Plot: Lee’s recent story on the life and untimely death of Dale Washberg (as seen in season one) earns him a local citizen journalist award. Unable to process things going well for a change, Lee self-medicates and, unsurprisingly, makes a less than stellar showing at the ceremony. But his wildly unfiltered speech grabs the attention of beautiful and brash public defender Ginger, herself a crusader for truth. Though uncommonly immune to his charms, Ginger does accept Lee’s help on a case. One of her clients has gone MIA from the state penitentiary – but how can a man go missing in prison? The situation turns out to have all of Lee’s favorite ingredients: power, corruption, and malfeasance among the wealthy elite. It’s a perfect next story for The Heartland Press, where Marty is now Managing Editor, much to Lee’s chagrin.
Review: There is something so likable and charming about Ethan Hawke’s Lee Raybon that I would easily watch the character drive around Tulsa, causing mischief without any sort of narrative direction. The casual aloofness of Sterlin Harjo’s The Lowdown makes comparisons to the neo-noir films of Joel and Ethan Coen so easy, especially The Big Lebowski. After the first season gave us the great ensemble that included Jeanne Tripplehorn, Kyle MacLachlan, and Tim Blake Nelson, The Lowdown returns with Keith David, Macon Blair, and more along with new additions like Betty Gilpin, John Hawkes, and Tommy Lee Jones for a new mystery that feels very distinct from season one but with all of the familiar hallmarks that made the first season so much fun to watch. The Lowdown is back for a fantastic second season that is not only as good as the first but may actually be better.
As he wins an award for the article based on the events of season one, Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke) meets the alluring Ginger (Betty Gilpin), a public defender with the looks of a femme fatale. Ginger is afraid of two men who have been following her and reluctantly enlists Lee’s help. Lee, who is smitten with Ginger, jumps into the fray without realizing what he is getting himself into. Very quickly, Lee discovers a new conspiracy involving prison guards, a judge, cops, and a missing inmate that threatens to be a bigger deal than what he published last time around. But that is only part of the story, as Lee also has to contend with his teenage daughter, Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), who meets her long-lost grandfather, Lee Raybon, Sr. (Tommy Lee Jones). Nicknamed Frog, the Senior Raybon is a former preacher who left Lee as a child, creating a rift between them, but has returned to make amends. If that isn’t enough, Lee must also deal with his ex-wife, Sam (Kaniehtiio Horn), and her husband, Johnny (Rafael Casal), who all get pulled into this season’s overarching mystery.
The first season of The Lowdown was a fun continuation of the tone and style of Harjo’s short-lived Reservation Dogs, which ran for three seasons on FX. Blending Tulsa’s rich and diverse history with the “truthstorian” path of Lee Raybon’s citizen journalist, the first season blended noir elements with a biting sense of humor and a signature performance from Ethan Hawke. Season two skips the introductory elements and dives right into a new story that pulls back in characters, such as Tulsa Beat owner Cyrus (Michael “Killer Mike” Render), Marty Brunner (Keith David), and Waylon (Cody Lightning). As Lee’s investigation deepens, so do his feelings for Ginger, who may be more than she seems. Having only seen the first six episodes of the eight-episode season, I am anxiously waiting to find out how the season ends, but there is a lot packed into these episodes that keeps the mystery engaging, especially as we get to see both perspectives of the criminals and conspirators as well as how Lee and his crew crack the case.
As much as having the first season characters return, The Lowdown improves significantly with the presence of both Betty Gilpin and Tommy Lee Jones. Having recently won an Emmy for her brief turn on Widow’s Bay, Gilpin is a major character this season and offers a very different feel that offsets the gonzo journalism of Ethan Hawke’s Lee. Ginger is not a femme fatale, nor is she entirely innocent, and Gilpin embraces the wacky world of The Lowdown in every scene. Equally impressive is the great Tommy Lee Jones, who enters the story as Lee’s adversarial and absentee father. Both senior and junior Raybons have their quirks, and Jones delivers a character that is very different than his usual roles. Frog is a little off-kilter, world-weary, and reminiscent of cowboy characters that Tommy Lee Jones has played before, while offering a modern perspective. Looking every bit his eighty years, Jones is fantastic here, and his scenes with Ryan Kiera Armstrong as well as with Ethan Hawke are highlights of the season. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the non-mystery elements of this story that dive into the relationship between Lee and his father are the best parts of this season.
Showrunner Sterlin Harjo is credited as writer on the premiere episode and directed the first two with Scott Teems and cast member Rafael Casal helming two episodes each. Writers include Lou Berney, Olivia Purnell, Liz Blood, Sneha Koorse, and Duffy Boudreau. The same grittiness and Midwestern charm that imbued the first season with a distinct feel, unlike any other show on television, really come through this season as well. The noir elements of the story are definitely all still there, and the series is just as funny as we watch Lee get his ass kicked over and over again through the season, but never gives up. But there seems to be a bit more investment in the overarching narrative this season, as it does bring together both the characters involved directly in the conspiracy as well as those who surround Lee’s orbit. The Lowdown still has one of the best soundtracks on television and brings in character actors that we know from countless TV series and films, who are cast a little against their expected type and nail it in every way, especially Martha Plimpton.
The Lowdown returns with a really strong second season that gels more quickly and allows you to get into the fray faster than the first season did. Sterlin Harjo builds on the amazing world of Lee Raybon by jumping right into a new story, embracing plot threads left over from the first season without making them too central to the story, and carrying us into a new convoluted mystery that is engaging, funny, and surprising at every turn. I wasn’t sure if the first season was going to be a limited series or an ongoing series, but I am so grateful that we now know exactly how this series can build season after season. Ethan Hawke has always been a phenomenal big-screen actor, but he transmits that same charisma and quirkiness that has made some of his most lasting characters so memorable into the world of long-form storytelling. This series continues to be one of the best shows on television, and this season is a significant improvement over the first, which itself was already fantastic. Those who are checking this series out for the first time can jump right in and enjoy the phenomenal performances from the new cast members, while fans of the first season are going to find a whole lot to love with this new mystery led by everybody’s favorite citizen journalist.
The Lowdown premieres with two episodes on October 14th on FX.
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