The Lowdown's Finale Brilliantly Upends Characters and Audience
Sterlin Harjo's neo-noir drama set in Tulsa concluded with violence, humor, and unexpected twists. The finale, titled "The Sensitive Kind", aired Tuesday on FX and centered on two main questions.
Central Questions of the Finale
- How did Dale Washberg die? This was expected to have a clear answer.
- Is Lee Raybon a hero fighting for truth or a dangerously misguided white savior? This question proved more complex.
Harjo, also known for creating Reservation Dogs, avoids simple labels, blending protagonist Ethan Hawke’s character as both heroic and flawed. Lee Raybon, the intense “Tulsa truthstorian,” embodies this duality.
“An even bigger surprise, for Lee and, I think, for most viewers, was that the man he identified as his nemesis ended up being no more malicious than Lee himself.”
Finale Highlights
The episode opens with a flashback that feels partly like fantasy. Lee is seen in his bookstore reading Walter Tevis’ The Man Who Fell to Earth, as Dale (played by Tim Blake Nelson) browses nearby shelves.
>Titled "The Sensitive Kind"—not only a J.J. Cale song covered by Eric Clapton and featured in this episode, but also the working title of the show itself.
This finale intelligently challenges traditional ideas of heroes and villains, leaving a lasting impression on its audience.
Author’s summary: Sterlin Harjo’s finale of The Lowdown masterfully blurs the lines between heroism and delusion, delivering a complex narrative full of surprises and depth.