It’s been an interesting journey in The Lowdown season 2. We’ve seen Lee (Ethan Hawke) pursuing a new mystery and a new lady.
We’ve seen him deal with the return of his father, Lee Senior (Tommy Lee Jones), and all the emotional baggage that comes with it. In episode 6, we see all those things fused together in the new episode, “Leaving and Coming Back.” Let’s dive in.
Developments in the case
As we pick up, the Judge (John Hawkes) has summoned the sheriff (Martha Plimpton) to a meeting. There is plenty of subtext, but the intent is clear. He’s worried about Lee and his digging. The sheriff tries to ease his concerns, but it’s clear their partnership feels a bit more tenuous than it did previously. That’s especially true after Lee played his Governor card.
The sheriff returns home with an update for her husband (Clifton Collins). Her husband is in the middle of it all, running the business tied to the work camp. He’s also playing an active part in the coverup. It’s clear he was personally responsible for the end of Mrs. Spence. And he was the one that ordered McMann (Shane McRae) and Lonnie (Austin Amelio) on to Ginger (Betty Gilpin).
We swing over to McMann’s house, where he and Lonnie are holding Ginger. She tries to make a break for it but can’t get away. That leads to McMann posing some angry questions. When Ginger is left with Lonnie, she makes a pitch for him to free her — and himself — from McMann. He agrees, and they make a break for it, hitting McMann with the car on the way.
A new spark
Once free, Ginger makes her way to Lee. He’s been trying to dig and get more information, but he’s come up a bit empty. When Ginger arrives and shares her ordeal, it’s clear she’s had a lot. Lee offers her a hug and a place to lay low. After a shower to center herself, Ginger is feeling a little better.
But Lee continues to play the role of host. He takes Ginger down to the diner, where he has an emergency key. They find the emergency bottle of booze and have a drink. Lee and Ginger have been dancing around their connection and attraction, but in the diner, at night, over a drink they take things a little further.
Ginger and Lee hook up in the diner. The next morning Lee wakes up alone, without pants, on the floor of the diner. The staff aren’t too pleased to find him there. So, he grabs his things and heads out to face the challenges of the day.
Making peace with Senior
Meanwhile, Senior is still hanging around. He connects with Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) on a park bench. Getting to know his granddaughter has been one of the best things for Senior. After a pleasant meeting, he makes his way toward Lee, finding him coming out of the diner. He reminds Lee that he still needs to get to his storage to get something for Francis. Lee makes him promise he’ll leave afterward. When Senior agrees, the road trip begins.
Lee and his father drive toward the storage. Senior has them make a stop at their old house. It’s a little piece of nostalgia. Though Lee doesn’t remember it, it’s clear that it means a lot to Senior. And it’s also clear Lee is starting to soften toward his father, despite their baggage. They head to a diner where Senior makes the order. He used to know the owner, and it was the place he met Lee’s mother. It’s a story Lee hadn’t heard before. It opens the door to asking some questions about why his father left and about how their relationship got broken.
Once at the storage, Lee finds some things from the Vietnam War and a journal. He’s been denying his father’s war claims but begins thinking about it differently. He snags the journal to read later, while his father collects the gift for Francis. Then they hit the road, again.
Lee stops for gas. While in the station, he pays for a tank and snags some snacks. He’s singing an old Sunday School song he hadn’t thought about for a long time. As he heads out to the van, he tosses Senior a beef stick, but his father doesn’t wake. Turns out, Senior has passed. Lee takes it harder than one would have expected. Finally, he collects himself, tops off the tank, and begins the drive back to Tulsa.
I have really enjoyed Jones and his arc on the series. This was a great episode that allowed him and Hawke to have a good back-and-forth. I’m surprised that’s how it ended, but I’m curious to see how these events shape Lee and his relationship with Francis.
The Lowdown airs Wednesdays on FX and streams the next day on Hulu. Check back next week as we recap all the action of season 2.
Add us as a preferred source on Google