Tech
The Lowdown review: Sterlin Harjo and Ethan Hawke team up for a killer noir caper
When Ethan Hawke made a surprise guest appearance in the penultimate episode of Reservation Dogs, it wound up being one of my favorite TV episodes of all time.
Co-written by Reservation Dogs co-creator Sterlin Harjo and star Devery Jacobs, "Elora's Dad" saw Elora Danan (Jacobs) meet her estranged father (Hawke) for the very first time. He introduces her to her half-siblings, and she catches him up on her life, including her plans to go to college. The episode proved intimate and quietly electrifying, one of the best entries in one of the best shows of recent years. And at its heart were two beautifully grounded performances from Jacobs and Hawke.
So imagine my delight when Harjo and Hawke teamed back up for Harjo's new FX series, The Lowdown. Then imagine my downright joy when The Lowdown turned out to be some of the most fun I've had watching TV this year.
What's The Lowdown about?
Credit: Shane Brown / FX
Described as a "Tulsa noir," The Lowdown stars Hawke as Lee Raybon, a rare bookstore owner, citizen journalist, and so-called "truthstorian" determined to lay bare the rot at the heart of Tulsa's most corrupt power players. (Lee is based on the late journalist and public historian Lee Roy Chapman, whom Harjo worked with previously.)
Among Lee's targets is the Washberg family, headed up by slimy gubernatorial candidate Donald (Kyle MacLachlan). Lee uncovers the family's connections to white supremacists in a major exposé, and just days after its publication, Washberg family black sheep Dale (Tim Blake Nelson) dies under mysterious circumstances. For Lee, that can only mean one thing: He's onto something major. So off he goes into Tulsa's criminal underbelly, a journey that could lead to a major bombshell (or more likely, to severe bodily harm).
The Lowdown is part neo-noir, part hangout comedy, and all delightful.
Credit: Shane Brown / FX
Lee's investigation prompts Harjo to have some neo-noir fun, drawing inspiration from '70s films like The Long Goodbye and Night Moves. Smoke-veiled conversations abound, along with clandestine meetings with Dale's wife, Betty Joe (Jeanne Tripplehorn), and PI Marty (Keith David).
The Lowdown's madcap mystery provides a change of pace from Reservation Dogs, as does its city setting. Here, danger lurks around every corner, often in the form of skinheads who are angry at Lee for… publicly writing that they're skinheads.
Yet even with its moody noir atmosphere, The Lowdown also preserves the hangout feel that made Reservation Dogs so special, especially in scenes Lee shares with his daughter, Francis (Ryan Keira Armstrong). Francis spends most of her time with her mother, Samantha (Reservation Dogs' own Deer Lady, Kaniehtiio Horn), but when she shows interest in helping Lee with the Washberg case, who is he to say no?
Lee and Francis' sweet dynamic bears shades of that of Elora and her father's: tentative bonding attempts, even as Francis wonders whether Lee is a full-on deadbeat. However, it's also a perfect showcase for The Lowdown's ability to blend its noir mystery with character-driven hangouts. Case in point: A father-daughter trip to a lake that doubles as a mission to find key evidence.
In a similar vein, The Lowdown somehow manages to capture the wide range of human emotion, all within its mystery framework. In Lee's nightcap with a potential suspect, what starts as a drunken hook-up morphs from an investigation to a fight to a soul-baring discussion… then back to a hook-up. Elsewhere, Lee's reunion with frenemy Randall (Peter Dinklage) kicks off an investigation and a soul-searching tribute to an old friend.
So as much as The Lowdown is driven by the central mystery of Dale's death and his family's shady dealings, it's also fueled by the poetry of who we cross paths with. Like in Reservation Dogs, The Lowdown builds out a community of fascinating characters who add oodles of texture to the show's version of Tulsa, from antique dealer Ray (Michael Hitchcock) to The Tulsa Beat editor Cyrus (Killer Mike).
Ethan Hawke is a hilarious wild card in The Lowdown.
Credit: Shane Brown / FX
At the center of these characters is, of course, Lee. And my goodness, is Hawke having the time of his life in the role.
Hawke plays his amateur sleuth like a total wild card. In some moments, Lee is effortlessly cool, rolling into investigations like suave is his middle name. In others, he's almost pathetic, running for his life after getting himself in too deep. Hawke's maniacal laughter after Lee's escapes or major discoveries is a forever reminder of what I love about the show: its ability to make me laugh my head off, even after watching a man get his head shot clean off.
Of course, between Lee's extremes lies a wealth of complexities that The Lowdown takes great pleasure in unspooling. He loves writing so much that he'll critique the prose in a murdered man's diaries. He adores Francis more than anything but occasionally puts his investigation before her. He's got an ironic Confederate flag tattoo.
All these details add up to create a fascinatingly layered new TV detective, one whose adventures we've only just begun to explore. Here's hoping that viewers can follow in Lee's footsteps and dive further still into the truths at the heart of Lee himself, and of his beloved community in Tulsa.
