TV Recap: Stumptown (Episode 103) – People Don’t Change

Stumptown
“Rip City Dicks” (Episode 103)
October 9, 2019

In last week’s episode of Stumptown, we learned about Dex and Grey’s origin story. We also learned that Grey did hard time for grand larceny and he and his cell mate, Jack Feeney, owe some shady man $500,000. Sadly (?), Jack turned up dead at the end of episode. Also, surly Lieutenant Cosgrove told Dex she’s got a flair for detective work and suggested Dex get her PI license, do the job the right way. Cosgrove’s advice brings us to the start of this week’s episode.

Get caught up with last week’s episode with our deep dive recap, here. Caught up? Great, let’s see what kind of shenanigans Dex gets up to in this week’s all new StumptownBEWARE OF SPOILERS!!!

(ABC/Jessica Brooks) DONAL LOGUE, COBIE SMULDERS

Tonight’s episode begins with Dex waiting in the office of legendary Portland Private Investigator, Artie Banks. As she waits impatiently, she finds herself staring at Artie’s own propaganda hanging on his walls. This causes Dex to have a fantastic, Starsky & Hutch-style, daydream where she and Artie are partners, known as the Rip City Dicks. Complete with the glorious 1970s music, feathery hair, and gaudy bell bottoms, the dream is  replete with 1970 crime show tropes, requisite innuendo and pun talk about cool PI’s and dicks, and badass fighting.

This daydream scene was actually cut from the episode but it’s fantastic. (ABC/Jessica Brooks)

FYI, “Rip City” is Portland’s other nickname besides “Stumptown.”

Artie Banks (the fantastic Donal Logue) arrives and blows past Dex into his office, ignoring her and slamming the door in her face.

Opening Title Card.

Dex is having none of this and barges in, finding Artie at his desk sans pants. (I feel ya Artie, the second I get home, it’s off with the bra. Same thing.) She introduces herself as a potential client but Artie knows this is bullshit. He’s done his research on Dex (Dexadrine) and knows she’s broke … no money, no client. He also knows all about Dex’s mouth.

“Ruder than a mule with a mouth full of bumblebees.”

Despite her bristling at Artie’s repeated use of her full name, Dex pitches Artie to take her on as an apprentice. She’s done her homework on Artie and knows he was a cop for 16 years before walking away and becoming the best PI in town. She needs 1500 hours in order to become a certified P.I.  And, Dex reasons, if she trains with Artie the legend, she thinks she can charge more once she’s on her own.

Artie is not sold on Dex or her reasons for wanting to be a PI so, as a last ditch effort, she offers him a cut of all her jobs for a year. Artie is sold!

“I’ll grab my pants and let’s go.”

Police Station. Detective Hoffman is listening to the last voicemail on dead Jack Feeney’s cell phone. You’ll recall Jack was Grey’s prison buddy from last week who turned up dead at the end of the last episode. Unfortunately for Grey, the voicemail was from Grey, checking in with Jack if their mutual friend had reached out again. Not great, Grey.

Cosgrove sits down with Hoffman, telling him the mayor is inquiring about the status of the murder investigation.

Hoffman tells Cosgrove he has a lead from Grey’s voicemail. He mentions Grey is a friend of Dex. Cosgrove’s eye-roll is audible. She’s heard enough about Dex Parios and launches into a snarky parable about a dog who remained faithful to his routine of meeting his owner until long after his owner died. Hoffman thinks he’s got it: that Dex is everywhere. Cosgrove corrects him.

“Dex isn’t the dog.”

Sick Burn, Lieutenant.

Artie and Dex head to the apartment of Candace Tapper. Artie gives Dex the lowdown on the case they’re about to start. It’s a divorce and custody battle between a rich real estate developer, Randall Tapper, and his estranged wife, Candace.

Artie doesn’t have a lot of love for Randall, a rich man with a lot of connections around town. In short, Artie describes Randall as a man who is a dogooder in public so that he can be a bad guy in private.  He wants to use Candace’s case to knock Randall down and earn a big paycheck at the same time.

Dex wonders what her place is and Artie tells her it’s to be quiet until it’s time to talk. He adds that she’ll know when it’s time to talk. Nothing like some on the spot mentor coaching!

