Aahana Swrup
FX’s ‘The Lowdown’ is a mystery series that leans into its noir elements. As a result, the story’s Tulsa-based setting plays a crucial role in the narrative, with every element defining the worldbuilding around the protagonist, Lee Raybon. Lee is a bookstore owner who deals in rare books. However, this less-than-glamorous and financially unfruitful job isn’t the end of his real passion. His real devotion lies in being a citizen journalist who is in perpetual pursuit of the truth. In true amateur detective fashion, he has a habit of ending up at his preferred diner: Sweet Emily’s. As the show begins, the journalist’s attention is occupied with the Washberg family, who have recently lost one of their own, Dale, in a death that might be more mysterious than assumed. However, another case might be brewing in the background regarding one Akron Company, which has an inclination for dubious business practices. As such, these two elements, though subliminal, become crucial to the protagonist’s surroundings.
Akron and Sweet Emily’s Are Fictional Elements That Impact The Lowdown’s Worldbuilding
Despite retaining partial inspiration in real life, ‘The Lowdown’ presents a largely fictitious storyline. Therefore, the various elements that make up the world and narrative around Lee Raybon remain works of fiction confined within the show’s premise. The same is true for the Akron company as well as Sweet Emily’s diner. Both are fictional devices created in the service of the overarching story. In the show, Akron is a corporation currently based in Tulsa. However, their unique business practices catch Lee’s inquisitive attention for all the wrong reasons. Initially, it seemed the company had reached out to the citizen journalists regarding matters concerning the death of the Washberg family. Nonetheless, once the reporter begins questioning their own dirty laundry, they’re quick to dismiss him.
Much of Akron’s business model seems to revolve around buying up Black-owned businesses in Oklahoma City. This monopolistic method and the attached racial optics behind it naturally become a cause of concern for Lee, who has a penchant for sniffing out headlines. This plotline plays out over the course of the show, as a suspicious red thread continues to form between the shady company and the shadier generational family. Thus, the company adds an intriguing layer of mystery to the unofficial investigator’s life. Alternatively, Sweet Emily’s serves a juxtapositional purpose. The diner is on the same block as Lee’s bookstore, Hoot Owl Books. As such, the establishment’s link to the citizen journalist remains long-standing. His casualness around the place grounds his character in his surroundings, adding an element of familiarity within the story’s setting. Unfortunately for the fans, the cozy small-town diner does not exist in real life. Instead, much like many of the other locations in the show, Sweet Emily’s is also a product of production set pieces.
Read More: Is The Lowdown Based on a True Story? Is Lee Raybon a Real Writer?
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