Rob Lowe Thinks John Owen Lowe’s Look In ‘Unstable’ Season 2 Is Reminiscent Of His ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ Character

Netflix’s favorite father-son comedy, Unstable, is back for another season! Created by John Owen Lowe, Rob Lowe, and Victor Fresco, the series follows eccentric biotech genius/ billionaire Ellis Dragon (Rob Lowe) who spirals after the death of his beloved wife and is unable to work. His put-upon CFO and friend Anna (Fleabag‘s Sian Clifford) lures his jaded, but also brilliant son Jackson (John Owen Lowe) back to the West Coast to work at his father’s company and heal their relationship.

In Season 2, Jackson is struggling to find his place and his voice within his father’s world. Jackson changes up his look and gets to work with a biotech start-up run by the charismatic Peter (New Girl‘s Lamorne Morris). “There were several inspirations” for Jackson’s longer hair and earrings, according to John Owen. “I wanted to show that Jackson was in a different head space.” Dad Rob thinks that Jackson’s new style is reminiscent of his iconic St. Elmo’s Fire character. “A Lowe with long hair and an earring? I wonder where…,” said Rob with a grin.

In addition to playing each other in a brutal game of tennis —which John Owen relished—the father and son get to explore their characters’ alternate personas—fake realtors Ron Tabasco and Jason Dargon—in one of the duo’s favorite episodes of the series. “It’s an instant classic,” gushed Rob. John Owen agreed, adding: “It was fun for me personally and selfishly to get to play a version of myself that was exaggerated and a little bit more heated towards Mr. Tabasco.”

DECIDER got to briefly speak to the Lowes about Jackson’s earrings, John Owen’s dominance on the tennis court, and why their show is one of the “very few comedies that are actually comedies” on TV right now.

DECIDER: John Owen, I want to talk about Jackson’s new look in Season 2. I noticed the longer hair and the earrings. I’m obsessed!

ROB LOWE: I just need to say…the long hair, the earring, he doesn’t look anything like I did in St. Elmo’s Fire.

JOHN OWEN LOWE: You’re so…

RL: You’re talking about a Lowe with long hair and an earring? I wonder where…I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt!

It’s fine! John Owen, how did you develop Jackson’s physical transformation in Season 2

JOL: Well, I think you just heard a piece of it [laughs]. There were several inspirations. [To Rob] I think I hear a new one from you every day. You told me I look like the lead singer of what band…?

RL: Recently? Lover Boy. That’s when you wear the headbands.

JOL: George Michael too. I’m also frequently told that I’ve ripped off [gestures to Rob] his look from St. Elmo’s Fire, a movie I’ve never seen, so it’s impossible for that to be true [laughs]. Thank you for noticing that. I wanted to do something different and show that Jackson was in a different head space. Also, selfishly, I had just changed my look somewhat.

It’s a good look!

JOL: I will say, anecdotally, I got a phone call from my mom yesterday and she said… [To Rob] Do you know this?

RL: No.

JOL: She called me and said, “I think maybe you take the earring out for press tomorrow.” And I was like, “What? Why?”

RL: [Laughs] What was her…?

JOL: So, in case anyone’s worried out there that I’m getting over parented… things are going very well here.

Got it. You two get to do a lot of wild stuff together in Season 2. What was more fun: playing tennis against each other or role playing at the real estate convention?

JOL: For me, always tennis. Really anything competitive that I can beat him at, which is actually most things now. That’s very cathartic for me.

RL: Yeah, he’s very, very excited about the fact that a 28-year-old in the prime of his life can physically beat a 60-year-old man. He’s taking that and running with it [laughs]. A win’s a win. When we get to play versions of each other in an alternative universe when we go after each other as realtors—that’s one of my favorite things in the show.

Ron Tabasco might be one of the greatest false personas in recent pop culture history. Can we talk about the origin of the character?

RL: I mean, when Johnny, Andrew Gurland and all the team of writers pitched me this idea of Ellis becoming a fake realtor, I was like, “I’m sorry, I’m going to what?” Then Johnny goes, “yes, you’re going to become Ron Tabasco.” And I was like, “oh, you had me at Ron Tabasco.” Anytime I can play a character named Ron Tabasco, I’m in.

JOL: It’s a spicy name.

RL: It’s a spicy name. It’s an instant classic. What are your thoughts on it?

JOL: That was our favorite script in the writers room, for sure. Ron Tabasco and the unforgettable Jason Dargon.

RL: Jason Dargon. Worst name ever.

It was fun to watch Jason Dargon let Ron Tabasco have it.

JOL: That was fun. It was fun for me personally and selfishly to get to play a version of myself that was exaggerated and a little bit more heated towards Mr. Tabasco.

RL: To me, that episode is the core of the season. This show is silly, absurdist, subversive, and hopefully smart. Right now, there are very few comedies on TV that are actually comedies. The “Rob Tabasco” episode is really a good example what our show is all about.

All 8 episodes of Unstable are streaming now on Netflix.