Artie introduces himself to Candace (Shoshana Bush) and mentions they had an appointment. Randall is trying to take her child away as part of their divorce proceeding. Candace asks Artie why he wants to help her, given Randall’s deep pockets. He’s honest that it’s about money and says he’ll take 10% of the divorce settlement (capped at $200,000) as a fee for helping her in the custody fight.

That’s a nice payday, I might be in the wrong line of business.

Candace tells them she is skeptical of anyone wanting to help her because she has been burned by people who have flipped on her due to her soon-to-be-ex’s influence. Artie assures her he and Dex can help her in the custody battle, which is the most pressing on Candace’s mind. Artie makes pleading eyes at Dex. This is her cue to pipe up.

Dex tells Candace that she takes care of her brother alone, that her parents aren’t in the picture, and adds that there’s no way anyone would take her brother from her. It’s very sincere and moving. Candace is on-board. Artie wants to know where would be the best place to dig up dirt on Randall and Candace thinks it’s all about Randall’s business.

After the meeting, Artie hands Dex a couple of hundred bucks as a finder’s fee for the lead on Candace. Dex isn’t ready to be used as a manipulation tool and then set aside. She insists she’s staying on the case and also, Artie will sign off on her apprentice hours at the end of the case AND give her a 2% cut of Artie’s share. Artie ponders this a moment and asks if Dex is in it for the cash or the girl?

“20% girl, 80% cash.”

This is acceptable to Artie. Dex asks what the next step is. They’re going to bug Randall’s office. Dex asks if that’s legal, knowing something is up. Artie is quick with a nope for him because he has a license, but, for unlicensed Dex, it’s just “vaguely unethical.”

Dex is along for the ride and asks how she is supposed to get into the office? Artie tells her they go shopping.

Cut to a well dressed Dex pushing a mail cart in Randall’s office, stumbling in high heels. I love the detail that Dex has no idea how to walk in these heels, she’s a low maintenance girl for sure.

She approaches Tapper’s office and finds his assistant, Raji (Ray Reynaga), on the phone yelling about the purchase of expressionist art pieces on Mr. Tapper’s behalf. He absently points Dex in the right direction for Randall Tapper’s office. Dex manages to plant the bug in his office just as Tapper (Robb Derringer) shows up. He’s very polite and cordial to Dex … which fits with the public persona we’ve been told.

There is a funny bit where Randall spots the tag still on her suit jacket and rips it off, tossing the tag. She was definitely planning on returning that suit.

Dex and Artie are driving away from Tapper’s office. Dex complains about needing a beer and new feet. Artie tells her he plans to return the suit so she better not mess it up. Oops. Artie can hear the wire Dex planted working. He compliments Dex, telling her she has talent. Just then, Artie’s car makes a disturbing sound followed by an even more disturbing sight: their front tire racing down the street ahead of them. Artie swerves, fighting to control the car and crashes into a parked car.

Commercials.

Artie and Dex are now driving in Dex’s car. Artie thinks what happened to his car was sabotage and names a bunch of people that may be after him. During their conversation, Artie makes a great comment about himself, saying he’s a “leprechaun.”

“Danger is the rainbow leading to the pot of gold.”

Artie looks around at Dex’s ride and insults the car as a “golf cart with doors.”

Don’t do it man, this car has a personality all its own. As if on cue, the car hits a bump and the Sentient Tape Deck cues up Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman.” This takes Artie back a moment, telling Dex he knew Chaka at one time when her uncle was extorting her in the 90s.  When Artie was successful in the case, he and Chaka celebrated in Mykonos, intimating some sexy times with Chaka. He starts singing the chorus to “I’m Every Woman.” You just can’t not sing in this car!

The Bad Alibi (f/k/a Grey’s Bar). Hoffman sidles up to the bar and Grey greets him by saying that Dex isn’t there. Hoffman tells Grey he’s not there for her, rather for a Manhattan. With Bourbon, not Rye. Hoffman makes small talk, thinking it must be nice to have a bar in your hometown. Grey responds he’s not originally from Portland. Hoffman responds by saying he’s born and raised in Stumptown. He continues the small talk even though Grey isn’t feeling it) and asks how much a bar costs to open? Grey makes Hoffman his drink, with Rye and not Bourbon.

Hoffman’s question move more to the point of why he’s there, asking if Grey did time with a Jack Feeney? Grey is non-committal, telling Hoffman he did time with lots of people and the name sounds familiar. Hoffman tells Grey that Feeney was in Portland as well. Grey plays dumb on having anything to do with this Feeney. Hoffman is impressed that Grey turned it around, made himself successful post incarceration, thinking this would be a draw for Feeney to reach out.

