[Editor’s note: The following contains some spoilers for The Lowdown.]

Summary

‘The FX series ‘The Lowdown’ is a moody mystery set in Tulsa, Oklahoma about a political family and a suspicious death.

‘The Lowdown’ showcases an ensemble of colorful characters, including Donald Washberg and his late brother’s widow, Betty Jo.

At the center of the series is Lee Raybon, played by Ethan Hawke, as a relentless “truthstorian” who’s seeking the truth about Dale Washberg’s death.

From creator/writer/director/EP Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs), the FX series The Lowdown follows citizen journalist Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke, who’s also an EP), a self-proclaimed truthstorian in Tulsa, Oklahoma that dives into an exposé focused on the Washberg family when things start to spiral out of control. When black sheep Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson) is found dead under mysterious and suspicious circumstances, it shines a spotlight on his brother Donald (Kyle MacLachlan) as he campaigns to become the next governor of Oklahoma. At the same time, Dale’s widow Betty Jo (Jeanne Tripplehorn) is fighting to hang onto the money and security that came with the Washberg name, but keeps making bad decisions when it comes to the men she spends her time with. As Donald and Betty Jo clash, they also realize that maybe they don’t have the full story either. During this interview with Collider, co-stars MacLachlan and Tripplehorn discussed what drew them to the storytelling of Harjo, being fans of Rez Dogs, the similarities between Twin Peaks and The Lowdown, the gift of working with people you enjoy spending time with, revealing who Donald Washberg is through actions and situations instead of words, Betty Jo’s desire to maintain the life she’s fought for, what it was like to shoot the blow up between Donald and Betty Jo, and how Betty Jo is different with Lee.
Sterlin Harjo Skillfully Creates a Vibe With ‘The Lowdown’ That Kyle MacLaclan and Jeanne Tripplehorn Wanted to Be a Part Of

“It’s just like a hole-in-one in golf.”

Kyle MacLachlan as Donald yelling and pointing his finger at Jeanne Tripplehorn as Betty Jo in The LowdownImage via FX

Collider: I love this show, but I also feel like it’s very hard to describe. What exactly were you told about this, when the project came your way? What did you know about the characters? What really hooked you on it? KYLE MacLACHLAN: I took my cue from Sterlin [Harjo]’s previous work, Rez Dogs. I could tell that he was someone who was very, very capable and skillful at creating a vibe and a feel that I was drawn into. I found the characters very compelling and real and engaging. I was excited to have that similar experience doing The Lowdown, and indeed, that’s what happened, just because that’s the way Sterlin works. JEANNE TRIPPLEHORN: I was a huge admirer of his work. I’m from Tulsa and I remember when he was doing the video wing of an independent press publication, called This Land. That was a long time ago, and I loved what he was doing then. I loved Mekko. He did a documentary that I loved. And then, Reservation Dogs just blew my admiration through the roof. So, when this came along, I would have done anything. I just want to be on a set of what I, as an actor, need and dream of. It’s just like a hole-in-one in golf. It’s so rare to work on a set like we did. He did not disappoint. That’s why I wanted to be on his set and I would have done anything to be on his set. It did not disappoint me. This show has a knack for introducing characters in very memorable ways. Kyle, we meet your character having sex and crying while still in bed, and then getting his hair dyed, all of which says so much about him in that moment. How well do you think all of that defines who he is? MacLACHLAN: I loved the fact that the character is revealed by action and situations, as opposed to words. There are plenty of words to come, but just the revealing of the inside of this person, you get to play with so many different colors and different emotions. It runs the gamut. Not often, are you allowed, as a character, to show things that maybe are going to make the audience have a question. You wonder, “I think he’s this.” And then, in the very next scene, it’s like, “Oh no, no, no, I think he’s this.” To be able to show different things is something that doesn’t happen that frequently and I embrace. More than that, I devoured it.
Kyle MacLachlan Sees Similarities Between David Lynch and Sterlin Harjo as Storytellers

“You never know what’s going to happen next.”

