Hulu may not be Disney’s No. 1 streaming service, but it’s No. 1 in our hearts!
The streamer has routinely been home to some of the best new and returning series in 2025, and The Lowdown looks to keep that streak alive later this month.
Reservation Dogs cocreator Sterlin Harjo is bringing this black comedy mystery series to life alongside Ethan Hawke and an A-list cast.
We strongly suspect that this will be a breakout success, which is why Watch With Us has selected The Lowdown as the one Hulu show in September that you have to watch.
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Ethan Hawke Throws Himself Into the Main Role
The best way to describe Hawke’s character, Lee Raybon, is to imagine if The Dude from The Big Lebowski took himself seriously as an investigator. Lee is based on the late Lee Roy Chapman, a real person who defined himself as a citizen journalist while dedicating his life to exposing the dark and racist history of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Chapman’s fictional counterpart comes off as a ridiculous person, and Lee is incredibly disheveled and easy to dismiss. But he’s also earnest about his mission in life. Hawke is hilarious in the early previews for The Lowdown, and he gives Lee just enough gravitas to have some serious moments that help the show avoid becoming an over-the-top farce. This is Hawke’s most memorable character in years, and it could even become an iconic role if audiences embrace Lee’s persona.
The Rest of the Cast Is Also Phenomenal
Harjo’s cast for The Lowdown is feature-film worthy. Game of Thrones‘ Peter Dinklage, Tim Blake Nelson, Kyle MacLachlan, Keith David, Jeanne Tripplehorn and even the star of Hulu’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, are among the performers playing off of Hawke’s character.
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Dinklage’s character is unrevealed at the moment, but we know some details about the others. Armstrong is playing Lee’s daughter, Francis, while David is portraying Marty, a private investigator working alongside her father. Considering that David’s character narrates the trailer, he may be even more important to the show than we initially realize. Nelson’s character, Dale Washberg, meets his end early in the story, but The Lowdown comes up with a unique way to keep him around.
Dale’s death leads Lee to investigate his brother, Donald Washberg (MacLachlan), whom he suspects of having ties to white supremacists. Tripplehorn plays Dale’s widow, Betty Jo Washberg, and she’s got some secrets of her own.
‘The Lowdown’ Has an Intriguing Story
Harjo’s story for the series does have a lot of comedic elements, largely based around Lee’s persona. But he’s also tossed his character into a mystery that has real stakes for the people of Tulsa and the entire state of Oklahoma. Donald Washberg is running for governor, and the powers behind his campaign will do just about anything to protect his secrets.
In short, Lee’s kicked a hornet’s nest and the people he loves may have to pay the price. He’s okay with putting himself in harm’s way, but not with placing his daughter, or his ex-wife, Samantha (Kaniehtiio Horn), into danger. The good news for Lee is that he doesn’t have to go through this alone. Marty seems like a worthy ally, and even Dinklage’s unnamed character appears to be working with Lee in the trailers.
The Lowdown is now streaming on Hulu.
