The Lowdown Recap: Live Fire

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Let’s remember Dale Washberg, Blackie, Berta, and now Allen. What connects these men? Blackie and Berta attempted to kill Dale, and Allen then killed them because they failed. Allen himself was also connected to their botched attempt, but it’s unclear if he was killed for that, for killing Blackie and Berta, or for something else entirely. It seems Dale didn’t know these other men before he died, but his death sets off a chain of connected murders. And if this all seems far-fetched for a place like Oklahoma, the show’s creator, Sterlin Harjo, points out that Tulsa actually has one of the highest crime rates in the nation, as Lee mentioned earlier in the series.

It’s easy to assume the man seen in the red light during the explosions at the end of “This Land”—likely Governor Donald Washberg—is the culprit. It’s *so* obvious, though, that he’s probably not. Even if he isn’t the one who committed the crime, Donald is so unlikeable that it’s hard to imagine anyone could be worse. So, while he may not be the killer, he’s definitely the villain. Because of this, the show isn’t really about Lee solving the mystery; it’s about the relationships he builds and loses. Last week it was Betty Jo, before that Francis and Ray, and this week we meet Wendell, Lee’s oldest friend, who barely tolerates him.

Lee is sleeping in, still wearing his boots, when his daughter, Francis, rushes in, upset by a news report. The man who threatened her father at the bookstore, Allen, has been shot and killed. Lee is surprised by the news, pleased Francis watches the news at all (“It’s cool… they lie sometimes.”), and a little annoyed she skipped school to follow the story. The incident seems to remind him he needs to be a parent. On the way back to school, Lee tells Francis she can’t help him with his investigation anymore. He realizes he should have set this boundary earlier, especially after involving her in the search for the missing books. Francis feels the ban is unfair, pointing out that he let her take risks when she was helping him recover the letters her father wanted.

I just saw this film, and it really digs into complicated friendships. Wendell, played brilliantly by Peter Dinklage, comes back to town for their yearly memorial – a somber reminder of a friend they lost to an overdose. His arrival really throws Lee for a loop, forcing him to confront his own issues. Wendell quickly sees Lee is headed down a dangerous path, and warns him that his self-centered behavior will ultimately hurt Francis. It’s a tough truth, but a necessary one. We learn their friend, Jesus, struggled with relapse a few years prior, and while Lee isn’t directly to blame, Wendell points out he *was* supposed to check in on him that day – a regret that clearly haunts him. It’s a powerful, nuanced portrayal of responsibility and the lasting impact of loss.

Lee and Wendell are similar characters: both are somewhat cynical, pot-smoking men of Generation X who present themselves as casually smart and avoid anything resembling formality. Wendell is initially annoyed that Lee would rather investigate a mystery than participate in their tradition, but he jumps at the chance to show he’s more capable. Lee is having trouble pinpointing a specific piece of land that was the source of a disagreement, leading to a humorous question: if a place isn’t on Google Maps, does it actually exist?

I’m so excited for this week’s scavenger hunt! Wendell was really confident – after getting the details of the case, he said he could locate Indian Head Hills in under two hours. It all started at the Skiatook Municipal Courthouse. Wendell has a way with people, and he quickly convinced a tired clerk to dig up an old atlas – one from before 1950! Honestly, it’s amazing how far a little charm can get you. Lee doesn’t always pay attention to what others need, though – remember how long it took him with Betty Jo last week? Anyway, Indian Head Hills turned out to be way out in the middle of nowhere, but we found another clue when we got there: a “no trespassing” sign put up by White Elk LLC.

Honestly, the town’s called Elk City and it’s always struck me as a bit of a joke – there aren’t any elk around! But that’s just Lee and Wendell for you, they’ll bicker over anything. They might have been close once, but now Wendell can’t stand a thing about him, not even how he orders a drink or his stubborn optimism. What really gets under Wendell’s skin is that Lee seems to think his writing had something to do with Dale’s death, and it genuinely offends Wendell’s jaded worldview that Lee actually believes he can take on such a powerful figure in Oklahoma.

