The first 4 episodes of Stumptown were really good. It reminded my of the first season of The Rockford Files. The next 3 episodes were terrible - badly written, awkward, dull - which reminded my of the last season of The Rockford Files. It got so bad that I gave up on the series during the utterly abysmal political-campaign episode. I just don't feel it's worth sticking with it to see if it gets better.
Original review after the first few episodes (rating: 8): I've always been found of witty, world-weary detectives with messy lives and a strong moral code. Stumptown is very much in that tradition, the most unusual thing being that the detective this time around is female, and that, rather than picking up on a detective who's been doing this a while, this series follows protagonist Dex as she settles into her new career.
Dex reminds me of Jim from the Rockford files. Snarky but always doing the right thing, tough enough to win half her fights and lose the other half. Cobie Smulders is excellent as Dex, but really, the whole cast is first rate and the chemistry between all the characters is consistently strong.
The old-fashioned quality of this series is embraced by the producers with the gimmick of a 70s/80s mixed tape stuck in Dex's car that tends to suddenly starts playing the perfect counterpoint song for the action. It seems like a gag that would wear out its welcome, but so far I'm loving it every time.
Generally smart with occasional really stupid moments (like a character holding a gun because he knows someone is after him puts it down when encountering something that's pretty obviously a setup), this series takes the old detective formula, adds some of the story-arc elements of modern series, and gives us a perfect update of a perennial entertaining genre. Check it out!
Original review after the first few episodes (rating: 8): I've always been found of witty, world-weary detectives with messy lives and a strong moral code. Stumptown is very much in that tradition, the most unusual thing being that the detective this time around is female, and that, rather than picking up on a detective who's been doing this a while, this series follows protagonist Dex as she settles into her new career.
Dex reminds me of Jim from the Rockford files. Snarky but always doing the right thing, tough enough to win half her fights and lose the other half. Cobie Smulders is excellent as Dex, but really, the whole cast is first rate and the chemistry between all the characters is consistently strong.
The old-fashioned quality of this series is embraced by the producers with the gimmick of a 70s/80s mixed tape stuck in Dex's car that tends to suddenly starts playing the perfect counterpoint song for the action. It seems like a gag that would wear out its welcome, but so far I'm loving it every time.
Generally smart with occasional really stupid moments (like a character holding a gun because he knows someone is after him puts it down when encountering something that's pretty obviously a setup), this series takes the old detective formula, adds some of the story-arc elements of modern series, and gives us a perfect update of a perennial entertaining genre. Check it out!