User Reviews

Why do all the normal/funny shows get cancelled but we can watch The Simpsons for yet another decade along with other stupid cartoons. There's Naked & Afraid (more boring than anything), TONS of depressing Cop/Military/Investigator shows...I swear every time we like a new, creative, action/drama show it gets cancelled! Then our country wonders why our people are either depressed, violent, or lack common sense. Well here you go! (And yes I am aware not everything I list may be on this channel. It's a general comment. )

I really liked Stumptown and am disappointed it won't be returning.

Finally had a chance to watch Stumptown season I and now understand what all the fuss was about. I already knew the cast and I think the actor I enjoyed seeing the most was Camryn Manheim of my old fave, The Practice. The rest of the cast was wonderful, including the guests throughout the first season. This series offers a wide variety of genres in a single series. Great action, comedy, drama, episodic and very good writing.

This is an easy show to binge watch and most people should find this enjoyable (I hope).

I hope this gets picked up for another season as I am not ready to say goodbye to this wonderful cast and group of characters.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I have.

Bring it back! All the good show are being cancel way to soon because of low ratings on mainstream tv. People are streaming when they want to and have time! Get a new system!

THIS IS A TRAVESTY,ONE OF BEST SHOWS CANCELLED, hopefully NETFLIX will pick it up,CAST is excellent,characters are engaging and episodes are great,I was shocked when I heard about the cancellation..please return this show to TV.

I have only one question Why they cancelled the show ??

Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders) is a hard talking, hard drinking, hard gambling, troubled war vet, private investigator in Portland, Oregon. She drives a crappy car and cares for her mentally challenged brother. She owes money to casino owner Sue Lynn Blackbird (Tantoo Cardinal). Sue also happens to be the disapproving mother of her late love of her life. Her friend Grey McConnell (Jake Johnson) owns a bar. Detective Miles Hoffman (Michael Ealy) and Lieutenant Cosgrove (Camryn Manheim) are Portland police. Artie Banks (Donal Logue) is an amoral PI.

I like Cobie Smulders and Jake Johnson. This has just enough edge to be a little interesting. It can be uneven at times but she keeps driving and driving that crappy car. Dex brings a mix of damage and sass that is very enticing. It does need to develop the overarching case a lot more. The show actually reaches a good level of story development and creates a fun cast of characters. It did get renewed for a second season until covid hit.

This is beyond normal American TV in that the characters are flawed, yet likeable. I am a fan of British TV characters as they are rarely put together, but get the job done. This moves beyond the normal gender bias "save the girl" nonsense we normally see. Dex is strong and flawed. A welcome reprieve and good writing.

I must say I didn't expect to like this show as much as I do. It's refreshing to see a show about someone who is damaged and self destructive yet cares a lot about other people.

The soundtrack is filled with 70s and 80s which I love. Dex drives a piece of crap car and listens to a mixtape which plays random songs that are paired perfectly with what's going on. She's tough, smart and stands up for the little guy, despite having her own issues she's a likeable character.

The supporting characters do a good job. And the back story behind her best friend should prove to be interesting.

All in all this show shows a lot of promise. Excited to see where it takes us.

Listen, if you are looking for a complex and edge of the seat drama then maybe this isn't for you. If you like a bit of light hearted and entertaining detective drama, with likeable characters then definitely go for it. I enjoyed it and will carry on watching it.

First, I love the car's radio/cassette player because those are some of the songs when I was young.

This isn't a great show, but it truly entertains in part because it's had great guest stars. Ms. Smulders is a solid actress for the part. Her personality from other parts she's portrayed are alike and this character needs the same portrayal.

I'm not that impressed with her brother because he seems to inauthentic. I've enjoyed Michael Ealy going back to sleeper cell. He delivers, but he's not great.

So all in all it's something people will enjoy but it's not a must watch show..

This show rocks! Dex is very human and accessible. The story arcs are realistic. She is fallable and completely flawed. All are reasons that I love her. She loves her afflicted brother, she follows her heart- white, black, gay straight-out it doesn't matter. One of the best shows this year. Hands down!

This was a great show with some great writing, that dealt with some interesting and rarely discussed topics like being a care giver to an adult with Down's syndrome, assimilation into society post prison, ptsd post military service, bi-sexuality...and the list goes on.

