# Stumptown (2019)

> A sharp-tongued Army veteran turned Portland private investigator takes on messy cases while wrestling with her own past.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/75872

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 18
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: crime, comedy, drama
- Created by: Jason Richman
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Cobie Smulders, Jake Johnson, Michael Ealy, Cole Sibus, Adrian Martinez, Camryn Manheim, Tantoo Cardinal, Cheryl Hines
- TMDB rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10313066/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: wry, witty, bruised, sardonic, energetic

## What critics say

Critics broadly appreciated Cobie Smulders' sharp, wisecracking lead and the Portland private investigator setting, though the series was not enough of a hit to continue beyond one season.

## Synopsis

Stumptown (2019-2020) is an American network crime dramedy created by Jason Richman for ABC. Cobie Smulders plays Dex Parios, an assertive, sharp-witted Army veteran who works as a private investigator in Portland, Oregon, taking on other people's messes while largely ignoring her own complicated history. Jake Johnson co-stars as Grey McConnell, a rival and reluctant partner whose banter with her gives the show much of its energy, while Michael Ealy plays Miles Hoffman, a figure from her past who keeps pulling her back toward unfinished business. Her younger brother Ansel, played by Cole Sibus, adds a grounded domestic thread. Each episode is built around a fresh case, from missing persons to tangled family disputes, with a serialized undercurrent of personal stakes running beneath the week's work. The series is a single-season run of eighteen episodes that was canceled before its story could fully resolve. Its tone mixes wry, bruised humor with moments of real vulnerability, set against the rain-soaked streets, food carts and quirky neighborhoods of contemporary Portland. Viewers who enjoy Veronica Mars, Castle or Jessica Jones will find a similar pleasure in a capable, wisecracking investigator whose cleverness hides real wounds.

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