Sterlin Harjo on The Lowdown
Editor’s note: This piece contains spoilers for The Lowdown.
Since Bogie popped the collar of his trench coat and hit the gritty streets of San Francisco, America has been captivated by film noir’s style, swagger, sexiness, and dark mysteries. Over the past seven weeks, Sterlin Harjo’s The Lowdown has delivered many of these elements, concluding its first season with a satisfying finale on November 4.
In this latest FX series, co-created by the mind behind Reservation Dogs, the protagonist is Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke), an eccentric citizen journalist determined to expose Tulsa’s white-supremacist elite. In the episode “The Sensitive Kind,” Lee wraps up his investigations, spotlighting femme fatale Betty Jo Washberg (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and others.
- Lee assists gubernatorial candidate Donald Washberg (Kyle MacLachlan) in confronting harsh truths.
- Washberg breaks from his crypto-Nazi supporters and returns stolen land to the Osage people, addressing historical injustices.
It is deeply satisfying to see racist characters held accountable while Indigenous Oklahomans receive overdue restorative justice. Yet, in today’s reality, this can feel like a hopeful dream.
“It doesn’t have to be,” says Harjo, who lives in Tulsa, emphasizing the potential for real change.
The writer-director shared his insights with The A.V.
Author’s summary: Sterlin Harjo’s The Lowdown blends noir intrigue with urgent social themes, spotlighting justice for Tulsa’s Indigenous community amidst confronting white supremacy.