‘The Lowdown’ Creator Sterlin Harjo on Finale Decisions and Season 2
Sterlin Harjo, creator, writer, director, and executive producer of the comedy series Reservation Dogs, discusses his creative journey and how it shaped his current show, The Lowdown. Harjo’s experience on Reservation Dogs, centered on four Indigenous teenage friends living on an Oklahoma reservation, boosted his confidence and opened opportunities with actors reaching out to collaborate.
Influences and Background
Harjo also reflects on films that have influenced him and a memorable class he took on David Lynch at the University of Oklahoma, which contributed to his artistic approach.
Plot Overview of The Lowdown
Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, The Lowdown follows citizen journalist Lee Raybon (played by Ethan Hawke, also an executive producer), who calls himself a truthstorian. Lee investigates the mysterious death of Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), the black sheep of the Washberg family.
- The investigation draws Lee into a complicated web involving Dale’s older brother Donald (Kyle MacLachlan), Dale’s grieving widow Betty Jo (Jeanna Tripplehorn), a white supremacist church leader (Paul Sparks), and a private investigator (Keith David).
- Although Lee is fundamentally well-intentioned, his tendency to attract danger and suffer physical harm risks disappointing his daughter Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong).
“Lee is basically a good guy with his heart in the right place, but his knack for attracting danger puts him at risk for disappointing his daughter.”
Harjo provides insight into key character decisions in the season finale and shares plans for the show's second season.
Author’s summary: Sterlin Harjo blends personal influence and narrative complexity in The Lowdown, exploring themes of truth, family, and danger within a gripping mystery.