Parents' Guide to Stumptown

TV ABC Drama 2019
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Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Fun crime solving drama with strong, flawed female lead.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

age 12+

Based on 1 kid 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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