On the remote Indian Head Hills, which Lee previously dismissed as a myth, the long-building conflict between Lee and Wendell finally erupts into a comical fight. Both men manage to hit each other, but the focus isn’t on who wins—it’s about getting a laugh. The fight ends with Lee face-down in the grass, in a rather unfortunate spot. Just as things escalate, a truck arrives behind Lee’s van, and armed men with machine guns emerge. However, they don’t notice Lee and Wendell on the hill. This incident finally convinces Wendell that Lee might be right about something dangerous happening.

Their investigation leads them to Vicky, a realtor who knows everything. She discovers that White Elk is selling a piece of land, Indian Head Hills, to a company called One Well for four times its actual worth, and no one else has made an offer. This seems fishy. Lee suggests this could be a way to hide an illegal payment to a potential governor, implying he’s made a connection Wendell hasn’t. It becomes clear that Wendell has long been bothered by Lee’s perceived intelligence and tendency to act like the smartest person in the room.

The men finally meet in a deserted parking lot, which they treat as a holy space, for a simple ritual: sitting around a small fire. Lee and Wendell ironically burn books to fuel it. They then share a picture of Jesus and, as if speaking to their missing friend, each confess something they deeply regret. Wendell admits he’s been struggling, having woken up earlier today than he has in over two months. Lee confesses to putting Francis in a difficult situation and facing the loss of his bookstore. It’s a gathering of broken people, and there’s no sense of anyone truly winning.

Lee observes that Wendell seems unable to find joy in anything. Wendell, in turn, doesn’t trust Lee. Despite this, Wendell continues to make the same yearly pilgrimage. He describes Jesus’s death as a constant torment, a phrase Lee adopts to express the difficulty of being friends with someone so pessimistic and self-destructive. Wendell has a broken foot he won’t discuss and is secretly carrying painkillers while on probation. While Wendell seems troubled by his faith, he genuinely frightens Lee.

The moment everyone anticipated arrives with Emmylou Harris’s “Tulsa Queen” playing in the background. As Lee drives around Osage County, Betty Jo is at her dressing table, contemplating whether to wear her wedding ring. She’s still lost in thought, trying to pass the time, when she hears someone slam the door downstairs. It’s Donald, who saw Lee leaving another woman’s house earlier that day. Betty Jo points out that she’s the one who’s been wronged—if he still cares, why did he send Marty to offer her money? She rightly insists she didn’t reveal anything about Dale or Pearl to Lee, but she’s terrified when Donald, in a rage, punches a hole in her kitchen cabinet. She cries as he storms out, taking his brother’s gun with him. Betty Jo then makes a smart decision and calls her new boyfriend.

Donald didn’t have a chance to make amends with her. He was scheduled to attend a meeting of “The 46,” a group of influential, disgruntled men named after Oklahoma’s statehood order. It seems likely they’re a racist organization, considering Frank was speaking there and his speech included the odd phrase “it’s not about race” to an all-white audience. Frank cautioned the crowd that “these Indian tribes… are like foreign governments, operating right under our noses, answering to no one and no laws but their own.” (Of course, that’s essentially what an independent tribal nation is, especially when it comes to state laws.) After the speech, Frank pressed Donald about the stalled deal for the White Elk. He mentioned his buyer was getting anxious, hinting at someone even more powerful and wealthy than either Frank or Donald being involved.

Generally, episodes of the show are better when Jeanne Tripplehorn appears in them, so it’s concerning that Betty Jo needs to go into hiding. After talking with Lee, they both realize Tulsa is no longer safe for her. Lee suggests she go to a women’s retreat he saw advertised at Hoot Owl and promises to explain the plan to her daughter. In a strange and interesting scene, Lee unexpectedly finds Pearl, played by local musician Ken Pomeroy, performing his song “Bound to Rain” at an open-mic night.

Just as Lee was about to explain where Betty Jo was, the police officers who dislike him – the same ones from Dale’s memorial – arrested him and brought him to a terrifying scene. It was like the wildest, most violent house party imaginable, with people revving chainsaws, setting fires, and even shooting guns. The worst part was that everyone there – a frightening mix of police and skinheads – recognized Lee and was eager to confront him with insults. He’d been brought there by Donald Washberg, the one in charge of this chaotic and dangerous gathering. We’ll find out what Washberg wants next week, but simply being dragged into this nightmare felt more menacing than anything he could say.

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2025-10-15 05:56