The Lowdown's Finale Brilliantly Upends Characters’ And Audience’s Assumptions
Sterlin Harjo’s Tulsa-set neo-noir, The Lowdown, concluded with a mix of violence, humor, and unexpected twists. The finale aired Tuesday on FX and focused on two major questions.
Main Questions Explored
- How did Dale Washberg die? This question had a clear and straightforward answer.
- Is Lee Raybon a righteous crusader for truth and justice or a dangerously delusional white savior? This dilemma was far more complex.
Harjo, also known for creating Reservation Dogs, challenges the simplistic hero-villain labels through Ethan Hawke’s character, Lee Raybon. Lee is portrayed as a blend of both archetypes—righteous and delusional.
Surprising Revelations
One of the biggest surprises, both for Lee and viewers, is that the man Lee considered his nemesis is no more malicious than Lee himself.
Episode Title and Significance
The finale is titled “The Sensitive Kind,” a phrase with layered meaning:
- A song originally by J.J. Cale, featured here in an Eric Clapton cover
- The headline of Lee’s cover story about Dale
- The show’s original working title
Opening Scene
The episode begins with a flashback blending reality and fantasy. Lee is in his bookstore reading Walter Tevis’ novel The Man Who Fell to Earth, while Dale (played by Tim Blake Nelson) browses the shelves.
“Because Harjo understands how reductive the labels of hero and villain can be, Ethan Hawke’s wild-eyed ‘Tulsa truthstorian’ turned out to be an equal mix of both archetypes.”
The finale mixes dark themes with insightful character exploration, ultimately revealing complicated motivations and blurred moral lines.
Author’s Summary: The Lowdown’s finale cleverly dismantles black-and-white moralities, presenting characters as nuanced blends of truth and delusion, surprising both them and viewers.