For the past couple of summers, I was lucky enough to find some cool shows to scratch my itch that still exists from watching, and loving, Justified many years ago. It started with Banshee, which is a ridiculous and ridiculously entertaining caricature of a cop/crime show and continued last summer with Duster, a really cool and nostalgic show that reminded me of The Rockford Files and Starsky and Hutch from the 1970s.
This summer, that show was The Lowdown. Unlike the other two, my wife joined me on this ride. While all three are incredibly different, they are all character driven, have some cool twists and are just flat out fun. And I just realized that three of the four also happened to feature Keith David.
The Lowdown, which is set in modern day Oklahoma stars Ethan Hawke as, Lee Raybon, a "truthstorian" (his made up word for a person who keeps track of the truth). Lee owns a bookstore and writes for a free physical magazine/newspaper. Neither of his ventures are very successful. He's obsessed with the truth and by living by the code that if you have a "normal" life, you are wasting it. He has no qualms about putting himself, and sometimes other people, in danger because he'd rather "die living than just existing". This means this unqualified guy gets himself into some very weird and dangerous situations. He's like a detective who is not working for anyone except "the truth". Lee is loser, but damn it he is a very lovable loser.
The story centers around the mysterious death of a very rich writer who happens to be the brother of the favorite to be the next Governor of Oklahoma. Lee does not believe the death was a suicide and he spends eight episodes trying to prove it. And each episode is incredibly fun!
While the mystery itself is enough to Justify (see what I did there?) to watch The Lowdown, there is so much more to it. The characters are all fantastic! In fact, all of the side characters had a Better Call Saul kind of feel. So many of them could have stood on their own. Keith David plays Marty Brunner, a detective and head of security for the would-be Governor Donald Washburn, played by Kyle MacLachlan. Both he and Kyle MacLachlan do a superb job in their roles and create very compelling and interesting characters. But Lee's daughter Francis played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong (from Skelton Screw) steals every scene she is in. I think she is supposed to be around 13 and she is phenomenal. I really think we are going to see big things from this talented young actress in the future. There is also some comic relief provided by rapper Killer Mike (from Run the Jewels), Lee's bookstore employee Deidra played by Siena East, and his "bodygurads" played by Cody Lightning and Jude Barnett.
The last three characters I mentioned also embody one of the other highlights of the show. The Lowdown is written and directed by Sterlin Harjo. He is the genius behind Reservation Dogs which is one of the most amazing television shows ever produced. Harjo is a native American who does an amazing job bringing deep Native American characters and stories to life. Their inclusion in this show are not token throwaways. The Native culture plays a pivot role in the story and makes it even better!
Although the show moves a little slow, there is not a wasted second. The Lowdown is one of my favorite watches in a while. But I do warn you, Lee is a down on his luck for a reason. He makes really dumb choices, so be prepared to yell at him for being stupid from time to time.
Lee cares more about truth than safety, but he’s also messy, impulsive and often in over his head.🤗
That's one of my passions: yelling at the TV without knowing why. Besides, if you tell us that a series is good, it is, since we trust your judgment 100%. So, The Lowdown is great to enjoy at home.
Keith David, is he an actor or director? Because he's appeared in three out of the four series he's chosen to share with us, it's great that we can have some fun after such stressful times on all levels. A fantastic detail is the plot of the series The Lowdown, and the character development makes it a great watch to enjoy to the fullest.
He’s an actor. Hes really good in everything I’ve seen him in.
I haven't watched this show before, but the way you described it really caught my attention. I like stories that focus more on the characters than just action. Lee's idea of always searching for the truth sounds interesting, and now I'm curious to see how his story unfolds.
My wife thought it was weird, but I loved it. The music was amazing too. I'm now a JJ Cale fan for life.
Oh yeah. Tat is not my normal type of music but it really paired well with the show. And your wife isn't wrong. It is weird. But two things can be true. It's weird and awesome!!!
Haha, she will be glad to hear that!
The series' storyline is very interesting. I hardly know any of the actors, but if you say they're excellent in their roles, then that's true. One detail that's always essential for me is that the secondary characters are important to the development of the series' stories, that they're not just filler, but have a touch of mystery and depth. Without a doubt, those eight episodes you mentioned in The Lowdown are very interesting.
Dumb choices? Lol I'd yell at him every time, I already do in normal movies/series
When a crime happens in any such show, it makes us want to watch the show more to see how the case will be solved and who will work harder. I will definitely watch the whole thing. A hero's job is to bring the truth to light, even if it means losing his life,
Seeing the name of the film reminds me of the Corona period when we used to stay at home all day and watch films like this and had a great time. Even now, we try to watch such films two to three times a week so that we can get out of our daily routine and see some new things. Earlier, we used to try to invite friends every Saturday night and watch a similar suspenseful or crime scene film at home. In this film, we see that the skills of the people who solve the cases are what we learn from them. I find this very interesting. I will definitely watch it.
Check out scrobble.life if you get a chance, a place to log movies and compare with others, and more to come!
I’ll check it out!
Congratulations @hanshotfirst! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)
Your next target is to reach 8000 comments.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCheck out our last posts:
not a blockbuster but acceptable for movies'fans
From your writing, it seems that The Lowdown is not just a crime-mystery series, but also special for its strong characters, great acting, and beautiful representation of Native American culture. Best wishes for you❤️
Filmmakers know what people are interested in these days, and it takes years to make a film, so people like to watch the films they are interested in every day
Appreciate the detailed write-up. Question for you — how do you handle the learning curve when bringing new tools into your workflow?