Ethan Hawke’s ‘The Lowdown’ Is Nearly Here. Here’s How To Keep up With Season 1

Get ready because a new Western comedy thriller is coming to TV, and you won’t want to miss it. In The Lowdown, a new series coming to FX and Hulu, Ethan Hawke plays Lee Rayborne, a journalist who’s a little too curious about uncovering conspiracies. When he starts investigating the death of a prominent local man, he soon realizes there may be more information that wasn’t reported about the death.

The series is shaping up to be one of 2025’s most exciting releases. The cast includes actors such as Kyle MacLachlan and Keith David, with Reservation Dogs creator Sterlin Harjo also helming the project. The show feels Coen-inspired, but with its own unique charm that will surely make it worth watching. Here’s how you can watch the new show.

When and Where To Watch ‘The Lowdown’s Eight Episodes

The Lowdown begins with a two-episode premiere on September 23. The following episodes will air weekly on Tuesdays until the season finale on November 4. Episodes debut on FX at 9 p.m. ET and PT. Each episode will be available to stream the day after it premieres on Hulu. The first season will have eight episodes in total.

The first five episode names have already been revealed as well. The first episode is titled “Pilot,” followed by “The Devil’s Mama,” “Dinosaur Memories,” “Short on Cowboys,” and “This Land.” The last three episode names haven’t been revealed yet, as reviewers were only sent the first five episodes. That could mean that the show is hiding some big twists for the end of the season.

A Great Cast Joins Ethan Hawke in ‘The Lowdown’

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The Lowdown is particularly exciting because it has one of Ethan Hawke’s only starring roles in a television show. In The Lowdown, Hawke plays Lee Rayborne, a conspiracy-loving writer in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Lee tends to get into dangerous situations as he tries to uncover new stories. Lee Rayborne is based on the real-life writer Lee Roy Chapman, who uncovered ties between the founder of Tulsa and the Ku Klux Klan.

Hawke isn’t the only interesting cast member in The Lowdown. Lee Rayborne’s story in the show begins as he investigates the death of Dale Washberg, who’s played by the brilliant character actor Tim Blake Nelson. Lee’s investigation puts him at odds with Dale’s brother, Donald Washberg, who’s played by Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan. Donald is running for Lieutenant Governor, and he doesn’t want Lee to get in the way of his campaign. Not to mention, during his investigation, Lee also has to take care of his daughter, Francis, played by Star Wars: Skeleton Crew star Ryan Kiera Armstrong.

The supporting cast makes the show even better. Keith David, who has one of the most recognizable voices in Hollywood, plays a private investigator named Marty, who’s hired to track Lee Rayborne during the journalist’s reporting. Tracy Letts, who’s actually from Tulsa, plays Frank Martin, the owner of a local construction company that’s at odds with Lee’s curiosity for uncovering conspiracies. Additionally, comedian Michael Hitchcock plays Ray, an antique dealer who frequently provides Lee with valuable information. Peter Dinklage also appears in the show, but his role is being kept a secret, which means he might play a pivotal part later in the show.

‘The Lowdown’ Could Be a Western Comedy That’s Worth Watching

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If the cast isn’t enough to sell audiences on The Lowdown, there are plenty more great reasons to watch the new show. For starters, The Lowdown blends multiple popular genres, including Western, comedy, and neo-noir. It’s a show that will have viewers laughing, while they also sit on the edge of their seats waiting to see what conspiracies Lee Rayborne uncovers. Not many Western shows can claim that they do that.

The show’s genre blend appears to be directly inspired by some of the Coen brothers’ films. The conspiratorial plot is reminiscent of The Big Lebowski and Burn After Reading. The Western setting is shared with films like No Country for Old Men, Raising Arizona, and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. The show even includes one of the brothers’ frequent collaborators, Tim Blake Nelson, in the cast. Fans of Joel and Ethan Coen’s films will definitely love the mix of comedy and mystery in The Lowdown.

The new series is also in good hands. It’s created by Sterlin Harjo, who also created the brilliant but underrated comedy Reservation Dogs, which is also set in Oklahoma. Although the two shows have different premises — The Lowdown is focused on a mysterious plot, whereas Reservation Dogs focuses on the lives of Indigenous teenagers — they both retain Harjo’s comedic charm. He also has a personal investment in the show, as Harjo knew Lee Roy Chapman before the journalist passed away. Harjo told a panel at the Toronto International Film Festival that he took inspiration from the journalist’s work. The Lowdown premieres on September 23 on FX.

Release Date

September 23, 2025

Network

FX

Directors

Sterlin Harjo