For love of TV, please watch Season 2 of "The Lowdown": TV review

On the one hand, it's hardly fitting that a show about an unscrupulous citizen journalist in a small Heartland town becomes a massive hit. On the other, FX's "The Lowdown" was one of the best new TV shows last year, a follow-up from Sterlin Harjo, creator of "Reservation Dogs," that elevated the power of its stars […]

On the one hand, it's not very fitting that a show about a reckless citizen journalist in a small-town heartland would become a huge hit. FX's "The Lowdown," on the other hand, was one of last year's great TV debuts, a follow-up to "Reservation Dogs" showrunner Sterling Harjo that amped up the star power and changed the location while maintaining warmth, humor and texture. The drama was renewed for a second season in January, but barely: Even the presence of star and executive producer Ethan Hawke, who plays Tulsa-area "rightist" Lee Ribbon, can't make "The Lowdown" an objective failure. Related stories of Netflix's Sesame Street, plus Gabby's Dollhouse spinoff and K-pop Demon Hunters Danny Boyle says 28 Years Later, Part 3 "will have a lot of Cillian Murphy in it" and backs Jack O'Connell as the next James Bond.

That's why it's so important — nay, imperative — that those who value truth, justice and well-made television tune in for Season 2. In Season 1, "The Lowdown" obviously modeled itself on the sort of pulp paperback that Lee sells at the used bookstore he works between freelance reporting gigs. Season 2 confirms the notion that, like that previous medium, Lee's misadventures could easily be serialized: a new case, new characters, and the same inimitable vibe popular in Variety

In Tulsa's Harjo, it's been months since Lee released his story about the late Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), the black sheep of a powerful local family. The resulting piece was intended more as a tribute than a scathing exposé, Lee having learned the hard way that airing dirty laundry can be more self-serving than serving the public good. But it was still well received enough to earn Lee some of the credit he not-so-secretly craves: a local journalism award, presented at a gala, Lee becomes a captive audience for a drunken rant. There, Lee also meets a public defender named Ginger (fresh-off Emmy winner Betty Gilpin) who's convinced she's being followed — a problem the failed Lee is all too eager to help her solve, thus giving "The Lowdown" one last rabbit hole to dive down.

Gilpin makes a femme fatale for the show's loose riff on a noir. Which is to say: not cool, not shy, not small, but still an unfathomable draw for Lee. Ginger is worried about her former client, McCo Dean, a native convict who she can't keep in jail. Two shadowy men on his tail only heighten this suspicion. When Lee stops by the prison and a man who is definitely not Makko shows up for a visit, a switcheroo he calls "Rupeedoop", they get busy. Ginger's bleeding-heart empathy, panic-induced lugora, and perceptive eye for human foibles are why she left Lee dead. "You're a hypnotist," she tells him in frustration. "You attack people with words until they do your bidding!"

This season, we learn where Lee gets it from. The venerable Tommy Lee Jones comes to town as Lee Sr., a traveling con artist as obsessed with the truth as Lee. (Opposition of Opposites: Invincible as a Psycho-Skeleton Key!) The emotional underpinning of Season 1 was Lee's relationship with his teenage daughter Frances (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), who he wants to be more of a reliable presence than he is. Season 2 puts Lee's flawed parenting into context: she's doing better than what was done to her, but she still holds enough resentment to betray her own principles. As teenage Francis is quick to point out, Lee wasn't very honest about raising him to believe his grandfather was dead. "He's dead to me" pales as a defense.

As Lee and Ginger follow McCo's trail, a winding path that leads them to corrupt cops and a shadowy devious scheme, "The Lowdown" settles back into the thrilling rhythm of its debut. Loving Lee and expanding her family culture are natural ways to expand, but the show also has a strong sense of its original merit. Lee sticks to a uniform of short-sleeved shirts, sunglasses, and Stetsons, and last season's favorites are now comfortable members. Keith's David Marty, once employed by Dale Washberg's brother, is now editor of Lee's occasional employer, The Heartland Press. Marty's former boss, Donald (Kyle McLachlan), now the governor, is not overlooked for a midseason visit.

Harjo and his team — including directors Scott Timms and Rafael Casale, who also plays Frances' godfather — take a loving view of Oklahoma and its people. Lee's research takes her to 4H shows and horse shows and introduces her to a rich collection of strong characters. Some are funny, like the kooky jailer who strong-arms Lee into trying his cheeseburgers (not an obvious pun!) or the crooked lawyer whose advances Ginger tolerates in exchange for a lead. Some are sad, like Makko's single mom lurking or a fellow journalist who prefers feel-good fluff to snarls. "The kind of truth you're interested in hurts people," he tells Lee. "Today, my truth is a hog race."

The question of what happened to Makko and why is addressed at a slow and steady pace. But "The Lowdown" isn't something that lives or dies by its final reveal. It's a show that luxuriates in its setting – although Hawke's frenzied, on-key performance means the audience is never too comfortable. Like Reserve Dogs before it, The Lowdown has plenty of real value. I could argue you should watch to support native storytelling or American filmmaking as much of the industry moves overseas. In fact, The Lowdown is anything but a virtuous bit of cultural vegetable. This is a party more people should join, and you'll be glad you did.

The first two episodes of the second season of "The Lowdown" will premiere on FX and Hulu on October 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET, with the remaining episodes airing weekly on Wednesdays.