The Lowdown Season 2 trailer : What's new on FX
The trailer for Season 2 of FX's The Lowdown dropped on September 30, 2026, and it immediately set the tone for what looks like a sharper, messier season than the first. Disney released the footage, confirming a premiere date of Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET on FX and Hulu. If you track where to watch your favorite shows across streaming platforms, this one deserves a spot on your radar right now.
A new cast, a bigger story
The first season introduced us to Lee Raybon, a self-styled citizen journalist operating out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Played by Ethan Hawke, Lee is the kind of man who can't leave a story alone, even when the story is actively trying to bury him. Season 2 picks up with him living and working in a rare books store, an unlikely base of operations that doubles as an unofficial neighborhood hub for the community around it.
Two major additions shake up the dynamic considerably. Tommy Lee Jones, an Academy Award winner, joins as Lee Raybon Senior, Lee's estranged con-artist father who shows up unannounced in Tulsa. The complication ? Lee has always told his teenage daughter Francis that her grandfather was dead. Betty Gilpin, a four-time Emmy nominee, plays Ginger, a public defender described as "beautiful and brash" who shares Lee's appetite for exposing the truth, but has zero patience for his personal chaos.
The season's central mystery kicks off when one of Ginger's clients goes missing from a state penitentiary. A man disappearing inside a prison sounds impossible, which is exactly why it pulls Lee in. The investigation quickly reveals the usual ingredients : wealth, corruption, and people in power covering their tracks. It's the kind of story that fits perfectly into what The Lowdown does best.
| Character | Actor | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Lee Raybon | Ethan Hawke | Citizen journalist, protagonist |
| Ginger | Betty Gilpin | Public defender, new ally |
| Lee Raybon Senior | Tommy Lee Jones | Estranged grifter father |
| Johnny | Rafael Casal | Jujitsu-trained dentist, reluctant sidekick |
| Marty | Keith David | Managing Editor, The Heartland Press |
What the trailer actually shows us
The footage opens with Lee receiving a local citizen journalism award for his reporting on Dale Washberg's death, a storyline that ran through Season 1. Rather than enjoy the moment, he self-medicates and delivers a spectacularly unfiltered speech at the ceremony. It's peak Lee : accidentally compelling, professionally disastrous.
That speech is what catches Ginger's attention. She's not charmed by him, the trailer makes that very clear, but she does see the use in someone with his particular set of skills when one of her clients vanishes from prison. The two make for an entertaining, friction-heavy duo, and Gilpin's energy brings a counterweight to Hawke's chaotic tendencies that the show genuinely needed.
Fans reacting to the trailer online have pointed out the tonal shift. Season 2 looks visually richer and the writing appears more layered. The arrival of Tommy Lee Jones, whose screen presence is hard to match, has generated particular excitement. Much like we've seen with the Whalefall trailer release, a strong preview can significantly move audience interest before a premiere.
Here are the key returning and new characters to watch in Season 2 :
- Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) : Lee's teenage daughter, increasingly frustrated by her father's absences
- Samantha (Kaniehtiio Horn) : Lee's ex, now married to Johnny
- Johnny (Rafael Casal) : a jujitsu-trained dentist with genuine goodwill and a complicated family link to Lee
- Marty (Keith David) : now Managing Editor at The Heartland Press, a promotion Lee finds irritating
Where and when to watch The Lowdown Season 2
Season 2 premieres on October 14, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, simultaneously on FX and Hulu. New episodes land every Wednesday after that, across an eight-episode run. Outside the United States, the season streams on Disney+ internationally. That gives viewers in Europe, Asia and beyond a clean, direct path to the show without needing a separate subscription service.
For anyone who hasn't caught up yet, Season 1 is currently available on Hulu and Hulu On Disney+ in the US, and on Disney+ for international audiences. We'd strongly suggest watching it before the premiere, not just for context, but because it's genuinely worth your time.
Sterlin Harjo, the creator behind the critically acclaimed Reservation Dogs, developed The Lowdown and continues as executive producer alongside Garrett Basch, Ethan Hawke, Ryan Hawke, Duffy Boudreau and Scott Teems. FX Productions handles production. The combination of Harjo's distinctive storytelling sensibility and a cast this strong makes Season 2 one of the more anticipated FX releases of the fall. Keep it on your streaming watchlist because October 14 is closer than it feels.