The Lowdown (American TV series)

1

"Pilot"

Sterlin Harjo

Sterlin Harjo

September 23, 2025 (2025-09-23)

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In Tulsa, Oklahoma, self-styled "truthstorian" and bookseller Lee Raybon has published an exposé about the powerful Washberg clan; Dale Washberg, the black sheep of the family, hides a letter before being found dead of an apparent suicide. Investigating the Akron real estate development group, Lee is approached by a stranger named Marty, and is later attacked by skinheads Blackie and Berta. At Dale's estate sale, Lee discovers the letter, which reveals Dale hid more letters about a family conspiracy in his collection of Jim Thompson novels. Lee convinces antiques dealer Ray to acquire the collection for him in exchange for a stolen Joe Brainard painting, while tabloid editor Cyrus agrees to publish Lee's follow-up article and gives him a gun for protection. Dale's brother Donald is running for governor, and Lee deduces that he is having an affair with Dale's widow, Betty Jo. Blackie and Berta kidnap Lee to deliver him to Akron contractor Allen Murphy, who kills the skinheads instead, unaware Lee is in their trunk. Freed by Marty, who has been following him, Lee flees in Blackie's car and discovers a large envelope of cash.

2

"The Devil's Mama"

Sterlin Harjo

Sneha Koorse

September 23, 2025 (2025-09-23)

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A battered Lee uses some of the skinheads' cash as overdue child support for his ex Samantha, taking their daughter Francis for the weekend. Leaving her with his bookstore employee Deidra, Lee pays Deidra's recently paroled cousins Waylon and Henry to dispose of Blackie's car. Cyrus's office was vandalized by the skinheads, and Lee poses as a friend of Blackie to question his mother Bonnie, whose boyfriend Phil confirms that Blackie and Berta were working for Allen, a fellow racist ex-convict, who paid them for a job in Skiatook, where Dale lived. Donald's wife Maryann is unhappily aware of his affair, and Dale and Betty Jo's daughter Pearl returns home for her father's funeral, where Lee publicly accuses Donald of working with white supremacists. Marty reveals himself as a private investigator hired by Donald to follow Lee, who berates him for refusing to believe a greater conspiracy is afoot. Waylon and Henry post a rap video of themselves burning the car, and Allen visits Lee's bookstore with a veiled threat to stop his investigation.

3

"Dinosaur Memories"

Sterlin Harjo

Scott Teems

September 30, 2025 (2025-09-30)

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Fearing for his daughter's safety, Lee rents a new apartment from amorous real estate agent Vicky. Donald offers to make Marty the head of his security detail in exchange for informing Betty Jo that her prenup allows Donald to seize Dale's ranch, much to Betty Jo's outrage. Marty is later approached by Allen, but refuses to betray Lee's confidence. Ray admits that Dale's novels were brought by rival antiques dealer Catalina, and takes Lee and Francis to find her houseboat on Keystone Lake. Posing as a Fish and Wildlife officer, Lee is captured by Catalina's estranged husband Marlon and his brother Hook, part of a group of poachers selling paddlefish eggs as beluga caviar. They let Lee go after his enthralling story about winding up in jail, and he writes Marlon a love letter for Catalina, who catches Francis stealing the novels. Lee returns to discover Catalina has burned the books out of spite, but Francis was able to save Dale's mysterious letters, and they drive a drunken Ray home.

4

"Short on Cowboys"

Macon Blair

Duffy Boudreau

October 7, 2025 (2025-10-07)

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Dale's letters lead Lee to believe that Allen murdered the skinheads for failing to kill Dale, who had a heated argument with Donald over land a week before his death. Allen shares with his Alcoholics Anonymous group that he was saved from addiction by his boss, and learns that Bonnie and Phil were questioned by Lee. Samantha is marrying her boyfriend Johnny, and a mysterious street artist sells Lee a drawing of Dale, while Lee's editor Elijah warns that Donald is suing the Heartland Press for publishing Lee's article. To placate his wife, Donald is trying to evict Betty Jo, who brings Lee home to seduce him after a drunken night together. They each accidentally fire Dale's gun, and Betty Jo confesses that Dale was secretly gay; in his argument with Dale, Donald revealed that he was actually Pearl's father. Lee spends the night with Betty Jo, but suspects she may be manipulating him, and Donald spots him leaving in the morning. Allen contacts someone for help covering up the skinheads' murder, but is instead killed by a one-eyed gunman.

5

"This Land?"

