THE PERFORMER | Peter Dinklage
THE SHOW | FX’s “The Lowdown”
THE EPISODE | “This Land?” (Oct. 14, 2025)
THE PERFORMANCE | In this week’s installment, Dinklage played Wendell, a foil (or frenemy?) who added yet another wrinkle of chaos to Lee’s story. And boy, was it a treat.
The actor was an absolute scene stealer, which is truly a triumph considering the significant talent already on board. (Count on seeing Ethan Hawke grace this column before season’s end.) From the second Dinklage hit the screen, his presence was big. As Wendell stormed the book shop, he immediately challenged Lee, and watching the two bicker back and forth like brothers gave us pure joy.
Dinklage commandeered the entire episode, delivering unrelenting bravado throughout the quest to locate the Indian Head Hills land. On the comedic side, Dinklage defended the accusation that his character was a pimp with a perfect rebuttal (“That was just, like, a weird roommate situation”), and while at the courthouse, he charmed a government employee while slamming Lee at every turn. But when the two finally found the property, their squabbling hit an all-time high. Though their takedowns cut like a knife — Wendell blamed Lee for a friend’s overdose — the fisticuffs that followed was a chef’s kiss.
It wasn’t all fun and games, though. Wendell’s presence peeled back even more layers of Hawke’s restless and reckless truthstorian. While passing a photo of their late friend, Wendell admitted to being a mess, and that their shared loss was a “hellhound on my trail.” As the actor spoke — about how celebrating their friend’s birthday was his character’s “north star” — our hearts sunk. Because even though they were coming clean with each other, we could tell there was a stockpile of unspoken tragedy we weren’t privy to, thanks to Dinklage’s precise diction and facial expressions. “We’re too f—ked up to be whole,” Wendell said with a half-hearted chuckle. When the two parted ways, they agreed to hang out soon, “like normal people.” And should “The Lowdown” return for Season 2, we hope Dinklage is at the top of creator Sterlin Harjo’s call list.
Scroll down to see who got Honorable Mention shout-outs this week…
HONORABLE MENTION: Nicole Beharie
If you watch (or rewatch) one scene from this week’s “The Morning Show,” make it Chris’ appearance on Bro’s podcast. The character went into the interview resolutely denying allegations that she’d used performance-enhancing drugs to secure her Olympic wins. With her barely measured tone and cutting glances, Beharie filled the room with Chris’ frustration — and we were right there with her… until her former teammate provided unassailable proof that the accusations were true. When you revisit the scene, pay particular attention to the moment that Chris realized the jig is up: Beharie’s choices were stunning. There’s no way out but to own what Chris did, so Beharie put her head down and plowed through with a matter-of-fact recitation of what happened… until the Olympian came to the topic of the son she delivered too early for him to survive. Beharie had her character break so believably, and so totally, that there was no way not to feel for her: She made a huge mistake, yes, but the price of that was now public humiliation as she re-lived the worst moment of her life. It was awful. It was beautiful. It was some of Beharie’s best work. — Kimberly Roots
Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments!