Tech

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

Published

7 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.

Table of Contents

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

How to watch Switzerland vs. Germany online for free

Published

39 seconds ago

March 28, 2026

Vicky

Leon Goretzka of Germany celebrates

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.

Table of Contents

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

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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.

Tech

Hurry: The Nothing Ear (a) earbuds just hit a record-low price for Amazons Big Spring Sale

Published

1 minute ago

March 28, 2026

Vicky

Nothing ear earbuds against a colorful background.

SAVE 46%: As of March 27, you can get the Nothing Ear (a) wireless earbuds for $58.99, down from $109, at Amazon. That's a 46% discount or a $50.01 price cut.

Nothing Ear (a)

$58.99
at Amazon

$109
Save $50.01

If you want a pair of earbuds that stand out from the crowd without emptying your wallet, the Nothing Ear (a) should definitely be on your radar. For the Big Spring Sale, they've dropped to just $58.99, which is $50 off their usual $109 list price.

Mashable's Tech Reporter, Alex Perry, recently rounded up the reviews for these buds, and the consensus is that they deliver way more than their price tag suggests. They offer an open-midrange sound and clarity that outperform those of standard, more expensive AirPods, and they have active noise cancellation strong enough to drown out loud household distractions. Plus, you'll get around five hours of battery life even with every single battery-draining feature turned on at once, like ANC and multipoint pairing.

As always, I checked the fine print, and there are a couple of things you should know. Perry noted that the biggest critique across the board is that the charging case lacks Qi wireless charging and relies strictly on USB-C. But skipping wireless charging is a fair trade-off for a case that's as small and pocketable as Apple's AirPods. Also, according to the Amazon listing, the voice-enabled ChatGPT feature will only work on a Nothing series phone. Still, grabbing earbuds with this level of sound quality for under $60 is a total steal.

Tech

How to watch Austria vs. Ghana online for free

Published

1 minute ago

March 28, 2026

Vicky

Antoine Semenyo of Ghana poses

TL;DR: Live stream Austria vs. Ghana in a 2026 International Friendly for free on ORF. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are an incredible number of top International Friendlies taking place this week. We're being spoilt with Brazil vs. France, Colombia vs. Croatia, and a string of other high-profile contests. Austria vs. Ghana is not the biggest game on the schedule, but we're still making time to watch this interesting matchup.

If you want to watch Austria vs. Ghana in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

Table of Contents

When is Austria vs. Ghana?

Austria vs. Ghana kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on March 27. This fixture takes place at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion.

How to watch Austria vs. Ghana for free

Austria vs. Ghana is available to live stream for free on ORF.

ORF is geo-restricted to Austria, 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 Austria, meaning you can access free live streams on ORF from anywhere in the world.

Lve stream Austria vs. Ghana 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 Austria
Visit ORF
Stream Austria vs. Ghana for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 Austria vs. Ghana 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 ORF?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ORF, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including Austria
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