The Lowdown Recap: Benders

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Why would Lee Raybon, a Tulsa journalist known for uncovering hidden truths, risk his reputation by becoming involved with someone he was reporting on? Perhaps it was something as casual as sharing a bottle of tequila with the charming Betty Jo Washberg. Or maybe it was the news that his ex-girlfriend – the one who previously opposed marriage when *he* proposed – is now getting married to a dentist (who likely takes good care of his teeth!).

I think Jeanne Tripplehorn‘s character is the real problem. Even if Lee was clear-headed, her complicated and attractive Betty Jo would be too much for someone like him – impulsive, easily distracted, and a bit of a mess – to handle. He’s caught up in a game of wanting her to desire him back. This week’s episode, “Short on Cowboys,” centers around their wild, all-day spree, starting with Lee following Betty Jo and ultimately leading to them ending up together in Dale Washberg’s bed.

Lee’s day began at Sweet Emily’s, though it’s hard to call it a ‘start’ when he hadn’t slept. He and Francis had spent the night reading Dale’s old diary, which was written as a series of letters. While Lee loves watching Francis enjoy her first cup of coffee, staying up all night felt like a questionable decision as a parent. It was a school day, and Lee worried about what strange or upsetting things might be hidden in the letters, written by a bitter man near the end of his life.

Lee really needs Francis’s help. He’s having trouble with the overly flowery language Dale uses when talking about his family’s history and how they came to own land in Osage County. The Washbergs still live on the land that Dale’s great-great-grandfather originally claimed when he moved west. However, considering what we know about Lee’s critical reporting for *Heartland Press* and American history in general, it’s likely Dale’s family didn’t actually have the right to that land in the first place.

Francis was a more detail-oriented reader than her father. As for what we know: Dale wasn’t considered attractive as a baby, but his brother, Donald, was always good to him – until the week Dale died. They had a huge argument then, and Donald said something so awful that Dale refused to even write it down, calling it a terrible insult. At the time of his death, Dale was writing his life’s work, *The Dustbowl Kid*, and included a story about someone trying to kill him. Lee thinks this attempt matches a failed job that Blackie and Berta messed up in Skiatook. Blackie and Berta later kidnapped Lee to try and make things right, but Allen killed them because they were no longer needed – and hadn’t been very helpful to begin with.

It really hit me how genuinely dangerous things were getting. I actually chuckled when Lee brushed off Francis’s kidnapping scare with that whole trunk lever story – it reminded me of the advice Cyrus gave him, which didn’t help then, and clearly wasn’t helping now. But Francis is totally right to be terrified, and Lee’s wrong to drag her into this mess and make her worry. It made me think, sometimes being a good parent just means prioritizing your kid’s safety and comfort, even if you both want to keep going with whatever you’re doing. It’s about putting them first, you know?

Their detective work is cut short when Lee’s mom arrives to take Francis to school, likely because she doesn’t trust Lee to get her there on time. Shocked to find out Samantha is marrying Johnny Smile, he rushes back to his shop just as his editor delivers more unwelcome news. Donald is filing a massive lawsuit against the *Heartland Press*, and has even requested a court order to prevent Lee from contacting the Washberg family. While Elijah fears this could be the end of his career, Lee sees it as a challenge to be solved quickly. If he wants to find out what Donald said to Dale, he needs to act fast – faster than the legal process.

Last week, Donald offered Betty Jo a small amount – just $10,000 – to leave her home and the family land, and this angered her. Now, she’s making Lee work for any information he wants. After discovering Lee following her in his van, she invites him to lunch at a diner, knowing it’s exactly the kind of place he imagines she’d enjoy. She’s furious about the negative article Lee wrote, especially his suggestion that she’s trying to hide her background with her married name. She’s also upset with his behavior at Dale’s funeral, as she and their daughter both loved him very much.

After being put in his place, Lee changes tactics. He and Betty Jo go to the Jack of Clubs for tequila, and soon they’re both opening up. Lee confides in Betty Jo about how heartbroken he is, realizing that once Samantha gets married, he’ll lose her forever. Betty Jo, in turn, reveals that Pearl can’t stand her. She describes how Pearl has gone from being a Washberg wife to a forgotten rodeo queen, now swapping sad stories with a struggling writer while performing karaoke in a rundown bar and sharing secrets with the wrong person. Predictably, Betty Jo invites Lee back to her place for a drink.

