The Lowdown | |
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Genre | |
Created by | Sterlin Harjo |
Starring | |
Music by | JD McPherson |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 6 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Production location | Oklahoma |
Cinematography |
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Editors |
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Running time | 50–60 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | FX |
Release | September 23, 2025 – 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.
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]
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by [9] | Original release date [10] | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
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1 | "Pilot" | Sterlin Harjo | Sterlin Harjo | September 23, 2025 | 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 Harjo | Sneha Koorse | September 23, 2025 | 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 | 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 Boudreau | October 7, 2025 | 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 Blair | Olivia Purnell | October 14, 2025 | 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 Sack | October 21, 2025 | TBD | |
7 | "Tulsa Turnaround" [15] | Danis Goulet | Walter Mosley | October 28, 2025 | TBD | |
8 | "The Sensitive Kind" [16] | Sterlin Harjo | Sterlin Harjo & Liz Blood | November 4, 2025 | TBD |
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]
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]
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]