Tech

The Lowdown review: Sterlin Harjo and Ethan Hawke team up for a killer noir caper

Published

9 months ago

September 5, 2025

Vicky

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.

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What's The Lowdown about?

Kyle MacLachlan and Ethan Hawke in "The Lowdown."
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.

Ethan Hawke and Ryan Kiera Armstrong in "The Lowdown."
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.

Ethan Hawke 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.

Tech

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 24, 2026

Published

1 month ago

April 25, 2026

Vicky

A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're rowdy.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO:

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 24, 2026

Table of Contents

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Hullabaloo

The words are related to sound.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ruckus.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Lets Get Loud.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

NYT Strands word list for April 24

Shout
Holler
Clamor
Lets Get Loud
Bellow
Whoop
Caterwaul

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Tech

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 24, 2026

Published

1 month ago

April 25, 2026

Vicky

Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love a good drink.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO:

NYT Pips hints, answers for April 24, 2026

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Intoxicated.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

The Wordle answer today is…

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is…

DRUNK

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

Tech

FCC challenges gender identity themes on kids TV

Published

1 month ago

April 25, 2026

Vicky

A young girl watches TV with remote in her hand.

The Federal Communications Commission is using the presence of "controversial gender identity issues" in children's television programming as a pretense for questioning how TV ratings are developed and enforced, according to a notice published Wednesday by the federal agency.

The notice generally assesses TV ratings, but specifically points out that these industry guidelines have rated shows featuring "transgender and gender non-binary programming" as appropriate for children. It argues that parents aren't provided this information, "thereby undermining the ability of parents to make informed choices for their families."

In the document, the FCC poses a series of open-ended questions about TV ratings development, including whether the board responsible for the guidelines is "sufficiently balanced" with viewpoints outside of the entertainment industry and if faith-based organizations should be represented in the body.

"What more could the board do to include family-oriented perspectives — which are not well represented in the media industry — in its ratings process?" the notice asks.

SEE ALSO:

What's new to streaming this week? (April 24, 2026)

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the public notice on X, explaining that "parents have raised concerns with the industry's approach." He added that these parents believe "New York & Hollywood programmers" promote objectionable content in kids programming without disclosing that to parents. Carr didn't mention gender identity in his X post.

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TV parents guidelines can include both a rating as well as descriptors for content that includes crude language, sexual situations, and violence.

LGBTQ+ advocates criticized the public notice, arguing that it amounted to discrimination and censorship.

"Trump's FCC is trying to turn transgender people into a warning label," Tyler Hack, executive director of the transgender rights advocacy group Christopher Street Project, said in a statement. "It is dehumanizing, and it is part of a broader political strategy to stigmatize LGBTQ+ people in every corner of public life."

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, described the notice as government overreach.

"Media companies must be allowed to create and broadcast stories that reflect one-quarter of their audience without interference from a government agency with its own anti-transgender political agenda," Ellis said in a statement.

This isn't the first time Carr has been accused of censorship. Carr has claimed broadcasters air "hoaxes" and "news distortions" that also happen to be unfavorable to President Trump. Carr has suggested the licenses of such broadcasters won't be renewed.

In March, dozens of free speech experts argued in an open letter to Carr that his threats against broadcasters are "unlawful jawboning" and his vague characterization of "fake news" violates the First Amendment. The authors called on Carr to "withdraw" his threats.