‘The Lowdown’ Creator Sterlin Harjo on the Bittersweet Finale and Tulsa's Lessons
The Season 1 finale of The Lowdown, titled “The Sensitive Kind,” streams now on Hulu. The show’s protagonist, Lee Raybon (played by Ethan Hawke), is a journalist and bookstore owner who describes himself as a “truthstorian,” a fictional title that reflects his mission to uncover buried truths in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Season 1 Finale Highlights
In the November 4 finale, Lee uncovers a conspiracy tying a white supremacist church to a land deal used as a bribe for gubernatorial candidate Donald Washburg (Kyle Maclachlan). Donald’s late brother Dale (Tim Blake Nelson), a closeted and eccentric figure who died in a suspicious “suicide,” tried to bequeath the land to his Native friend Arthur (Graham Greene, in one of his last performances before his death in September).
- Donald’s associate Frank (Tracy Letts), unaware to Donald, hired thugs who intimidated Dale, leading to his fatal end.
- Frank later killed Arthur to cover up the scheme.
Despite this explosive information, Lee chooses not to publish the details in his final article about the influential Washburg family for a local magazine. Instead, he uses the information to persuade a guilt-ridden Donald to return the land to the Osage Nation, achieving a concrete and meaningful outcome.
"Lee Raybon, the crusading hero of ‘The Lowdown,’ likes to call himself a ‘truthstorian,’ a made-up title that nonetheless speaks to how Lee views unearthing the buried secrets of Tulsa, Oklahoma as a higher calling."
"Lee leverages a grieving, guilt-stricken Donald into giving the land to the Osage Nation, using his knowledge to achieve tangible results."
Author's summary: Through its season finale, The Lowdown reveals deep-rooted conspiracies in Tulsa, highlighting the power of truth to inspire justice and restoration.
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