Aahana Swrup
Created by Sterlin Harjo, ‘The Lowdown’ is a crime thriller show set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a citizen journalist’s pursuit of the truth threatens to turn his life upside down. The FX title centers around Lee Raybon, a bookstore owner by profession, who is better known for his journalistic endeavors. Days after one of his pieces unearths the generational corruption behind the city’s most beloved family, the Washbergs, Dale Washberg ends up dead as a result of a suicide. However, nothing is quite as it seems, at least not to Lee’s inquisitive eye. As a result, the citizen journalist finds himself digging deeper into the death of the wealthy family’s infamous black sheep. In the process, his other ill-advised investigations come back to beat him black and blue, often landing him in the most adverse of situations. Across the first two episodes, respectively titled ‘Pilot’ and ‘The Devil’s Mama,’ the series follows Lee’s righteously fuelled unwise adventures. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Lee Uncovers Some Clues at Dale’s Estate Sale
In the aftermath of Dale Washberg’s death, ruled as a suicide, all eyes are on Lee Raybon, the journalist whose article on the historic Tulsa family was less than uncontroversial. Nonetheless, the self-proclaimed truthstorian has no regrets. In fact, when invited to a highbrow meeting at a supper club with the owner of the Akron development company, his first instinct is to sniff out another story about their suspiciously monopolistic expansion plans. He manages to exit that meeting with a dubiously procured high-value painting if nothing else. Afterward, Lee tries to convince the publisher at Heartland Press, the freelancing port he frequents, to run a follow-up article about the Washberg family. Even though his attempt leads nowhere, he’s intent on his investigation. As such, he finds himself at departed Dale Washberg’s estate sale, assessing the wares.
Even though his visit is cut short by Dale’s grieving widow, Betty Jo, Lee manages to snag a first edition Jim Thompson novel after finding a note tucked inside its pages. Later, upon inspection, he realizes the note is a message from the deceased, likely written moments before his death. In it, he informs the reader about his family’s hatred toward him, insisting that no one can be trusted, least of all his wife, who is a part of some grand, menacing scheme. Naturally, the discovery compels Lee to splurge all the money he made on the stolen painting by asking his friend, Ray, to negotiate the purchase of all of Dale’s Thompson novels, which are sure to contain other clues. Furthermore, he decides to surreptitiously shadow the Washbery family when they attend a cattle sale, which tips him off to an affair between Dale’s widow and his brother, Donald, who is currently running for mayor. However, while his focus remains on this corner, another threat subliminally brews elsewhere.
Lee’s Writing Lands Him in Trouble With a Pair of Neo-Nazis
Although Lee has never quite figured out the art of funding his life through his journalistic ventures, his write-ups seem to be well known in the city, even if not always for the right reasons. As such, one night, shortly after Dale’s death, a new threat attacks the writer in his house. The assailants, Blackie and Berta, are former convicts and current white supremacists, who don’t appreciate having their dirty laundry aired out in the paper. As a result, they leave Lee with more than his fair share of bruises. Expectantly, this does little to deter him from his path of unearthing the truth. Instead, it inspires him to go after the duo even harder the next day. Thus, he reaches out to Cyrus, the owner of a seedy paper, Tulsa Beat, to let him run an article on Blackie and Berta. Around the same time, Deidra, the store’s sole employee, urges her boss to hire her cousin, Waylon, as security.
Furthermore, Lee gets his hands on a gun courtesy of Cyrus and some bullets, thanks to his trusty friend, Dan, the tax attorney. Nonetheless, all this ends up being for naught when the writer inevitably gets kidnapped by Blackie and Berta and stuffed inside the trunk of their car. The duo takes him to Allen Murphy, a respectable contractor and collaborator of the Akron company, who is less than pleased to be seen in public with the unfavorable company. As a result, he ends up driving them out to a remote bridge, where he shoots and throws them overboard. Meanwhile, Lee remains unnoticeably trapped in the trunk, secretly spying on the events. Eventually, an unexpected face, Marty, arrives to free him from his confines. However, Lee, understandably, remains freaked out and decides to bolt away from the premises in the Neo-nazi duo’s car. While driving, he realizes the vehicle is home to wads of cash, which technically come under his possession now.
Lee Pays Blackie’s Mother an Undercover Visit
In the aftermath of his near-death experience, which also inadvertently makes him flush with cash, Lee becomes a man on a new mission. With Deidra on babysitting duty for his daughter, Francis, the writer embarks on a new investigation. Following a pitstop at Cyrus’ office, he manages to get his hands on Blackie’s mother’s address. Afterward, he put on a redneck disguise to mine some information about the man and his apparent connection to Allen Muprhy. As a result, Lee learns that the contractor used to be a convict, once known for his ties to Nazi gangs in prison. Once he was released, he polished up his reputation and formed ties with Akron. However, he still maintained a connection with Blackie and Berta, often hiring them for the odd job.
Although Blackie’s family knows nothing about the details of these jobs, they know that the duo apparently messed up a stint at Skaitook. The fact that Dale lived in Skaitook and died in the same city naturally rings alarm bells in Lee’s mind. The next day, after the writer attends to other matters, Allen Muprhy shows up at his store, eerily calm and just as dangerous. Still, when the journalist returns, he refuses to back down. Even though he doesn’t divulge all his secrets, he makes it known that he’s aware of the contractor’s less-than-legal past. In turn, Allen makes a thinly veiled threat and leaves by handing the writer his number, encouraging him to call his personal line for any future interrogations.
Lee Crashes a Memorial Service
With thin connections beginning to form between Lee’s assailants, Allen Murphy, and the Washbergs, the writer becomes convinced that a conspiracy is afoot with Dale’s murder at its center. As a result, he shows up at the man’s memorial service, entirely expecting the other family members to treat the event as a PR stage for Donald’s election campaign. Surprisingly enough, Marty, the mysterious man from the diner who saved the writer’s life, is also present at the event. Consequently, Lee discovers that the other man is a private investigator hired to follow him around town. For the same reason, he was able to track him at the bridge. Marty’s general unwillingness to name his employer cements the latter’s identity as Donald Washberg.
Eventually, Lee manages to find an opportunity to confront the Washberg patriarch as well. He seems to be convinced that the potential future mayor had his hands in his previous kidnapping attempt. In turn, Donald refuses all accusations, leading to a big confrontation at the event. Afterward, once Marty manages to drag him away from the Church and berates him for his behavior, Lee ends up picking a fight with him as well. He remains sure of his own righteousness, declaring the private investigator a sellout for his decisions. Ultimately, the duo part ways on bitter terms, with Marty pointing out Lee’s hypocrisy in judging others while comfortably nestled in his own historic privileges.
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