It is a shame this show didn't get picked up for a second season. The writing was fresh and interesting, with a slightly different voice than what is on network tv these days. The cinematography was also interesting...being set in Portland, Oregon as the title Stumptown would imply, I saw more interesting shots of Portland than I have ever seen on film. As a born and raised Northwest girl, it did my heart good to see some true sights of Portland from Craftsman homes, to the food truck culture, to the city lights at twilight...to those gorgeous bridges. Thank you for showing some lesser seen vantage points.

Sometimes it was hard to watch our former marine military intelligence officer struggle with everything from her romantic relationships, to familial relationships, to friendships, to work, to ptsd...everything seemed to be a struggle for Dex.

Dex did a lot of self medicating and self destruction...but at the end of the day she wanted to help people and do the right thing, especially by her brother Ansel, who is one of the most beloved characters on the show.

There are some large overarching storylines...one involving Dex and Ansel's parents who seem to have abandoned their Down Syndrome son Ansel to a group home before skipping town without explanation. Dex is determined to do right by her brother and between her and her best friend, Grey, make a supportive and stable home for Ansel. Ansel struggles with trying to become a "real man" and what that means. There are some very sweet moments between Grey and Ansel with "man stuff".

Another major storyline involves Sue Lynn Blackbird, the owner of the local tribal casino who has major anger towards Dex over the death of her son Benny who she thinks joined the military because of Dex. The death of Benny and the guilt over it is a major theme in Dex's life. One for which she is trying to atone for, not just with Sue Lynn, but with herself. This is part of how Dex becomes a private investigator.

There are so many wonderful storylines and characters in this show...like the PI, played by Donal Logue, who she interns with to get her PI license. Artie Banks not only takes advantage of Dex, but teaches her some valuable life lessons.

The supporting cast is phenomenal with amazing performances being put in by both Grey, the former criminal now bar owner best friend, and detective, friend, jazz lover and sometime love interest Miles Hoffman.

I loved this show and really think the writing was smart and worth watching...including the episode titles that often included "Dex" in them like "Dex, Drugs and Rocknroll", "Dirty, Dexy Money", "All quiet on the Dextern front", "The Dex Files", and "All Hands on Dex".

The dialogue is fun and snappy, the acting is good, but that's about it. Let's start with the biggest problem, first... Girls taking on a classicly male protagonist role is fun, but ridiculous scenarios make suspension of disbelief impossible. When a woman fights two guys that outweigh her by 100 lbs or so, she will lose. One closed-fist punch by a large guy will crush her face. Men and women are different... writing a female protagonist solving problems the same way as a male would isn't progressive, it lacks imagination. She should be getting the upper hand by outsmarting the anagonists, not trying to match them punch-for-punch. She's not a 200 lbs protagonist with a 5 o'clock shadow... she's not even thick like a female mma fighter. She's a female lead with a small build fist-fighting her way out of her problem. I guess this is what passes for a strong female lead. I know it's not PC to point out how ridiculous this is, so nobody will say it out loud during the making of it, but having a female basically play a male protagonist will kill this show. As the ratings drop each week the makers of the show will be scratching their head wondering what's wrong? Then there's major problem number 2... This story doesn't feel natural, it feels like they started with a checklist... diverse cast, gambling problem, special needs kid, crazy Portland setting, PTSD from the military she dulls through sex, etc, etc... Once they had their PC checklist, they created a script around it. The story is predictable if you picture a male protagonist with multiple tours under his belt. The creators seem to think putting a female in the lead makes it harder to guess the direction of the story. It might if she was forced to take on the antagonists in a creative way instead of punching it out with the bad guys like every other male PI on TV.

This show is Has everything you could ever need! Suspense, drama, Love, as well as mystery! Cobie Smulders is super hott and definitely enjoyable to look at as well!

I can't believe this only has 7.5 stars. More people need to watch this show! It's fun, edgy, funny and heartbreaking. Well rounded show. You won't regret watching it!

The problem with the fact that I've reviewed a bunch of stuff, many of which I have given ten stars to, and then... a show like this that I can only say deserves more than the ten.

This is such an awesome show.

Everything is relative and for whatever reason, Stumptown hits all the nails for me.

I love the snarky humor. I love the actors. I love the stories. I love how this show just makes me happy when I watch it.

Last night I watched episode 1.14 and realized when it ended that I just wanted to continue watching Stumptown, for hours and hours more.

I'm familiar with Cobie from the MCU and liked her character there. AND... she is really good in this. She is immediately likable. Just like the show was immediately likable (and 14 episodes in, that likability has not changed). There was no waiting involved here.

