‘The Lowdown’ Creator Sterlin Harjo Explains the Finale and Season 2 Plans
Sterlin Harjo, creator, writer, and director of The Lowdown, discusses the dramatic finale choices and what lies ahead for the second season. He also shares the creative influences behind his work, including films that shaped his vision and a class on filmmaker David Lynch that he took at the University of Oklahoma.
“The following contains spoilers for The Lowdown.”
From Reservation Dogs to The Lowdown
Before The Lowdown, Harjo served as showrunner for the acclaimed FX comedy Reservation Dogs, which ran for three seasons. The series followed four Indigenous teenagers navigating life on an Oklahoma reservation. That experience gave Harjo the confidence to explore bolder ideas, experiment with storytelling, and enjoy a more collaborative creative process.
The Story and Its Characters
FX’s The Lowdown centers on Lee Raybon, played by Ethan Hawke, who also serves as an executive producer. Lee is a citizen journalist and self-proclaimed “truthstorian” based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Driven by curiosity, he begins investigating the mysterious death of the Washberg family’s black sheep, Dale, portrayed by Tim Blake Nelson.
The investigation quickly spirals into chaos, pulling Lee into the complicated lives of Dale’s older brother Donald (Kyle MacLachlan), Dale’s widow Betty Jo (Jeanna Tripplehorn), a white supremacist church leader (Paul Sparks), and a private investigator (Keith David). Though Lee’s moral compass points true, his reckless determination and tendency to invite trouble put both his safety and his relationship with his daughter, Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), at risk.
Author’s Summary
A gripping mix of mystery and character study, The Lowdown reflects Sterlin Harjo’s growing creative confidence and deep interest in flawed heroes chasing elusive truths in modern America.