Seamlessly blending humour, action, social commentary, brutal flashes of violence, and old school gumshoe theatricality, Sterlin Harjo’s mystery The Lowdown comes at a tipping point in the genre. Just like their literary counterparts, investigative thrillers on screen are a dime a dozen down at the Goodwill these days, but The Lowdown smells like the paper and pulp whodunits live upon. Led by a game, eccentric, and charismatic Ethan Hawke and supported by one of the best supporting casts in a series this year, The Lowdown is a revitalization of tropes that were quickly going stale in the trappings of a comforting, dog-eared throwback.
Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke) is a perfect protagonist for this sort of thing, in that’s he’s both brilliant and he sucks; a professional detective’s favourite amateur. When he’s not trying to keep his fledgling used bookstore alive, the Tulsa, Oklahoma native is busy making a world of enemies as one of the city’s most dogged investigative journalists, or as he likes to put it, a “True-storian.” Making bare scratch writing hit pieces aimed at the old money hustlers and brazen racists that have plagued the city and ruined its heritage for decades, Lee will write for any alt-weekly, tabloid, or “long form magazine” that’s willing to put up with his attitude. People tend to respect Lee, but not necessarily like him. His daughter, Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), loves him, but even his closet friends and neighbours would probably call him an acquaintance at best.
Although he’s currently preoccupied with escalating violence at the hands of a recently outed group of Neo-Nazis, Lee’s primary target has always been the Washberg family. Led by current gubernatorial candidate Donald Washberg (Kyle MacLachlan), the family has its hands in numerous shady deals, including one that could be tied to a mysterious stranger (Keith David) who’s been following Lee around town and the seemingly upstanding developer (Scott Shepherd) who has ties to the local skinheads. Lee’s worlds as a rare book dealer and a muckraker come together after the death of Donald’s brother, Dale (Tim Blake Nelson, who narrates portions of the story and is seen in flashbacks). While scoping out the dead man’s estate sale, Lee finds a confessional letter tucked away (quite appropriately) in an old crime novel, and what he learns (in addition to the revelation that more letters are hidden throughout the dead man’s library) makes him want to investigate the dirty dealings of the Washburg clan even harder.
Harjo (Reservation Dogs) places The Lowdown in a location rich in history, conflict, and somewhat stuck out of time. Harjo’s vision of Tulsa is one where everything is modern, but the people still look and act like the kinds of characters one would come across in the old west or in a 1940s noir. The divide between the rich and poor is prevalent, with the wealthy hogging all the spotlight and power and the poor refusing to remain complacent. Rich in black and indigenous history, the city is always caught between white power brokers and a deeper sense of tradition, with imperfect anti-hero Lee Raybon acting as a sort of go-between. While Lee always takes the side of the oppressed, putting his wellbeing in constant jeopardy, as one character wisely puts it, “there’s nothing worse than a white man who cares.”
The Lowdown is a quirky series, but not oppressively so or to a degree that feels like an outright cartoon. Harjo and his team of creatives hew close to precedents set by genre stalwarts Leonard, Walter Mosley, and Carl Hiaasen, authors who always pay close attention to location and character. Heroes and villains alike feel like products of their environment, and proud members of their community, even if they’re destroying it for hateful or greedy purposes. Lee wants to preserve some of Tulsa’s integrity, but even his ideas of what that entails are somewhat limited in scope. These are medium sized fish in a medium sized pond, but all of their egos could fill oceans. Whether Lee finds himself caught between warring antique dealers, bumbling white supremacists, or former meth cookers trying to economically diversify their operations, these characters always straddle the line between ridiculous and realistic, offering viewers a more creative and enriching experience, as opposed to a show that either takes itself too seriously or not seriously enough at all.
At the heart of it all is Hawke, who strike a perfect blend of cockiness and cowardice as the morally fluid, but socially minded Lee. Getting beaten or knocked senseless at least once every episode, Hawke plays Lee as someone who gets by on wits and untapped wells of resilience alone; a man driven by obsession and just a bit of self-righteousness. The Lowdown gives Hawke some great support in the forms of Armstrong’s supportive (frequently smarter) daughter and Jeanne Tripplehorn, who plays the dead Washberg’s wife, a character and performance that grows stronger and more intriguing the more we learn about her. David adds a nice amount of old school spice as the investigator investigating the investigator, and Macon Blair (who also steps behind the camera to direct a couple of instalments) has some nice comedic moments as the put-upon lawyer whose office is next to the book shop. Viewers should also keep an eye out for Canadian indigenous talents Kaniehtiio Horn and Cody Lightning, as Lee’s former partner and the bookstore’s doofus “head of security,” respectively. (A major reveal of the bookstore’s former co-owner around the halfway point of the series also gives another major name another great performance, but that’s too good to spoil. Just something to look forward to.)
Not all of the major twists in The Lowdown will be huge shocks, but the journey and world of these characters is more than enough to keep viewers locked in to the mystery. It’s a show that feels like something from a bygone era with fresh new ideas and a wicked sense of dark humour. The Lowdown is like spending an evening with a nice glass of whiskey or a good cup of tea while reading a dogged paperback and listening to some bluegrass on vinyl. It’s a vibe, but also an engaging way to pass the time. Any future instalments of the adventures of Lee Raybon and company would be a welcome sight.
The Lowdown airs on FX in Canada on Tuesday nights at 9pm EST, with episodes available on Disney+ the following day. The Lowdown screened as part of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.
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