(ABC/Jessica Brooks)  MICHAEL EALY

Hoffman in a roundabout way asks if Grey basically has an alibi for the previous Tuesday and Grey tells him he was at the bar, always is. Grey is really uncomfortable with the conversation and Hoffman knows it. Hoffman pays for his drink, turns to leave and tells Grey that Feeney turned up dead. He elaborates that Jack was shot while running away.

Grey is stone faced at this news, just as Dex and Artie enter the bar. Hoffman makes small talk with the PIs while Dex catches Grey looking weird out of the corner of her eye.

(ABC/Jessica Brooks) DONAL LOGUE, COBIE SMULDERS

Dex asks why he’s at the bar, as Hoffman greets Artie. Hoffman notes that Artie is a legend and mentions that no one knows why he left the force. Artie heads to the bar and Dex tells Hoffman that she is doing her apprenticeship with Artie. Hoffman is impressed she’s making it legit. He admits that Artie is good at what he does and she’ll learn something but cautions her not to go all “big time” on him. There’s that attraction back again. Exit Detective Hoffman.

Artie and Dex sit at the bar. Dex introduces Artie to Grey and Artie announces that Dex has said they drink for free at this bar.  Dex looks most guilty. Busted! Dex follows Grey to the kitchen, asking if he’s okay because he’s seems a little off. Grey shakes it off.

(ABC/Jessica Brooks) DONAL LOGUE, COBIE SMULDERS, JAKE JOHNSON

When Dex comes back out, Artie says Tapper just arranged for a wire transfer of $2,000. Dex doesn’t get why this is news and Artie explains that since Tapper called it in himself, that means the recipient of that transfer has dirt on Tapper. Artie has the name of the recipient, a Stephanie Houston.

Artie and Dex meet with Stephanie Houston on a park bench. Stephanie greets Artie coldly, knowing exactly who he is. “white, cisgendered P.I.” is referenced. That’s a very specific kind of diss on Stephanie’s part.

Stephanie wants Artie to get to the point of his visit because the cross-stitch she’s working on is challenging. Stephanie is a “madam” and so Artie wants her to confirm that Randall is a long standing client, hence the wire. Stephanie is deflecting and Artie tells Stephanie that he dug a little deeper into her trash (literally) and Dex corrects Artie that she was in fact the one digging in the trash. Anyway, they found bank statements showing recurring wire transfers to her from Tapper for months.

Stephanie, unfazed, says her business is built on discretion. Artie knows about discretion and threatens to shut her down. Stephanie contemplates this and gives up the goods, that Randall isn’t paying her for new women. Dex understands that this is hush money for a girl from a long time ago and Stephanie adds that Randall married the girl. Candace.

Artie and Dex land back on Candace’s doorstep, and Artie is barking mad. How could Candace leave out that she met Randall while being a prostitute? She tells Artie and Dex that she was a broke college student, new in town, and her very real bills were piling up when she met Stephanie. The madam set her up on a date with Randall. Randall swept Candace off her feet. She describes their relationship as an “arrangement” until she fell in love with him.

Candace tells Artie that Randall would never use this info against her because it would damage Randall’s image and his business. He will, however, leverage her enough to take her daughter away. Done being judged, Candace sends them away.

Dex’s House. That night there is a knock on Dex’s door. It’s Sue Lynn Blackbird (you’ll recall she’s casino owner from the pilot episode as well as the mother of Dex’s ex-fiancé, Benny). Dex invites her in and the frost follows Sue Lynn into the living room. She looks around and says Dex’s house is just as she’d expect. Dex snorts.

“No one throws shade quite like you.”

Sue Lynn tells Dex that Randall is a friend of hers and warns Dex that working on this case will not end well for her. Sue Lynn tells Dex that Randall is a supporter of the Tribal nation and she is his ally. Sue Lynn offers Dex a buyout to drop the case.

Dex reminds Sue Lynn there is a woman that Tapper is attempting to destroy. Also, she reminds Sue Lynn that she recently saved her granddaughter from being murdered and this is an odd way to say thanks. Sue Lynn warns Dex that Randall is off limits. This time, she’s saying it with a smile. Next, there will be no smile.

“A righteous man takes his life in his hand every time he utters the truth. Be careful, Dex.”

Commercials.