That's partly what is so amazing about this show -- there was no "Well, I'll give it a few episodes and see if I want to continue watching it." Instead, I was "Oh! Yay!"

The other actors... Johnson, Martinez, Ealy... they are all, from the start, wonderful.

I have nothing bad to say. Admittedly it is my cuppa tea.

Like I said, it's all relative. For me this is fun, entertaining, and enjoyable.

Watched the first 14 episodes in 1 weekend en must say I found the series to be very entertaining. Dex is a very likeable character, but als the other actors I found likeable. The action is fun and the gritty humor is fun.

I liked the pilot and thought the series had potential, but it's been uneven for eps 2-5. Not believable, not riveting, not well structured.

But in ep 6, with Fiona, one of Dex's many exes, everything falls into place.

BTW, I never believed that Dex would buy that stupid car.

What is appealing is Dex's basic dilemma: How does she recreate her life, after what happened to her in the Marines?

I do like the actors. They are all superb.

EDIT 3/20: see below initial review

Lately every new TV show has been bland, cliched, and done many times before. Stumptown is nothing revolutionary, but with the excellent cast - including a great lead performance from Smulders, plus some sharp comedy writing and awesome throwback cassette music, makes this show a light and fun one-hour watch. Between the intricately staged violence and Smulders' wonderfully wisecracking, knuckle-busting performance, the Stumptown pilot is an intense experience - so much so, that it's hard to believe the rest of the series can hold up to the same standard, but, I've already been surprised once, so let's hope the writers can do it again. Excellent directing and cinematography, perfect pacing, and a solid mix of action and comedy. It's an 8/10 for the pilot from me, will update again if needed as the series progresses.

EDIT 3/20: After watching this show for sometime now, it has really grown on me. The writing in general and in each episode is refreshing, original and even more fun every time. It's more smart and fast and pleasantly formulaic. Sure some of it is predictable, but the humor the writers have upped recently, makes up for that. Even the leads back-stories have become very interesting, and I'm glad Cole Sibus and Adrian Martinez have bigger parts in their roles. Casting dynamics couldn't have been any better. Updated rating is now 9/10 from me! Writers, keep up the great work!

The first 4 episodes of Stumptown were really good. It reminded my of the first season of The Rockford Files. The next 3 episodes were terrible - badly written, awkward, dull - which reminded my of the last season of The Rockford Files. It got so bad that I gave up on the series during the utterly abysmal political-campaign episode. I just don't feel it's worth sticking with it to see if it gets better.

Original review after the first few episodes (rating: 8): I've always been found of witty, world-weary detectives with messy lives and a strong moral code. Stumptown is very much in that tradition, the most unusual thing being that the detective this time around is female, and that, rather than picking up on a detective who's been doing this a while, this series follows protagonist Dex as she settles into her new career.

Dex reminds me of Jim from the Rockford files. Snarky but always doing the right thing, tough enough to win half her fights and lose the other half. Cobie Smulders is excellent as Dex, but really, the whole cast is first rate and the chemistry between all the characters is consistently strong.

The old-fashioned quality of this series is embraced by the producers with the gimmick of a 70s/80s mixed tape stuck in Dex's car that tends to suddenly starts playing the perfect counterpoint song for the action. It seems like a gag that would wear out its welcome, but so far I'm loving it every time.

Generally smart with occasional really stupid moments (like a character holding a gun because he knows someone is after him puts it down when encountering something that's pretty obviously a setup), this series takes the old detective formula, adds some of the story-arc elements of modern series, and gives us a perfect update of a perennial entertaining genre. Check it out!

At last a detective show that feels realistic. A flawed detective, but very tough with great instinct. You can keep Frankie Drake and Miss Fisher, this rocks.

Love the casting. Everyone has good chemistry between each other. The storyline of the first episode was OK, nothing mind blowing, or original, but the show is definitely a worthy watch. Looking forward to seeing more.

I've seen this done before and much better. It's just lazy writing . The action sequences are nicely staged. Smoulders has a dreadfully smug look constantly and is not funny. Just cannot warm to her acting style. The growling vocal fry she has going on irritating. Support cast do what they can but as she's exec producer of this as well it's no wonder she's given the meat of the sassy , clever lines. It's boring and predictable. She's not got natural comedy timing so some good punchlines are lost in her attempts. Not for me. It'll get lost in the midweek schedules.