Ethan Hawke's Hulu Noir Thriller Just Added an Icon Who's Returning to TV After 40 Years
In addition to reviewing, writing, and commentating on both new and old releases, Liam has interviewed talent such as Mark Wahlberg, Jesse Plemons, Sam Mendes, Billy Eichner, Dylan O'Brien, Luke Wilson, and B.J. Novak. Liam aims to get his spec scripts produced and currently writes short films and stage plays. He lives in Allentown, PA.
The Lowdown, one of the best shows of 2025, was thankfully renewed for Season 2. The series, starring Ethan Hawke, has a very idiosyncratic sense of heart and humor, and it’s a testament to the boldness of FX’s creative team that the unique series was given an opportunity to expand. While getting a greenlight for such an irreverent, yet meaningful show about the importance of the written word may not be the easiest sell, it benefits from an incredible leading performance by Hawke in one of the best roles of his entire career. The Lowdown has ratcheted up the star power for Season 2, as it was announced that Tommy Lee Jones has joined the cast. This would be Jones’ first television role since his all-time great performance in the Western adaptation Lonesome Dove, which aired over four decades ago.
Set in contemporary Tulsa, The Lowdown stars Hawke as Lee Raybon, a self-proclaimed “truthstorian” who works as a journalist, writer, and protector of local culture. The first season saw Lee uncovering a conspiracy related to the death of Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), and there was still a hint of what his further adventures might entail. He has helped to look at other local mysteries with the private investigator Marty Brunner (Keith David), and is still trying to find a way to be more present in the life of his daughter Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong). However, the addition of Jones suggests that The Lowdown will continue to add new major characters to its universe, transforming it into a loose anthology series that can develop new cases each season.
Tommy Lee Jones Is a Perfect Addition to Ethan Hawke's 'The Lowdown'
Not only is Jones one of the most respected veterans in the industry, but he's someone who has expertise in two genres that would loosely describe The Lowdown: mystery and Western. Jones won an Academy Award for his memorable performance in The Fugitive, in which he played a disgruntled investigator looking to find the truth after a mysterious murder, and also had roles in acclaimed mystery films like JFK, Double Jeopardy, In the Valley of Elah, and The Hunted.
The Lowdown is most distinguished for its modernization of the Western genre, as it was able to reflect the ways in which these stories were relevant to contemporary America. There aren’t many living legends who have contributed more to Westerns than Jones; he directed two underrated Westerns, The Homesman and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, the latter of which won him the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Ironically, the other actor who has shown as much interest in modern Westerns is Hawke, which should make him and Jones natural scene partners.
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While the industry is at a point in which most actors are willing to do both television and cinema, Jones has only rarely worked on the small screen, signifying that there was something about the pitch for The Lowdown’s second season that inspired him to come out of TV retirement. Jones’ last television role on Lonesome Dove felt like a complete statement on the Western genre, as the epic adaptation of the Larry McMurtry novel examined the interiority of stoic cowboy heroes, revealing a more sensitive side of masculinity. It speaks to the strength of what The Lowdown has in store that he found something desirable enough to break his streak, showing once more that the small screen has become a perfect venue to tell more personal stories.
'The Lowdown' Has Amazing Opportunities for Season 2
While an actor of his caliber is by no means in need of a “comeback,” Jones should have the opportunity to deliver one of his best performances in years. He gave phenomenal — albeit brief — performances in Ad Astra and The Burial, but they were criminally underseen films that didn’t get the recognition that they deserved, specifically for Jones’ performance.
The Lowdown is often a very serious show that deals with important issues regarding the ownership of land and gentrification of native culture, but the series also has a fair amount of humor, and has even been submitted in the Comedy category at the upcoming Primetime Emmy Awards. Jones is often underrated for what a comedic genius he is, as his sharp, blunt sense of humor can often be unexpected. The Men in Black franchise in particular is a great example of how he can retain the stakes of an exciting science fiction story while still adding in some cheeky one-liners and referencing the superficiality of it all. Given that Hawke has a lot of fun in this role as well, having just earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy for his extraordinary role in Blue Moon, it should be interesting to see if these two legendary actors can add more levity to a series as incomparable as The Lowdown.
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