‘Stumptown’ Is So Much Better Than Your Average Network Procedural

I liked but didn’t love the pilot for the new ABC mystery drama Stumptown. Based on the comic book series of the same name, Jason Richman’s high-profile show stars former How I Met Your Mother standout Cobie Smulders as Dex Parios, an army veteran suffering from PTSD who becomes embroiled in the private eye game. Pilots are inherently tricky, and the debut episode of Stumptown was heavy on both premise and exposition. While the show’s first offering didn’t dazzle, the natural chemistry between Smulders, Jake Johnson, and Michael Ealy was enticing enough to get me to Episode 2. I thank the television gods (Alf, Ginger from Gilligan’s Island, the person responsible for the Bagel Bites jingle, and Walter Cronkite) that I stuck with this series because Stumptown is an absolute blast.

How does one describe the disarming charms of Stumptown? Watching the show feels like listening to the classic single “Ballroom Blitz,” specifically the part immediately following the cascading “yeahhhh, yeahhh, yeahhhs” (lyrics not band) when Sweet lead vocalist Brian Connolly mellifluously describes the titular ballroom blitz. The series oozes charisma, delivering a heightened version of your run-of-the-mill network procedural. The mysteries of the week seem to always have one extra twist; the soundtrack not only slaps but slaps hard; and the serialized elements reward diehard fans without scaring away new viewers.

I was already sold on the whole “Cobie Smulders as a hard-drinking private eye/Jake Johnson as a mysterious ex-con with a heart of gold” element, but then the show upped the ante with a medley of top-notch guest stars. Jay Duplass, Zosia Mamet, and Austin Amelio all appeared in the second episode before the king of small-screen unlicensed private investigators himself, Mr. Donal Logue, dropped by in Episode 3. While many fans recognize the veteran actor from Gotham or Grounded for Life, Logue also starred in the short-lived cult FX series Terriers. The 13-episode noir dramedy centered on two friends, ex-cop Hank Dolworth (Logue) and ex-con Britt Pollack (Michael Raymond-James), who operate an unlicensed PI business. If you’ve never seen the series, it’s the gold standard for modern mystery shows.

Adding Logue as a veteran private investigator who reluctantly mentors Dex was not only a case of exemplary casting, but it was also a stealthy way for a new show to ingratiate itself with devotees of the genre.

Stumptown is a network procedural that’s not afraid of a little nuance. Not only is Dex a compelling, relatably flawed protagonist, but she’s surrounded by three dimensional characters. Viewers are going to root for Jake Johnson wherever he goes, but Episode 2 did a tremendous job of adding both depth and purpose to his character (Grey McConnell). A lesser show might try and keep Grey on the periphery of the action, but his enigmatic backstory and recent descent back into the muck of the Oregon underworld enhance the intrigue.

Similarly, Michael Ealy’s Miles Hoffman doesn’t just serve as a love interest for Dex, but as a competent detective and antagonistic foil for Grey. The show has a knack for making smart, compelling storyline decisions: Dex needing money to take care of her brother Ansel (Cole Sibus); the fraught relationship between Dex, Lieutenant Cosgrove (Camryn Manheim), and Sue Lynn Blackbird (Tantoo Cardinal); and Dex’s continual automobile issues all add to the rich universe. Some of these choices can be attributed to the source material, but the story’s heightened by the crackling dialogue provided by the writers and exceptional acting from the cast.

There’s no shortage of new TV out there so it’s easy for a good show to get lost in the shuffle. It happened to Whiskey Cavalier. Let’s not let Stumptown suffer the same fate.

Where to stream Stumptown