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Sep 23, 2025 By Kyle Mullin Photography by FX Web Exclusive

On FX’s must-see new crime caper The Lowdown, Ethan Hawke plays endearingly sleazy gumshoe investigative reporter Lee Raybon. He’d fit right in as a character in the vintage paperbacks lining the shelves of a crime scene from the series’ opening moment, a setting that becomes as literally bloody as the tone is pulpy. The brain matter splattered across that home library belongs to Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson, no doubt cast for his signature twang and quirky disposition). Dale hides confessional notes in those soft cover books right before the gunshot is heard from outside his Tulsa, Oklahoma home. Creator, showrunner and pilot episode director Sterlin Harjo masterfully places the camera in view of the window just as it’s coated with blood, leaving us to wonder whether a suicide or murder has taken place inside.

Lee is intent on finding out, because he is all too familiar with the victim. The salacious scribe had just penned an article about the Washberg family’s misdeeds over generations, undermining their reputation as philanthropic local moguls. Lee writes for a publication that teams porn with equally titillating crime reporting. Its editor in chief: Cyrus, played by a shotgun toting, motormouthed Killer Mike (known for rapping in Run the Jewels and winning a Grammy with OutKast). Each time he appears, Cyrus wears a new eye patch that matches his boldly patterned shirts. His language is equally colorful when he chews Lee out for drawing the ire of skinheads in his latest long form article.

Those white supremists not only beat Lee senseless at one point in the densely plotted pilot episode. Later on they stuff him in the trunk of a car. Before they can hurt him further, however, he sees those Nazis get gunned down through a bullet hole from a shot that’s too close for comfort— the light from outside the trunk pouring in on Hawke’s bloodied, terrified face in a perfectly framed and written scene that’ll leave neo-noir fans agape with glee. Yes, Harjo had astounding muses to draw inspiration from on Reservation Dogs— the mischievous teenage cast getting into hilarious but heartfelt hijinks on that instantly canonic series (which also aired on FX). And yet, Harjo and Hawke have equally crackling chemistry on The Lowdown, recalling dynamic duos on both sides of the camera like Hamm and Weiner, Cranston and Gillian, even Gandolfini and Chase.

Better still: Harjo’s direction and writing of a subsequent scene where Lee feels far more self assured. His bruises and cuts healed after the close call in the trunk, which ended the spellbinding series premiere. During the even better second episode (both of which premiered back to back on Sept 23) Lee confronts an especially shifty member of the Washburg family—Donald, who is running (and is the clear frontrunner) for governor. Played by a black cowboy hat wearing Kyle McLaughlin (legendary for his bizarro yet eerie turns on David Lynch classics like Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet), Donald slathers phony “aww shucks” small talk on everyone he comes across in the hopes of making them a constituent. Lee isn’t just skeptical of Donald— he’s convinced the dirt he’s dug up for an article about shifty land deals implicates the elder Washberg. He also has a hunch Donald is somehow responsible for Dale’s murder and cover up as a suicide.

At Dale’s memorial, Lee confronts Donald in the men’s room. We see his shadow before he enters and parks next to Donald at the urinal. The tension between them teeters between comical and unnerving as their tussle pours out to the Church reception hall and Lee knocks Donald’s gallon sized Stetson off, before the (allegedly) conniving politician grabs at the (supposed) hack writer’s tie, only to realize he’s yanked off a clip on.

The five episodes provided to critics in advance of their Tuesday night air dates conclude with Lee and Donald squaring off again. It’s a visceral cliff hanger because it not only reveals the extent of Donald’s control over the police, but also how depraved they are. That’s because two crooked cops drag Lee into a meeting with Washberg at a house party the officers are throwing, where uniformed attendees gorge on sex and drugs. One of them even fires up a chainsaw at one of the increasingly escalating points.

McLaughlin is as great as you’d expect. But before that we are treated to a practical parade of other powerful guest turns who go toe to toe with Hawke, until they bring the best out of each other. Scott Shepherd (a standout villain from The Last of Us) plays a cool and collected, to the point of verging on sociopathic, enforcer of Donald’s who visits Lee’s bookstore to dish out some hair raising veiled threats. Yes, Lee is a big enough grifter to not only write schlocky crime deep-dives but also operate a musty bookstore, where he lives in the attic. The co-owner of the book shop is a standout example of stunt casting that will leave audiences giggling and talking it over for weeks after the end credits roll. Then there’s velvety voiced Keith David, playing Donald’s private eye, which is ironic considering he’s a fan of Lee’s writing. Rez Dogs fans, meanwhile, will be left gleeful by quick cameos from its top cast members.

Impressive as all that is, none comes close to Jeanne Tripplehorn as Dale’s Widow Betty Jo. The Tulsa native (who broke out in the 90s opposite Tom Cruise in The Firm) sashays around the dilapidated town, downing tequila shots with Lee as he worms his way from tailing her gas guzzling car, then questioning her for his article, and into her good graces. Calling them a memorable odd couple would be a criminal understatement, especially when Betty Jo waves her dead husband’s gun (or murder weapon?) at Lee in a menacing flirtation, or when Lee struts about in his tightie whities after their odd sexual tension finally combusts. Funnier still: Lee trying to suavely hook the arm of his sunglasses onto his shirt collar before he and Betty Jo start making out, only to drunkenly fumble that and nearly drop those shades.

Indeed, Hawke and Tripplehorn’s scenes alone would make The Lowdown crack several publication’s “Best of 2025” lists. With a supporting cast this strong, the series sings with possibility. Rather than feeling overstuffed like lesser shows chasing stunt casting trends, it depicts a lived-in and battered Tulsa where every street teems with characters worthy of their own dog eared dime store paperback, with performances to boot. Little wonder those actors are clamoring to be on The Lowdown, though the series attracts equally impressive talent behind the camera. Walter Mosley pens an upcoming episode’s screenplay. That tracks because this show pays fitting homage to noir classics by the likes of Mosley (beloved for his Easy Rawlins starring detective books), along with Elmore Leonard (whose southern gothic Det. Raylan Givens centered books were adapted into FX’s Justified, a prestige TV all-timer which hasn’t seen a worthy successor since The Lowdown). Then there’s the visual nods to David Lynch, including a lost highway superimposed on Hawke’s face during one melancholic Lowdown scene. Equally exciting: Macon Blair directs an excellent episode, bringing his genre bonafides to bear after helming the offbeat dark comedy I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore and acting in modern crime classics like Blue Ruin and Green Room. He’ll also split sides in front of the camera with his portrayal of Lee’s sad sack lawyer Dan Kane, who is often aghast at his client’s legal recklessness, especially in one scene where he literally needs to handle blood money.

Kane also delivers one of the series numerous hilarious one liners to Lee: “You look like you fucked a were wolf” after our dear protagonist was roughed up by the skinheads. Hawke rivals him when doling out a line — “Skinheads come and skinheads go. These ones are going” — when trying to reassure his wise beyond her years teenage daughter that his recent misadventures aren’t putting him in danger. Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew) subtly conveys how she yearns to spend time with her wayward Dad during his investigations, while also dreading the looming consequences.

Thanks to these elements and more, The Lowdown hits more highs in a moment of screen time than most series do in their comparatively feeble entire run times. Harjo pays homage but also builds on crime tomes from prior generations. This series will be just as influential on future genre fare thanks to its layered performances, hilarious but grisly writing and jolting direction. Prior eras had page turner novels, and now the prestige TV era has a novelistic timeless crime saga with humor, gravitas and acting that all dig deep and low down.

Author rating: 9/10