Review: The Lowdown, “Leaving and Coming Back” | Season 2, Episode 6

It’s hard to know where to begin with this week’s The Lowdown. It’s a phenomenal episode, and a stellar showcase for this season’s two major guest stars, Betty Gilpin and Tommy Lee Jones. I’m not as attuned to Emmy politics as some TV critics and reporters are, but I’d imagine that “Leaving and Coming Back” might be an Emmy submission episode for both Gilpin and Jones. They’re that remarkable.

But because the two actors never share a scene together, this almost feels like two episodes, each with their own story and theme. So I’m going to divide this review in half, giving each part its due.

Part 1: Coming Back (Ginger)

Earlier this season I contrasted Ginger to the typical femme fatale, saying she didn’t match the type for a variety of reasons. Ginger didn’t seek Lee out. She hasn’t seem interested in seducing him. She hasn’t appeared to have any master-plan. Overall, Ginger has been guileless. She’s smart and crafty but also unsure of herself, in ways that make the character feel well-rounded and more real—not some plot-driver or genre cliche.

And yet! The Lowdown has rarely been more neo-noir-y than in this episode’s scene at Sweet Emily’s. It’s long after closing time, and the heavy rains are making the neon signs outside look hauntingly blurry. Lee and Ginger have broken in to find some booze. They knock back shots and speak truths. And Ginger—freshly showered and wearing one of Lee’s mostly clean cowboy shirts—at last draws closer rather than pulling away.