Kyle MacLachlan as Donald Washberg wearing a black cowboy hat in The LowdownImage via FX

Kyle, my favorite TV series of all time is Twin Peaks. It’s a series that changed my life and how I view storytelling, and it did so because David Lynch had such a specific vision that was so unique to him. And I feel the same way about Sterlin Harjo with this series. He’s created this world where a character is also dead from the start and everyone is trying to learn more about them, there are eccentric and mysterious characters around town, and there’s even a diner. Did you see the similarities between those two storytellers, who really create their own unique world and inhabit it with these characters that are just so compelling? MacLACHLAN: I completely agree, and the similarities were not lost on me. It’s not an easy thing to do, and I don’t think it’s something that you do intentionally. I think you’re made that way. David was made to tell the stories in the world and in the manner to which he knew and felt comfortable, and there was no other way for him to do it. And I feel Sterlin is the same way. This is the way he knows how to tell a story and how to direct, and this is the environment. Not that he’s not going to do things in other places and locations and different worlds and situations, but he understands people so well and he loves to move people through this very interesting labyrinth of stories. The characters develop and turn and twist, and you never know what’s going to happen next. I think there are a lot of similarities between the two of them. As Jeanne was saying about just the joy of doing that and how that doesn’t happen that frequently, it’s such a gift. As an actor, I go to work in the morning on shows like that and I say a little prayer, “I am blessed today.” I am blessed to be able to go to work with people that I love, doing these amazing things. TRIPPLEHORN: Yeah, it really is a gift. Jeanne, with your characters, we hear how people define her before we get to see how she defines herself. Being referred to as “trailer trash who married up,” does it make her want to prove otherwise? Does she not care about proving anything to anyone anymore? TRIPPLEHORN: It’s not that she needs to prove herself or define herself. She’s holding onto what she has because what she has, she’s had for a while. It’s about holding onto what she can. She didn’t literally live in a trailer, in my opinion, but she did not come from money. She was country folk from a very small town, and she worked her way out of it. There are things that they say, like that she was a stripper, that are up for debate. It’s not about the country club or any of the trappings, except for the money and the fact that she will never go back to where she was. She’ll never go back home. She’s got to figure it out. She’s got to maintain that life for her daughter, as well. They’re the black sheep of the family, and she doesn’t really care. The trappings mean nothing. She’s smart. Betty Joe is a fox, that way. She’s streetwise. She’s got some long nails, like the tree climbers have. She’s locked in.
Kyle MacLachlan and Jeanne Tripplehorn Trusted in Each Other for Their Most Intense Moment in ‘The Lowdown’

“We have to believe that Donald has this irrational anger.”

We learn that Donald Washberg can be scary when he wants to be, like when he gets in Betty Jo’s face and is screaming at her. What was that moment like for the two of you to shoot? Kyle, are you someone who feels bad when you have to be mean to your scene partner? What was that moment like to do? MacLACHLAN: Didn’t feel bad, at all. I’ve got two perspectives. As the actor, it’s tough because I love Jeanne and I’m going to have to do this. And then, there’s the perspective of what’s going to work for the show. We have to believe that Donald has this irrational anger that comes out of hurt. Betty Joe has hurt him, and this is the way he responds. In my manner of thinking, the depth of how much he cares is how angry he gets, and he loses control. Those two things are working side by side. But everything is quite calculated. The panel that I strike and the distance I am from her, everything is all set very carefully. And then, you have to just work the scene. I felt it was a great opportunity to show how much he does care, in a very violent moment. It’s different aspects of the character in a brief period of time, to let the audience know what’s happening between the two of them. That’s my side. TRIPPLEHORN: I think she realizes that she probably took things a little too far. She wanted to get his attention, although this was not in the plan. He wasn’t supposed to know about what happened the night before until she was ready to pull that card. So, things are a little off-road for her. That was not in the plan. I certainly don’t think Betty Jo had ever seen him that angry, and it really surprised her. She realized that she was off playbook and didn’t know what to do. At the same time, she’s truly hurt because he had just kicked her out of her home. She was equal parts angry and vindictive and then terrified. We get to see a different side of Betty Jo when she’s with Lee. She feels more free and open with him. Does that feel more like the real Betty Jo to you? TRIPPLEHORN: I think so. She loves to party, so there is sex and all of that. Betty Jo is down for whatever. She’s good to go. But I don’t think that she’s ever slept around. She knows where the power and the money is, so she would never want to do that. Part of it feels like she’s almost in a midlife crisis. She’s like, “I’m free now. I’m not married. My husband is gone” She was free and she was drunk. She was really drunk. She does not make great decisions with alcohol.

Release Date

September 23, 2025

Directors

Sterlin Harjo

Writers

Duffy Boudreau, Scott Teems, Sneha Koorse

The Lowdown airs on FX and is available to stream on Hulu. Check out the trailer: