FX’s The Lowdown Season 1 Episode 1-5 Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of the first 5 episodes of Season 1 of The Lowdown, the first 2 episodes premiere September 23rd at 9pm EST on FX and are available the next day on Hulu in the United States and Disney+ internationally

Gracing audiences with a uniquely touching collection of gripping episodic storytelling, Reservation Dogs highlights the delicate subjects surrounding the Indigenous experience in America, historical trauma, eternal grief, and resilient aspiration found in these teenagers living on a reservation in rural Oklahoma. With Ethan Hawke guest appearing in an emotionally pivotal episode near the show’s conclusion, their returning collaborative effort provides much-earned optimism for The Lowdown‘s success, from Sterlin Harjo’s established acclaim and Hawke’s reputable career that routinely embraces such riveting auteur storytelling.

The Lowdown stars Hawke as Lee Raybon, a freelance journalist and bookshop owner, snooping into the dangerous path of greed, corruption, racism, and more to uncover the potential conspiracy lying behind the depths of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Inspired by Oklahoma’s own citizen journalist, Lee Roy Chapman, whom Harjo knew personally, Hawke expresses the candidness of this fictional iteration in all its self-righteousness to expose Tulsa’s underbelly. 

A self-proclaimed “truth-storian”, Lee knows no bounds in uncovering Tulsa’s shady characters as he writes an exposé in a local journal about the wealthy Washberg family, diving into the corruption and personal lives of these powerful people. When Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson) commits suicide not long after his exposé goes public, Lee becomes an easy target to blame for his brutal honesty in airing out the family’s dirty laundry. Despite becoming a polarizing figure for the town, Lee never lets it phase his confidence and boldness to delve into the deeper mystery surrounding Dale’s suspicious death.

Harjo’s effectiveness in unleashing the dark, deadpan comedy that made Reservation Dogs such a delight to stay captivated in light of its heavy themes, remains even more prominent with The Lowdown in combination with Hawke’s eloquent comedic timing. Balancing being the instigator and the reacting presence during many points of the show’s comedic absurdity, Hawke possesses the charisma to naturally weave Lee’s personality through the endless quirky community interactions without overstaying his presence in any given situation.

Supplementing Hawke’s commanding presence is a well-rounded cast, including Nelson, Kyle MacLachlan, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Keith David, and Peter Dinklage, whose peculiar characters are all intertwined within the complicated and volatile conspiracy that Lee swears exists. Donald Washberg (MacLachlan) is at the head of Lee’s convoluted conspiracy board hidden in the crammed apartment in his bookshop’s attic. Reuniting after working together in Tesla, both MacLachlan and Hawke return as rivals in a more contemporary setting where Lee persistently and shamelessly pokes the bear to get an inch ahead in his suspicions of Donald’s possible involvement in his brother’s death. MacLachlan is having just as much fun stepping out of his comfort zone, painfully restraining his emotions behind a diplomatic figure as Donald constantly campaigns to become Governor of Oklahoma while Lee relentlessly pursues him and his family.

Digging deeper into the fishy business dealings is where The Lowdown steadily mixes that balance of dark comedy and brutal crime violence, as Lee’s candid journalism and irresistibility to constrain his public confrontational behavior results in perpetual brutal beatings by many of Tulsa’s shady characters. Lee Raybon routinely sports cuts, bruises, black eyes, and a bloodied face, which Hawke takes like a champion under the constant make-up that accompanies such a physically demanding role. Lee keeps his one working eye on Allen Murphy (Scott Shepherd) who seems to be widely connected to Tulsa’s business men, political figures, and street-level criminals. Shepherd commits to the stone-cold sternness that stares down anyone in his path, including the ample amount of mysteriousness that comes with a person that knows too much. Peeling back the layers of this mystery through the clues left by Dale’s death is where Nelson elevates this stylish neo-noir comedy to the occasional Lynchian levels of surrealism, something that MacLachlan is all too familiar with and has even positively compared his time working with Harjo to his experience with David Lynch.

As the complex story funnels through Lee’s focus in narrowing down his evidence, the stakes become much more personal as the complicated relationship with his daughter Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) becomes intertwined with the precarious situations that Lee ill-advisedly indulges her curiosity with, as he feels that’s his only way of connecting with her. His daring involvement with Dale’s widow, Betty Jo (Tripplehorn), despite every warning to not get too close to his investigation has made the conspiracy all too personal and sympathetic for Lee’s liking. Winding down the mystery to simple internal revelations has paid off into a steady pace, while at the expense of the frantic style and the Coen-esque world that Harjo has excellently built into the earlier episodes. However, episode five’s ending is an incredible tease for the darker, twisted world that will surely kick into a new gear towards the back-half of the season.

FX has always been a reputable, consistent pioneer in empowering new voices and enthralling filmmaking craft. While the series’ mystery is not always adapting to the pace of Lee’s unpredictable ability to put the pieces together, The Lowdown remains a stylish neo-noir crime mystery that Harjo elevates through the subtle inclusion of delicate thematics and sharply paced comedic timing that incorporates the absurdism, deadpan, and dark comedy with each passing conversation. Rounded out by an ensemble of beloved character actors, The Lowdown unsurprisingly stands tall alongside the rest of FX’s premium quality programming that the network always strives to achieve. Following these first five episodes, audiences should stay tuned to this elegantly and stylishly engaging series.

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Costa Christoulas

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