Police Station. Cosgrove asks Hoffman about the lead he had with Grey? Hoffman summarizes the conversation as evasive. Hoffman adds that Grey’s alibi was that he was at his bar the night Feeney was killed. They have a cute talk about the name of the bar being “The Bad Alibi” and how that’s woefully unfortunate at this particular time.

Hoffman is scant on more details and Cosgrove tells him to cut the crap and pump Dex for information.

Artie and Dex are on a stakeout on a golf course watching Tapper golf because the bug Dex planted in Randall’s office went dead. Artie is cranky because he thinks stakeouts are for rookies. Dex tells Artie about the visit from Sue Lynn and the threats regarding their investigation into Tapper. Artie thinks this is great news and means a really big pay day for him. Hoffman calls Dex inviting her to dinner. Dex is basically allergic to all romantic feelings and declines.

Dex continues that she thought they were just a one-night thing anyway. While Hoffman is insisting that she come over for a home cooked meal, Artie is holding up signs telling her to work Hoffman for information. Dex agrees to dinner at Hoffman’s place, tomorrow night.

Artie tells Dex that Hoffman is a good cop, but now she is a P.I. she needs to learn to exploit her contacts. Artie keeps dropping these life lessons, adding that people don’t change. He thinks Tapper probably has a new lady to be her sugar daddy. If people don’t change, Dex thinks they’re following the wrong guy – Randall won’t do his own dirty work. They need to be following Tapper’s “manservant,” Raji.

Dex and Artie pull up to Raji’s apartment building. Artie wants Dex to attach a GPS tracker to the undercarriage of Raji’s car so they can keep track of his whereabouts. Dex follows Raji as he drives to his parking spot. She stealthily slides under his car to attach the device when Raji comes back, unexpectedly. He gets in his car and backs out, leaving Dex now uncovered and possibly outed. But Raji isn’t paying attention and she gets away. Everyone exhale now!

Commercials.

Hoffman’s Apartment. Dex arrives at Detective Hoffman’s place. He’s cooked up a feast for her and has Charlie Mingus (Mingus references two weeks in a row) playing. Dex calls him out on all the clichés. She looks at his desk where he has the clues about the Feeney murder. Hoffman not-so-casually asks if she knows him, hoping she’ll bring up Grey.

Instead, Dex brings up the case she’s working on about Randall Tapper, not-so-casually asking if Hoffman knows him? Hoffman has nothing but praise for Tapper, even calling him a friend of the PD. Hoffman brings up Grey, mentioning his bar and not-so-casually asking if he’s there every night? Dex clams up, saying Hoffman should ask Grey that.

Hoffman changes the subject back to their food. Dex mentions that she thinks Tapper has a thing for prostitutes and Hoffman doesn’t act surprised. Hoffman volleys back, asking if Grey lives at his bar and Dex thinks Hoffman should have invited Grey to dinner. She accuses Hoffman of working her. She throws back that she was military intelligence in the service and demands to know if Hoffman believes Grey was involved in the murder.

Hoffman gives a non-answer.

Dex gets up to leave and Hoffman counters that she was working him too for intel on Tapper. Dex is moving towards the door. Hoffman’s tone changes, telling her that he didn’t invite her over to interrogate her, rather, he wants to get to know her as he approaches her. She’s receptive to his overtures.

“If we do this, it’s not because you seduced me, okay? It’s because I want to get off.”

After … Dex’s phone rings as she gets dressed. It’s Artie with news on Raji’s tracker. He picked up a woman at a house and brought her to a no-tell motel in town. Dex tells Artie she’ll meet him there.

Dex meets up with Artie, sitting in his car outside the hotel. She tells him Hoffman had no dirt on Tapper. Artie tells Dex there’s been no sign of Tapper showing up yet. Artie takes a deep breath, sniffing at Dex.

“You smell like sex … And salmon.”

Dex is immediately uncomfortable, telling Artie he sounds like her dad when he asks how her date went. Artie tells Dex to tell him about her dad and Dex tells him she doesn’t talk about him. Artie tells Dex about his daughter in Chicago and about their strained relationship. His daughter struggled with drugs and they didn’t speak for 10 years, but now they reached a good place.

Artie tells Dex she reminds him of his daughter and urges her to call her dad because there could be regret if she doesn’t. Dex harkens back to what Artie said earlier about how people don’t change. Artie dismisses this.

“I say a lot of crap.”

