The newest episode of The Lowdown, titled “Tulsa Turnaround,” delivered the most intense chapter of the season. The episode, which aired on October 28, 2025, on FX, saw a beloved character killed, a dangerous church’s plans advance, and the show’s hero, Lee Raybon, make a reckless choice that left his life hanging in the balance. As the second-to-last episode, it set the stage for a dramatic finale.
A Deal Goes Wrong and Turns Deadly
The main story of the episode revolved around a handwritten will from the late Dale Washberg. This document threatened to ruin a major land deal and strip the Washberg family of their power. Businessman Frank Martin, desperate to get the will, learned its location from Betty Jo Washberg. He then went to the home of Arthur, an elderly man who was keeping the will safe for his grandson, Chutto.
What started as a tense conversation quickly turned into a tragedy. Arthur, confused and frightened, began to see Frank as the man who had killed his own grandfather in a crooked land deal decades before. He pulled out a gun. In the struggle that followed, a single gunshot went off, and Arthur was killed.
Frank later claimed the shooting was an accident. Actor Tracy Letts, who plays Frank, explained his character’s state of mind: “I don’t think he went in there with the plan of killing anybody… It does seem as if it happened in a tussle in an urgent moment.” Regardless of his intent, Frank’s actions had a deadly outcome. He then took the will and tore it up, destroying the evidence that could have brought justice to the families the Washbergs had wronged.
Lee’s Reckless Heroism Reaches a Breaking Point
After realizing the danger he had put Arthur in by revealing the will’s location, Lee raced to the apartment with his friend Marty, only to find Arthur dead. A short car chase ensued, but Lee’s old van broke down, leaving him stranded. His desperation grew as he blamed others for a situation his own obsession had created.
The episode also dug deeper into Lee’s failures as a father. He arrived late to a parent-teacher meeting for his daughter, Francis, only to find her soon-to-be stepfather, Johnny, already there and filling the role Lee often struggles with. In a painful conversation, Francis told Lee, “I just want you to be my dad.” But Lee, full of guilt and a need to be admired, insisted he was going to show her “what a good man looks like.” This need to be a hero, rather than just a present father, blinded him to what his daughter truly needed.
A Terrifying Showdown at the One Well Church
Frank, following advice from the mysterious Trip Keating, fled to the One Well church for protection. Lee and Marty figured out where he was headed and followed him. This led to the episode’s climactic scene inside the church hall.
There, Pastor Mark Russell stood before his followers, including women, children, and armed skinheads, and delivered a hate-filled speech. He tapped into themes of white resentment and victimhood, rallying his audience to take back “what we have lost.” The show directly connects this modern extremism to Tulsa’s history of racial violence.
Lee stormed into this volatile situation, publicly accusing Frank of murder. He was immediately surrounded and outnumbered. In a chilling moment, Mark turned to his followers and told them to “fire on this bedraggled white savior,” leaving Lee’s fate unknown as the episode ended.
Connecting the Past to a Dangerous Present
This episode, like the series as a whole, ties its fictional story to the very real and dark history of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The show explores the legacy of events like the Trail of Tears and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, suggesting that the sins of the past continue to influence the power dynamics and violence of the present.
Writer Walter Mosley, who wrote this episode, noted that the show is “a rigorous test of what truth is.” He pointed out that characters like Mark and Frank see themselves as victims, even when they are the ones causing harm. “You have Frank, and I think he honestly believes he’s the victim of the guy he murdered,” Mosley said.
Series creator Sterlin Harjo has used the noir genre to explore these themes. In a noir story, the world is a corrupt and bewildering maze, and the hero, however flawed, is the one who still cares enough to fight back. Lee Raybon, constantly getting beaten up but never giving up, fits perfectly into this tradition.
The penultimate episode of The Lowdown raised the stakes to their highest point, setting up what is sure to be a tense and unpredictable finale.
Also Read: The Lowdown Episode 6: Everything You Need to Know Before Watching
