Sterlin Harjo on The Lowdown's

Sterlin Harjo on The Lowdown

Editor’s note: This piece contains spoilers for The Lowdown.

Since Bogie donned his trench coat and patrolled the streets of San Francisco, film noir has captivated America with its style, swagger, and dark mysteries. Over seven weeks, Sterlin Harjo’s The Lowdown delivered many of those classic elements—alongside the satisfying justice served to wrongdoers—culminating in a strong season finale on November 4.

Plot and Characters

The latest FX series, co-created by Reservation Dogs’ Sterlin Harjo, follows Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke), an unconventional citizen journalist determined to expose Tulsa’s white supremacist elite. In the episode “The Sensitive Kind,” Lee focuses on femme fatale Betty Jo Washberg (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and aids gubernatorial candidate Donald Washberg (Kyle MacLachlan) in confronting difficult truths.

Restorative Justice Theme

After realizing the harm caused by his campaign's crypto-Nazi supporters, Donald Washberg breaks ties with them and returns his family’s land to the Osage people—whom his ancestors had wrongfully taken. This portrayal offers a visceral experience of racists being held accountable and Indigenous Oklahomans receiving the justice they have long been denied.

It’s a visceral pleasure to see racists brought low and Indigenous Oklahomans get the restorative justice they’ve been denied for so long.

Despite this hopeful narrative, Harjo acknowledges how such justice feels like a distant dream in today’s world, yet remains optimistic that change is possible. Living in Tulsa himself, he shared insights with The A.V. about these themes.

Author’s Summary

This series blends classic noir with urgent social justice themes, portraying a powerful quest for accountability and healing in modern Tulsa.

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AV Club — 2025-11-05