Ethan Hawke‘s 8-part crime series, which was one of the best new shows of 2025, is the perfect binge ahead of season 2’s upcoming premiere in October. The celebrated actor, best known for his movie roles in indie favorites like Richard Linklater’s Boyhood and the Before trilogy, has only appeared in two modern scripted series, including this one and 2022’s Moon Knight. Even though it received a near-perfect 98% Rotten Tomatoes score, Hawke’s latest series still feels like it hasn’t achieved the popularity it very well deserves.

FX’s The Lowdown is a perfect series to binge right now on Hulu and Disney+ with its season 2 premiere arriving in just a few weeks on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Created by Sterlin Harjo, the mind behind the 5-time Emmy-nominated series Reservation Dogs, The Lowdown is a heavily stylized detective mystery that blends several genres, such as crime, comedy, film noir, and Western. With its distinct vision, intriguing premise, and stellar ensemble cast, The Lowdown is simply one of the best shows on any streaming platform to dive into.

If You’re Still Sleeping On The Lowdown, Now’s The Time To Catch Up

Now is the time to catch up on The Lowdown with its season 2 premiere right around the corner. Hawke stars as Lee Raybon, an eccentric bookstore owner in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who also functions as an investigative journalist with an eye for taking down local corruption. Lee takes a special interest in looking into a sudden death within a powerful family well-known in the city, suspecting that it could be a classic cover-up after Lee has written an exposé about him. Determined yet somewhat naive, Lee finds himself within the crosshairs of the very threat he had strived to unearth but refuses to back away even as his family is put in danger.

One of the most appealing qualities of The Lowdown is its distinct visual style, which has razor-sharp and intentional direction throughout. Harjo directs half of the eight-part series himself and created the Lee Raybon protagonist based on a real-life colleague of his named Lee Roy Chapman, a well-known journalist in Tulsa who passed away in 2015. The degree of thought and passion that went into The Lowdown is felt in every frame, which makes the viewer feel like they are watching something fresh and unique. What’s more, Hawke is joined by a great supporting cast, led by Kyle MacLachlan, Keith David, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Peter Dinklage, Tim Blake Nelson, and more.

The Lowdown’s near-perfect 98% Rotten Tomatoes score is one of its most impressive feats that season 2 will hope to match or improve on. ScreenRant gave it 9 out of 10 stars, calling it “a delightfully dark comedy, an ode to journalistic integrity, and a great showcase for Ethan Hawke.” Similarly, Variety called it “anything but melancholy. It’s a joyful, ragtag survey of society’s frayed edges,“ while The Daily Beast noted, “Fast, funny, clever, and imbued with an old-school paperback crime fiction spirit, it’s an exceptional work of pulp poetry, and the year’s best new show.”

The Lowdown Is The Superior Cousin Of Tulsa King

While other prominent series like HBO’s Watchmen and Harjo’s own Reservation Dogs are set in the greater Tulsa area, only The Lowdown and Paramount+’s mob drama Tulsa King are currently set in the historic Southern city. Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King protagonist, Dwight Manfredi, is a total fish out of water in Tulsa, having been sent there initially by his New York-based mob, while Hawke’s Lee Raybon feels like a direct and authentic product of the location itself. Tulsa King features a classic crime drama vibe, while The Lowdown offers better character development and artistic flair, making it the superior cousin of the Stallone-Sheridan series.

Interestingly, new seasons of The Lowdown and Tulsa King are premiering within days of each other next month, with The Lowdown season 2 debuting on Wednesday, October 14, and Tulsa King season 4 returning on Friday, October 16. This sets up a bit of a Tulsa-themed showdown between the two series, as both will be aiming for the #1 viewership spot on their respective streaming platform. That said, if you’re looking for a crime show with complex characters, story depth, and smart writing, The Lowdown is the best choice for you.

The Lowdown

Release Date

September 23, 2025

Directors

Sterlin Harjo

Writers

Duffy Boudreau, Scott Teems, Sneha Koorse