For the Love of Television, Please Watch ‘The Lowdown’ Season 2: TV Review — SkimNews
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- "The Lowdown" Season 2 premieres its first two episodes on FX and Hulu on Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET, with remaining episodes airing weekly on Wednesdays.
- Sterlin Harjo (showrunner of "Reservation Dogs") created the series, which squeaked into a Season 2 renewal in January despite star Ethan Hawke — who plays Tulsa "truthstorian" Lee Raybon and serves as executive producer — failing to make it a ratings breakout.
- Betty Gilpin joins Season 2 as public defender Ginger, whose former client, Native convict Mekko Dean, has gone missing from lockup, launching Lee into an investigation into corrupt cops and a shady diversion program.
- Tommy Lee Jones appears as Lee Sr., an itinerant con man whose history of deception reframes Lee's own strained relationship with teenage daughter Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong).
- Keith David's Marty has moved up to managing editor of The Heartland Press, while Kyle MacLachlan's Donald — now governor — drops by for a midseason visit.
- The review praises the show's "ambling rhythm" and affectionate depiction of Oklahoma, with Lee's investigation taking him to 4-H fairs and horseback rides through a "rich tapestry of strong personalities."
Why it matters: A scrappy, representationally grounded drama from a Native showrunner gets a second life largely on critical acclaim rather than ratings — Harjo's follow-up to "Reservation Dogs" earned renewal only after squeaking through, making Season 2 a make-or-break moment for whether shaggy, character-driven noirs can survive on prestige alone.
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