FX Series 'The Lowdown' Returns for Second Season with Ethan Hawke

What Happened

The FX drama series "The Lowdown" returns for its second season on October 14 at 9 p.m. ET on FX and Hulu, with new episodes airing weekly on Wednesdays. Created by Sterlin Harjo after his work on "Reservation Dogs," the show follows Tulsa-area citizen journalist and truthstorian Lee Raybon, played by star and executive producer Ethan Hawke. Season 1 barely secured a renewal in January despite critical acclaim. In the new season, Lee investigates a mystery involving a missing Native convict named Mekko Dean after being approached by public defender Ginger, played by newly minted Emmy winner Betty Gilpin.

New Faces and Conflicts

The second season expands Lee's world by introducing his itinerant con man father, Lee Sr., played by Tommy Lee Jones. Meanwhile, Lee's teenage daughter Francis, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong, confronts him for lying about her grandfather being dead. The ensemble cast also features returning and expanded roles. Keith David plays Marty, the former private investigator who is now the managing editor of The Heartland Press, while Kyle Maclachlan returns as Donald, Dale Washberg's brother who is now governor. Directors Scott Teems and Rafael Casal, who also plays Francis' stepdad, join Harjo in helming the Oklahoma-set series.

Context

"The Lowdown" draws heavily on the style of pulpy paperbacks, blending relaxed character-driven storytelling with local mysteries set in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Shows like this build on a growing tradition of regional American television that highlights local textures and Indigenous storytelling perspectives. Viewers tuning in for the second season will find weekly episode rollouts following the initial two-episode premiere.