As soon as Lee returns to Betty Jo’s chaotic and extravagant home, everything feels wild and playful. Betty Jo casually tells him she was sleeping on the couch the night Dale died. Before Lee can react, she quickly changes the subject, asking if he’d like to watch old videos of her rodeo days – complete with cowboy boots and big hair. Just as Lee starts to relax, Betty Jo leaves and comes back holding Dale’s gun, timed to the music of Oklahoma artist Mel McDaniel. It’s all a joke, though – she’s not actually going to shoot him. She playfully tells him not to be so tense.

The gun unexpectedly fired, the shots hitting the wall and window and immediately shocking everyone into seriousness. Lee starts questioning Betty Jo, pressing her on why she’s acting as if she believes her husband took his own life. He reveals he knows, through letters from Dale, that Dale warned Betty Jo about someone trying to kill him shortly before he died. Betty Jo maintains she didn’t believe him at the time, explaining that he was behaving strangely and was overly suspicious, even believing his own brother and wife were plotting against him. Lee is incredulous, asking if she can believe that was happening.

Lee is aware of the affair between Donald and Betty Jo, which is why he’s capable of taking action. He also knows, through letters from Dale, that the brothers were rivals due to a land dispute in Indian Head Hills. Lee confronts Betty Jo, and despite her strong personality, she decides to tell the truth. She fears that if she doesn’t, Lee – who seems more comfortable with an old typewriter than a modern computer – might publicly accuse her of murdering her husband.

According to her, the conflict wasn’t about the land at the time of Dale’s death; it was about Pearl, who is actually her uncle’s daughter. Don and Betty Jo had been involved long before Betty Jo married Dale – in fact, that relationship was the reason she married him in the first place. The Washbergs wouldn’t have accepted a bride they considered beneath their son, but they were willing to overlook anything as long as she wasn’t a man. She led Dale to believe he was Pearl’s father, allowing Donny and Betty Jo to remain close as in-laws, and Dale to cherish his daughter. It seemed like a perfect solution for everyone. Later, she and Lee end up sleeping together, because, as someone who loves uncovering secrets, she finds nothing more enticing than knowing them all.

This week’s episode shows Allen struggling with a different kind of relapse. He’s been sober for two years, but he admits to feeling overwhelmed with guilt about deceiving his employer. Surprisingly, his remorse isn’t about the deaths of Blackie and Berta, but about hiding those killings from the man who once helped him when he was a young, newly released convict and involved in the skinhead scene. It’s darkly humorous to see someone with no moral compass – Allen is a racist and a killer – upset about being dishonest with himself.

Despite the situation, Allen tries his best to help. After speaking with everyone, he visits Blackie’s mother and leaves groceries for her. She looks at them with a painful expression, as if the food is a reminder of her loss – a silent acknowledgment of tragedy alongside the necessities of life.

After discovering Lee was investigating the trailer park, Allen decides to confess everything to his boss. He’s on his way to do that when a stranger shoots and kills him. We only knew Allen worked for Frank, the developer who provided him with those comfortable fleece vests. But why would Frank want Allen dead? And why would he risk killing his own employee by hiring someone else to do it, potentially leaving loose ends?

Okay, let’s talk about the details in last night’s episode of *The Lowdown*. The show really commits to realism – I was genuinely struck by the incredibly dirty soles of Lee’s feet as he was dangling them off the bed. Seriously, someone needs to get that makeup artist an award! Beyond the visuals, the episode focuses on the aftermath of the previous night, with Lee and Betty Jo waking up and immediately diving back into the mystery of Dale’s murder. They spend more time speculating than sharing sweet nothings, and Betty Jo is quick to clear herself from suspicion, but then turns the questioning back on Lee. Donald is looking like the easy suspect, and it’s starting to feel like Betty Jo is subtly manipulating Lee, making me wonder if she’s using him as much as he’s using her. It’s a fascinating dynamic, and I’m really invested in seeing where it goes.

At the start of the episode, Lee tells Francis they might be focusing on the wrong leads in the Dale murder investigation. He suggests it could be a personal issue, not related to business. Meanwhile, Donald, while jogging, sees Lee going to his car and notices something strange: Lee stops to scratch his back against the outside wall of Donald’s lover’s house, doing so predictably.

Lee and Betty Jo are both taking advantage of each other, but it might not be about something serious like a crime or protecting property. It could be a more personal issue – perhaps Betty Jo simply wants to make Lee jealous.

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2025-10-08 05:56