The Lowdown was reviewed out of its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. It premieres Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. ET on FX. Episodes stream the next day on Hulu.
TL;DR: Live stream USA vs. Belgium in a 2026 International Friendly for free on RTL Play. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 2026 World Cup is looming large on the horizon. And that means top international sides from around the world will be sharpening up in the coming weeks and months.
There are a number of high-profile International Friendlies taking place this week as teams look to build momentum, including USA vs. Belgium. Mauricio Pochettino's side will need to be at their best to get anything out of a talented Belgian team. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be lively as the likes of Pulisic and De Bruyne battle it out.
If you want to watch USA vs. Belgium in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is USA vs. Belgium?
USA vs. Belgium kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on March 28. This fixture takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
How to watch USA vs. Belgium for free
USA vs. Belgium is available to live stream for free on RTL Play.
RTL Play is geo-restricted to Belgium, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Belgium, meaning you can access free live streams on RTL Play from anywhere in the world.
Lve stream USA vs. Belgium for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in Belgium
-
Visit RTL Play
-
Stream USA vs. Belgium for free from anywhere in the world
Opens in a new window
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch USA vs. Belgium without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select games before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for RTL Play?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTL Play, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 105 countries including Belgium
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to eight simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream USA vs. Belgium for free with ExpressVPN.
Among passionate TikTok communities, BookTok, may be the most influential.
BookTok is where book lovers and e-reader obsessives to come together to discuss their favorite books and device hacks. For readers who use e-readers, Kindle, Kobo, and Boox lead the charge as the most popular devices, so it's notable when a new device goes viral. "Mini Kindles" appear to be the latest device to cause a stir on BookTok, with hundreds of videos showcasing the tiny e-readers.
On TikTok, searching for "mini Kindle" (or "mini Kindle pods") brings up dozens of user videos showing someone walking into a Barnes & Noble or Target and then cutting to an unboxing of a so-called "mini Kindle". As someone who tests e-readers for a living, this confused me.
I have no reason to believe these e-readers are actually being purchased at Barnes & Noble, nor do they have any apparent affiliation with Amazon Kindles.
In fact, the devices being hyped in these videos appear to be sold by the users who post them.
In a since-deleted video, user @aurealeaf directs viewers to the website NovaLeaf, where the "NovaLeaf Mini Kindle" is listed. (Editor's note: As of this writing, the @aurealeaf account is no longer available.) Another user, @hydro_scope, directs viewers to their website with a listing for a NOVA Mini Pink Kindle. Both devices claim to be pocket-sized e-readers under the Kindle name, despite no affiliation with Amazon.
We reached out to both @aurealeaf and @hydro_scope, and we'll update this post if we receive a response.
Are mini Kindle pods actually Kindles?
These mini Kindles do not seem to be actual Kindle e-readers or associated with Amazon at all, nor does Amazon sell any mini version of the Kindle e-readers. We reached out for comment from Amazon and have not heard back at the time of publication.
By performing reverse image searches on Nova and NovaLeaf websites, I found that the "mini Kindles" listed for sale there are visual matches for devices manufactured by a company called Oilsky. They appear to be 4-inch touchscreen MP3 and 1080p video players. With built-in access to the Google Play store, the Kindle app is available to download onto the device; however, that appears to be the only connection to Amazon.
The Oilsky MP3 player and copycat versions are currently listed on Amazon. These TikTok-based sellers have their mini Kindles listed for $79.99, about $10 more than the direct Oilsky listing on Amazon. Oilsky MP3 players are not listed for sale at Barnes & Noble or Target.
In short, the viral TikTok videos are using the word "Kindle" to refer to any e-reader-like device and may be at risk of legal action from Amazon.
As of this writing, the @aurealeaf TikTok account is no longer available.
TL;DR: Live stream Switzerland vs. Germany in a 2026 International Friendly for free on RTS. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
There are a number of really interesting International Friendlies taking place this week, including Switzerland vs. Germany.
This is a great opportunity for these sides to test out new formations, experiment with new players, and generally build some positive momentum before this summer's World Cup. We expect a competitive contest between two experienced sides, with the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Florian Wirtz expected to feature.
If you want to watch Switzerland vs. Germany in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Switzerland vs. Germany?
Switzerland vs. Germany kicks off at 3:45 p.m. ET on March 27. This fixture takes place at the St. Jakob Park.
How to watch Switzerland vs. Germany for free
Switzerland vs. Germany is available to live stream for free on RTS.
RTS is geo-restricted to Switzerland, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Switzerland, meaning you can access free live streams on RTS from anywhere in the world.
Lve stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in Switzerland
-
Visit RTS
-
Stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free from anywhere in the world
Opens in a new window
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Switzerland vs. Germany without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select games before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for RTS?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTS, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 105 countries including Switzerland
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to eight simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free with ExpressVPN.
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