Ethan Hawke Is Back for More Trouble in The Lowdown Season 2
Reel Perspectives
October 14, 2026
Tulsa’s favorite “truthstorian” is back, and Lee Raybon is once again chasing the kind of trouble most people would rather avoid. FX’s The Lowdown returns tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 14, with a two-episode Season 2 premiere at 9 p.m. ET on FX and Hulu, bringing back Ethan Hawke’s wonderfully unpredictable journalist for another round of investigations, family complications, and uncomfortable truths.
Created by Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs), the series follows Lee, a bookstore owner and citizen journalist whose determination to expose corruption often puts him in the middle of situations far bigger than himself. Hawke is fantastic in the role, bringing a mix of sharp humor, restless energy, and vulnerability to a character who is as stubborn as he is determined. Lee isn't a conventional hero, and that's exactly what makes him so entertaining to watch. His instincts may be questionable at times, but his commitment to uncovering the truth never wavers, even when his investigations threaten to turn his own life upside down.
Season 2 finds Lee dealing with the fallout from his investigation into the powerful Washberg family, which has earned him recognition for his work. The attention hardly suits someone who would rather keep digging than accept the spotlight, and things get even more complicated when his estranged father, Frog, played by Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones, unexpectedly arrives in Tulsa. Lee has told his daughter, Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), that her grandfather is dead, making their reunion especially awkward as she begins forming a relationship with the man she never knew.
The new season also welcomes Emmy winner Betty Gilpin as Ginger, a sharp-witted public defender who asks Lee to help locate a missing client. What begins as another investigation soon pulls him into a troubling case involving corruption and Oklahoma's prison system, giving the series another opportunity to explore the powerful people and institutions that Lee refuses to leave alone.
The Lowdown has always blended mystery, offbeat comedy, family dysfunction, and social commentary without losing its distinctive personality, and Season 2 is no different. Hawke has never been better and keeps Lee engaging even when his stubbornness threatens to get the better of him. Season 2 builds on that winning combination, providing a deeper look at Lee's complicated family relationships alongside an investigation that could expose even more uncomfortable truths.
FX’s The Lowdown returns tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 14, with Season 2, Episode 1, “The Rupidoop,” and Episode 2, “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound,” premiering at 9 p.m. ET on FX and Hulu.
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