as part of the primetime program lineup of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. [30] [31] [27] The series premiered on FX on September 23, 2025. It is shown internationally the next day on Disney+. [32]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 98% approval rating based on 42 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Brightening up its mysteries with a hometown affection for Tulsa and hanging its hat on Ethan Hawke's hangdog charisma, The Lowdown reaches impressive highs as pulpy entertainment." [33] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave a score of 86 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [34]

References

  1. ↑ Berman, Judy (September 23, 2025). "FX's The Lowdown Is One of the Year's Best Crime Dramas". Time. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  2. ↑ Herman, Alison (September 23, 2025). "Ethan Hawke's 'The Lowdown' Is a Superlative Crime Yarn From a 'Reservation Dogs' Creator: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  3. ↑ Nemetz, Dave (September 23, 2025). "Dave Nemetz Reviews The Lowdown: Ethan Hawke Glides to Greatness in FX's Cool and Quirky Neo-Noir". TVLine. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  4. ↑ Simonpillai, Radheyan (September 23, 2025). "The Lowdown review – Ethan Hawke is terrific in playful neo-noir series". The Guardian. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  5. ↑ Nemetz, Dave (October 1, 2024). "Ethan Hawke-Led Drama from Reservation Dogs Showrunner Ordered to Series at FX". TVLine. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  6. ↑ Tramel, Jimmie (May 13, 2025). "Sterlin Harjo's Tulsa noir series starring Ethan Hawke gets new title, premiere date". Tulsa World. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Schneider, Michael (September 23, 2025). "'The Lowdown' Creator Sterlin Harjo on Tackling Noir, Casting Ethan Hawke and When a 'Reservation Dogs' Movie Might Happen". Variety . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Taylor, Drew (September 23, 2025). "'The Lowdown' Creator Sterlin Harjo Explains That 'Reservation Dogs' Cameo in the Premiere". TheWrap . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  9. ↑ "The Lowdown". Writers Guild of America . Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Shows A-Z - The Lowdown on FX". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Pucci, Douglas (September 24, 2025). "Tuesday Ratings: 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' on ABC Late Night Records Series-High Audience Due to Political Controversy". Programming Insider. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  12. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (October 2, 2025). "Tuesday Ratings: Red Sox-Yankees on ESPN Highlights Most-Watched First Day of Current MLB Wild Card Format". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  13. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (October 9, 2025). "Tuesday Ratings: ABC and FS1 Split Prime Time Victory". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  14. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (October 16, 2025). "Tuesday Ratings: ABC Still Leads Broadcast Networks Overall Despite Season Premieres of Three 'NCIS' Dramas on CBS". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
  15. ↑ "(#107) "Tulsa Turnaround"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  16. ↑ "(#108) "The Sensitive Kind"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  17. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 13, 2024). "Sterlin Harjo Noir Drama Starring Ethan Hawke Gets FX Pilot Order". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  18. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (October 1, 2024). "Sterlin Harjo Drama Pilot Starring Ethan Hawke Picked Up At FX". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  19. ↑ Petski, Denise (May 13, 2025). "'Alien: Earth', 'The Lowdown' & 'The Bear' Get Premiere Dates At FX, Hulu & Disney+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  20. ↑ Otterson, Joe (October 1, 2024). "Ethan Hawke, Sterlin Harjo Drama Pilot Picked Up to Series at FX (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  21. ↑ Cobb, Kayla (October 1, 2024). "Ethan Hawke and Sterlin Harjo Drama Picked Up to Series at FX". The Wrap. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  22. ↑ "The Sensitive Kind". productionlist.com. December 30, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Adam Stone Resume" (PDF). Independent Artist Group. May 14, 2025. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  24. ↑ Landes, Tim (June 30, 2025). "Behind the scenes: Get to know Tulsa filmmakers Talia Bella, Zach Litwack, Stacy Suvino, Charles Elmore, Kevin J Tighe and Colleen Thurston". TulsaPeople Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Chris Norr Resume" (PDF). Murtha Skouras Agency.
  26. ↑ "Patrick Tuck Resume". Murtha Skouras Agency.
  27. 1 2 "The Lowdown". TIFF. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Dane McMaster | LinkedIn". LinkedIn.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). production.apa-agency.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 14, 2025. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  30. ↑ "TIFF's 2025 Primetime programme celebrates 10 years of championing serialized storytelling from across the globe". TIFF. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  31. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (August 7, 2025). "TIFF Primetime Lineup: 'The Lowdown', 'Wayward' & 'Black Rabbit' Set To Premiere in Toronto's Series Showcase". Deadline. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  32. ↑ Maglio, Tony (May 13, 2025). "FX Sets Premiere Dates for 'The Bear' Season 4, 'Alien: Earth' and Sterlin Harjo's 'The Lowdown'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  33. ↑ "The Lowdown: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  34. ↑ "The Lowdown: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved September 27, 2025.
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