Macon Blair

Olivia Purnell

October 14, 2025 (2025-10-14)

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Wendell, Lee's estranged former business partner, makes his annual visit and helps investigate the land Dale and Donald argued about in Indian Head Hills. There, Lee comes to blows with Wendell, who blames him for the fatal overdose of their friend Jesús, but they escape when armed men arrive. Vicky discovers the land is being sold at an overinflated value, which Lee suspects is essentially a bribe to Donald. Akron executive Frank Martin invites Donald to a meeting of fellow white businessmen working to seize power from Native Americans. Waylon and Henry's video draws Phil and his fellow skinheads to the bookstore, but Henry scares them off. A furious Donald confronts Betty Jo over her tryst with Lee, while Marty enjoys a blind date and agrees to join Donald's staff. Betty Jo tells Lee that Donald took Dale's gun, and Lee sends her to lay low at a "self-care retreat". Honoring Jesús's memory, Lee and Wendell agree to repair their friendship. Warning Pearl that her mother is in hiding, Lee is forcibly taken to a drunken, explosive party of police officers to meet with Donald.

6

"Old Indian Trick"

Danis Goulet

Jason Sack

October 21, 2025 (2025-10-21)

N/A

A jealous Donald punches Lee and warns him to end his investigation, believing that Dale was manipulated into killing himself by a street artist. Samantha has called off her wedding and shares a drunken kiss with Lee, but thinks better of it. Donald meets Pastor Mark Sternwick, a member of Frank's sinister coalition, The 46, and realizes Mark's "One Well" church is behind the purchase of the Washbergs' land arranged by Akron. Deidra helps Lee track down the artist, Chutto, who explains that Dale was enamored with him and struck up a friendship with his senile grandfather Arthur. Revealing that the Washbergs' land in Indian Head Hills originally belonged to his own grandfather, who was murdered by white men to steal the land, Arthur has Dale's handwritten will leaving 3,200 acres to him and Chutto. Frank is threatened to uphold the land sale by Mark and his heavily armed confederates, including the one-eyed gunman, having killed Allen and disposing of Blackie and Berta's bodies to protect their plan to build a white nationalist "homeland". Informed by Lee about Dale's will, Betty Jo calls Frank.

7

"Tulsa Turnaround"

Danis Goulet

Walter Mosley

October 28, 2025 (2025-10-28)

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Mark preaches to his congregation of fellow ex-convicts and white supremacists, while Donald's reenactment of the Land Rush of 1889 is interrupted by protestors. Introducing Lee to his cousin, an attorney who agrees to help Chutto and Arthur, Cyrus gives Lee another gun. Racing to his daughter's parent-teacher conference, Lee is humiliated to discover Samantha has reconciled with Johnny, but Francis is hurt that Lee's truth-seeking crusade keeps him from showing up for her. Uncovering One Well's plans for their racially exclusive "Adonai City", Marty rescues Phil, who has been tarred and feathered by the church, and warns Lee. In return for a bag of cash from Frank, Betty Jo points him to Arthur, who pulls a gun when Frank demands the will and is killed in the scuffle. Frank drives off with the will just as Lee and Marty arrive and give chase, but Lee's van breaks down. Destroying the will, Frank flees to One Well, where Lee interrupts Mark's sermon to hold Frank at gunpoint. Attempting a citizen's arrest, Lee declares Frank a murderer and ignites an armed standoff.

8

"The Sensitive Kind"

Sterlin Harjo

Sterlin Harjo & Liz Blood

November 4, 2025 (2025-11-04)

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A year before his death, Dale met Lee at the bookstore, buying a novel for his collection. In the present, Marty and Lee escape as the church opens fire, grazing Marty's leg. They break into a feed store to treat him, and an angry Chutto throws a brick through the bookstore window. Lee supports Francis at her poetry reading before meeting Betty Jo at the Philbrook Museum of Art, but she refuses to take responsibility for Arthur's death. Lee presents Donald with the truth: conspiring with Betty Jo, Frank instructed Allen to intimidate Dale into agreeing to the land sale; Allen hired the skinheads, who accidentally shot Dale instead, and Betty Jo staged his suicide. Rejecting The 46, Donald publicly honors his brother's gift of the Washbergs' land to Chutto, who signs it over to the Osage Nation. Donald is elected governor, and Lee publishes another article in Dale's memory, while Mark and his associates are arrested, and Bonnie guns down Frank to avenge her son. At Samantha's wedding, Francis assures Lee that he is a good man. Elsewhere, Betty Jo gives a tearful barroom performance of "Luckenbach, Texas".