Parents' Guide to

Stumptown

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Fun crime solving drama with strong, flawed female lead.

TV ABC Drama 2019
Stumptown Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • Stumptown TV Series: Scene #1
  • Stumptown TV Series: Scene #2
  • Stumptown TV Series: Scene #3

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

FatalCulture
FatalCulture Adult
March 20, 2021
age 13+

Good show, I hope they make more seasons!

Good show, fun and easy to watch - bit sad at times. Diverse cast that doesn’t feel forced. It’s about a woman who is trying to find her way in the world after serving five tours in Afghanistan, it follows her new job she stumbles into. There is implies sex, you never see anything, just the before and after and never any nudity. Quick scene at a female strip club, no nudity. An episode at a male strip club, no nudity. There is drugs, you see it wrapped up, they don’t glorify it and show it’s bad. There is also violence, the main character gets into fights; fist fights and gun fights. There is drinking, too. She was becoming an alcoholic but she seems to get a hold of it.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Based on the graphic novel series of the same name, STUMPTOWN centers around a smart but troubled army veteran-turned-private investigator in Portland, Oregon. Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders) can't seem to get her life together, thanks to a gambling problem, PTSD, and an inability to move past a long-lost romance. But she's committed to taking care of her brother, Ansel (Cole Sibus), and relies on her few friends, like Grey McConnell (Jake Johnson), to help her get through. When a former lover's mother, casino owner Tantoo Cardinal (Sue Lynn Blackbird), asks her to search for her missing granddaughter, Dex relies on her military experience and biting humor to try to get the job done. Along the way she takes a lot of risks, and sometimes finds herself on the wrong side of police detective Miles Hoffman (Michael Early) and Lieutenant Cosgrove (Camryn Manheim). What follows is unexpected, but it opens up a new career opportunity for Dex to explore.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This entertaining series uses lots of action and sharp wit to to tell the story of a troubled woman who's still finding her way a decade after coming back from the war in Afghanistan. Its storylines are sometimes predictable, but there are some twists and turns that keep it interesting. Meanwhile, Cobie Smulders' ​​​​performance as Dex Parios, a strong and edgy female character who is honest about her major flaws and unapologetic about her attitude, adds a fun angle to what could be a standard crime drama. As a result, Stumptown is an easy show to keep tuning in to.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the reason Portland, Oregon, is known as Stumptown. Where does the name come from?

  • What is PTSD? How can a traumatic event impact someone years later? Does Stumptown portray this trauma accurately?

TV Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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