Under the lens takes a deep look at films and TV by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture or episode that helped to define it for better or for worse. Spoilers will be included in this review.
Stumptown is a television program that airs on ABC and stars Cobie Smulders (Of How I met your mother and The Avengers) and Jake Johnson (New Girl). The program follows the adventures of Dex Parios a private Investigator and former army interrogator working in Portland Oregan. The pilot episode follows a PTSD suffering Dex as she stumbles from one-night stands to gambling until she is hired by the ower of a native American casino to rescue her kidnapped granddaughter. What followers are a humorous adventure that introduces many colorful characters and has a surprisingly deep message…
Under The Lens: PTSD and Humor
PTSD: The pilot takes a surprisingly hard look at PTSD and its effects on a person, we see Dex as a broken woman who is self-medicating with sex and alcohol, we even see its effect on her when she is assaulted by a villain and falls to the ground and experiences a flashback to an IED attack from her time in the war. We also see her friend address the issue with her and how she needs help, the program does not gloss over her trauma and in fact, seems poised to use it as a central part of her character.
Humor: While the pilot does have its serious moment, the show is clearly inspired by golden age programs like The Rockford Files. The humor is sardonic and dry, I rarely laughed out loud, but often found myself chuckling, its never meant to be overwhelming or slap your leg funny, but situational. Whether it’s the former criminal lamenting that his taco truck needs Instagram likes or the hipster kidnappers guessing at the flavor of the specialty coffee they are drinking, the show pokes you and you always have a smile on your face.
Highlights
Cobie Smulders surprised me with how good she was in the role, she was able to play a tough investigator while also being vulnerable (She is beaten up as often as she hands out beatings).
The case she works on is refreshingly simple and straight forward. The kidnapping is a plot by the boyfriend of the granddaughter to shake the casino down for cash. There is no grand conspiracy, just a few greedy friends. Often programs feel the need to give grand spectacles, but Stoptown is clearly keeping the cases small and grounded.
The show cast actor Cole Sibus (Who has down syndrome) as Dex’s brother, Sibus is very good in the role and brings a tenderness to his character, while showing another side of Dex. It is nice seeing big studios giving opportunities to actors with disabilities.
Something to think about
Do you know anyone who suffers from PTSD?
Conclusion
Overall Stumptown is a good but not perfect pilot episode. It falls into genre tropes a bit too often (Hard-drinking P.I, Detective with the heart of gold, etc) However its characters are interesting and it’s lead likable enough to excuse these and allow it time to breathe. TV is awash in crime and detective shows, yet Stumptown promises that along with cases we are going to be exploring the personal lives of our heroes as well, with the programs willingness to tackle hard issues and not afraid to show a woman who is both strong and flawed, Stumptown is well worth your time.