‘The Lowdown’ Season 1 Recap: What To Remember Before FX’s Neo-Noir Crime Series Returns

Published Oct 14, 2026, 7:28 AM EDT

Liam Gaughan is a film and TV writer at Collider. He has been writing film reviews and news coverage for ten years. Between relentlessly adding new titles to his watchlist and attending as many screenings as he can, Liam is always watching new movies and television shows. 

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FX's The Lowdown is one of the best under-the-radar shows from within the last year, and it’s thankfully gained enough of a profile to return with a second season. Describing The Lowdown in terms of genre can be complicated; the series is a crime thriller, a family drama, a quirky comedy, a classical mystery, and a commentary on Westerns, all wrapped up in a brilliant performance from Ethan Hawke as Lee Rayborn, a journalist and bookseller from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who describes himself as a “truthstorian.” Although the impending second season is set to introduce Tommy Lee Jones as Lee’s father, Season 1 is a successful tone-setter that introduces a highly personal case for its lead.

The inciting incident of The Lowdown Season 1 is the death of Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), a quirky writer and black sheep to a powerful political family. Dale’s death had officially been ruled a suicide, but Lee bites off more than he can chew when he begins investigating the Washberg family and their ties to the powerful Akron real estate development group. Dale’s widow, Betty Jo (Jeanne Tripplehorn), was having an affair with his brother Donald (Kyle MacLachlan), who is running for Governor. It’s after Lee discovers that Dale hid letters in a collection of classic novels that he convinces the antiques dealer Ray (Michael Hitchcock) to help purchase and gets permission from tabloid editor Cyrus (Killer Mike) to pursue the case and expose the truth.

What Happens in ‘The Lowdown’ Season 1?

It’s after Lee sleeps with Betty Jo that she admits to him that she thinks her late husband was gay, but it’s discovered that Dale found a conspiracy tied to the Washberg family’s land, which was stolen from a Native American tribe that was killed by white nationalists. Dale had been speaking with the grandson of the original tribe leader, Arthur Williams (Graham Greene), and his own grandson, the street artist Chutto McIntosh (Mato Wayuhi). Dale had intended to come forward with his findings, but Donald was in the midst of a sale in which the land was going to be handed over to the Akron organization and its leader, Frank Martin (Tracy Letts). Frank had sent the ex-con Allen Murphy (Scott Shepherd) to deal with Lee, and he’s also revealed to have been working alongside the white supremacist Pastor Mark Sternwick (Paul Sparks). Mark leads a coalition of far-right extremists known as “the 46,” and they intend to use the Washberg family’s land to create a “homeland” for their white nationalist cause.

Although he is in danger because of the conspiracy that he has learned about, Lee finds an ally in private investigator Marty Brunner, played by Keith David. Marty saves Lee from the skinheads Blackie (Eric Edelstein) and Berta (Johnny Pemberton), but reveals that he was actually hired by Donald to learn why he has been investigated. Marty is nonetheless won over by Lee and protects him after being appointed head of Donald’s security and interrogated by Allen and the other members of the 46. Frank kills Arthur to steal Dale’s will; after Frank tries to escape with evidence that would prove who the land belonged to, Mark helps Lee pursue him, leading him to attempt a citizen’s arrest. They narrowly escape, but Lee decides to confront Betty Jo because she is the one who pointed Frank to Arthur.

Does Lee Get Justice in ‘The Lowdown’ Season 1?

Although Betty Jo refuses to accept any responsibility, Lee confronts Donald, who is horrified to learn the truth. Betty Jo and Frank were working together to steal the land and had hired Allen to intimidate Dale into signing it over; however, the white supremacists working for Allen accidentally killed Dale, leading Betty Jo to manipulate the evidence so that it would look like a suicide. It’s only then that Donald realizes what the Akron company really plans to do with the land, and decides to honor his brother’s wishes by coming forward with the evidence and giving the land over to Chutto, who decides to make it a new homeland for the Osage Nation. Donald is elected governor, and Frank is killed by Bonnie (Dale Dickey), whose son Blackie had been killed by Allen as part of the cover-up.

While writing a new article on Dale, Lee tries to become a better father after briefly reuniting with his ex-wife Samantha (Kaniehtiio Horn) and their daughter Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong). Although Lee and Samantha have a brief fling, he decides that she is better off with her fiancé Johnny (Rafael Casal), and instead tries to be more present in Francis’ life. Like her father, Francis is a talented writer who has begun writing her own poetry; even though Lee has been so obsessed with the case that he hasn’t been present in Francis’ life, he is able to make it to her poetry reading and thank her for her help in the case, as she had helped to preserve many of Dale’s books that he used as evidence. While justice hasn't completely been served, as Betty Jo flees town, Lee earns the satisfaction of hearing from his daughter that ultimately he is a good man.