Just when you thought you’d seen every gritty crime drama television has to offer, FX drops a bombshell. From the brilliant mind of Reservation Dogs co-creator Sterlin Harjo comes The Lowdown, a scuzzy, sun-drenched neo-noir that’s already being hailed as one of the best new shows of 2025. With a mesmerizing lead performance from Ethan Hawke, a killer supporting cast, and a story that sinks its teeth into the dark history of Tulsa, Oklahoma, this is one series you won’t want to miss.
The Lowdown premiered on September 23, and it’s a far cry from the celebrated dramedy of Reservation Dogs. Harjo trades the quiet, slice-of-life world of the Rez for a sprawling, corrupt city filled with secrets, lies, and a whole lot of trouble. It’s a bold move, but one that pays off in a big way, delivering a show that’s both a loving homage to classic noir and a fresh, modern take on the genre.
Caption: Ethan Hawke as the rumpled, relentless Lee Raybon in his natural habitat—a dusty Tulsa bookstore. Credit: FX Source: Collider
Who is Lee Raybon? Meet the “Truthstorian” of Tulsa
At the heart of The Lowdown is Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke), a freelance journalist and struggling bookstore owner who fancies himself Tulsa’s one and only “truthstorian.” He’s a rumpled, raccoon-like figure, as The Guardian so perfectly puts it, constantly digging through the city’s trash, making a mess of things, and getting on the wrong side of some very dangerous people. He’s a self-righteous narcissist with a hero complex, but he’s also got a dogged determination to expose the truth, no matter the cost.
Lee’s life is a chaotic mess. He’s behind on child support payments to his ex-wife, Samantha (Kaniehtiio Horn, a familiar face from Reservation Dogs), and his bookstore is barely staying afloat. He takes any writing gig he can get, from a long-form magazine called the Heartland Press to a local strip club’s “booty rag.” But his real passion is kicking up storms, publishing unflattering articles about Tulsa’s rich and powerful, and then wading through the aftermath to find more answers. As Hawke explained to The Hollywood Reporter, Lee is a character with “a grand dream and a tremendous amount of blind spots,” making him endlessly fascinating to watch.
From Reservation Dogs to Tulsa Noir: The Genius of Sterlin Harjo
After the groundbreaking success of Reservation Dogs, a show celebrated for its authentic portrayal of Indigenous life, Sterlin Harjo could have easily rested on his laurels. Instead, he’s taken a hard left turn into the world of noir, and the result is nothing short of brilliant. The Lowdown is a whole new kind of flex for the Oklahoma native, a chance to explore a different side of his home state and to tell a story that’s just as compelling, but in a completely different way.
What makes The Lowdown so unique is that it’s a story about white characters, told through an Indigenous lens. As Harjo told The Hollywood Reporter, “Tulsa was originally founded by my tribe, the Muskogee Creek… There’s a dark, dark history there that has never been explored.” The show doesn’t shy away from that history, weaving it into the fabric of its mystery and using the noir genre to explore themes of corruption, greed, and the long shadow of the past. It’s a fascinating reversal of the usual Hollywood formula, and one that gives the show a depth and resonance that most crime dramas lack.
Caption: Creator Sterlin Harjo, the visionary behind both Reservation Dogs and The Lowdown, on set. Credit: Ryan RedCorn/FX Source: Los Angeles Times
A Cast of Characters Pulled from a Hardboiled Novel
No noir story is complete without a rogues’ gallery of colorful characters, and The Lowdown delivers in spades. The show is packed with a phenomenal supporting cast, including Kyle MacLachlan as the slick, gubernatorial candidate Donald Washberg, whose family’s corrupt history is Lee’s primary obsession. The great Keith David plays Marty, a private investigator hired by the Washbergs to keep an eye on Lee, but who can’t help but admire the journalist’s tenacity. And Tim Blake Nelson makes a memorable appearance as Dale Washberg, Donald’s black-sheep brother, whose apparent suicide kicks off the show’s central mystery.
The cast is rounded out by a host of other talented actors, including Jeanne Tripplehorn, Scott Shepherd, and Michael “Killer Mike” Render. It’s a testament to Harjo’s talent that he’s been able to assemble such a stellar ensemble, and each actor brings their A-game, creating a world that feels rich, lived-in, and full of secrets.
Uncovering the Dark Heart of Oklahoma
While The Lowdown is a fictional story, it’s deeply rooted in the real-life history of Tulsa. The show makes direct reference to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a horrific event that saw a thriving Black community destroyed by a white mob, and the Osage murders, a series of killings in the 1920s that targeted wealthy Osage people for their oil money. These historical traumas are not just window dressing; they’re central to the show’s plot, providing a powerful backdrop for Lee’s investigation into the Washberg family’s ill-gotten wealth.
By grounding its story in this dark history, The Lowdown becomes more than just a simple whodunit. It’s a show about the legacy of violence and corruption, about how the sins of the past continue to haunt the present. It’s a story that could only be told in a place like Tulsa, a city with a complex and often painful history. For a deeper dive into the history of the American West, check out the extensive resources available at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Why The Lowdown is More Than Just Another Crime Drama
In a television landscape saturated with crime dramas, The Lowdown stands out from the pack. It’s a show that’s not afraid to be weird, to be funny, and to take its time. It’s a show that’s as much about its characters and its setting as it is about its central mystery. As Variety notes in its glowing review, “the destination of The Lowdown isn’t half as fun as the journey.”
The show wears its influences on its sleeve, with clear nods to classic noir films like Chinatown and The Long Goodbye, as well as the hardboiled novels of Jim Thompson. But it’s also a show that’s very much of its time, with a modern sensibility and a willingness to play with genre conventions. It’s a show that will keep you guessing, but it will also make you laugh, and it might even break your heart a little bit. For fans of other great FX dramas, be sure to check out our coverage of the latest season of Fargo.
The Lowdown is a show that trusts its audience, that doesn’t feel the need to spell everything out. It’s a show that’s content to let its story unfold at its own leisurely pace, to let its characters breathe, and to let its themes emerge organically. It’s a rare thing to find a show that’s this confident, this stylish, and this smart. Don’t miss it.
The Lowdown airs Tuesdays on FX and is available to stream on Hulu the next day.
References
- The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/sep/23/the-lowdown-ethan-hawke-review
- Variety: https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/the-lowdown-review-ethan-hawke-1236516445/
- The Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/the-lowdown-premiere-explained-ethan-hawke-sterlin-harjo-1236378251/