Just then they spot the lady that Raji brought to the hotel earlier leaving and getting in Raji’s car. Artie is pumped they might get a Tapper sighting and get their payday. He wants to celebrate at Outback Steakhouse, an “amazing establishment.” (I could go for some Aussie Fries right about now)

Raji drives off and they spot Tapper’s car leaving the parking lot right behind. Artie is psyched there is a ‘Bloomin’ Onion’ in his future. They start to follow Tapper when the back window is blown out by gunshots.

Commercials.

We come back to the gunfire and Dex lapses into a momentary military flashback – we haven’t seen one of these PTSD moments since the Pilot episode. Violent exchanges seem to trigger them. Artie recognizes the shooter; a former client named Danny Dongelberg (Matthew Siegan). Yes, that’s his real name. Dex shouts this isn’t a joke as she cowers in the front seat. Artie asks if she’s okay and notes that gunfire is a part of being a PI.

“You’re not doing your job right unless a few folks want you dead.”

The Bad Alibi. Grey is in his office, taking money from his safe. He’s heading out as Dex arrives. She tries to tell him about the crazy night she had with the shootout but he’s distracted and not in a talkative mood. She tries on Artie’s line about people wanting you dead if you do a good job, and Grey doesn’t think that sounds like something she would say. Dex asks Grey why the cops are asking her questions about Grey’s possible involvement in Jack Feeney’s death? Grey dismisses it telling Dex they served time together and makes a point about how people never really let you reinvent yourself.

“You know, once a crook, always a crook.”

Grey goes to visit one of those ghosts, Frank (Jason Manuel Olazabal) at a pool hall. Frank greets Grey, noting he was coming to see Grey next. Grey hands over $8,000 in cash as a gesture to Kane to show he’s different than Jack. To show he’s not going to run from his obligations. Frank chuckles at the mention of Jack Feeney’s demise. Grey tells Frank he intends to pay it all back. But again, not going anywhere. It’s very important Grey expresses that sentiment. Frank clarifies that, to be clear, Grey owes the full $500,000 … he’s being held for Feeney’s half.

Artie and Dex meet up with Bree, Tapper’s new lady friend. Artie tells her this relationship will not end well for her. Bree is enamored with Randall and won’t roll on him to help “the psycho he’s divorcing.” Dex suggests she talks to someone who knows what Randall is really like.

Cut to Candace’s apartment. Bree and Candace meet. Candace hits all the early relationship highlights of her time with Randall, the high and the low points, and you can tell form the look on Bree’s face, Randall has done all these same things with her. Bree’s mind has changed and she tells them she has something that will help everyone involved.

In Artie’s car, Dex and Artie watch a video of Tapper bitch slapping Bree around in an elevator. They’re disgusted by it but Artie is also thrilled, this means Tapper will have to pay. And pay big! He takes the phone with the video and tells Dex he’s got it from here. He tells Dex she did good work and notes that they make a good team!

“Rip City Dicks.”

Everyone drink up, they mentioned the episode title in the show! Dex gets out of the car, acknowledging that Artie is a strange man.

(ABC/Jessica Brooks) COBIE SMULDERS, DONAL LOGUE

Artie drives off and Dex sees Danny Dongelberg getting into his car up the street. She calls after him and runs in front of his car. Danny D slams on the brakes, calling her maniac and accusing her of working for a maniac. She pounds the hood of his car and he gets out thinking he’ll overpower her.

Poor Danny Dongelberg. Dex easily flips the script on him and slams his face into the hood of his own car. Dex tells him she’s calling the cops on him for his several murder attempts. Danny pleads with Dex, telling her that Artie ruined his life. At first, she wants no part of hearing this but Danny keeps talking. He says that he hired Artie to find out if Danny’s business partner was stealing from him but, once Artie had damning evidence on the business partner, he sold it back to the bad guy and made a big pay day. Dex’s face goes white as she realizes what Artie plans to do with Bree’s video.

(ABC/Jessica Brooks)  MATTHEW SIEGAN, COBIE SMULDERS

Commercials.

Dex is driving to get to Artie before he can screw her (and Candace) over too. The Sentient Tape Deck is playing Kiss’s “I Was Made for Loving You.” She barges into Artie’s office demanding to know for how much he sold Bree’s videotape to Tapper?

Artie easily admits he sold it for more than he would have gotten from Candace and isn’t even the least bit remorseful about it. Nor does he care about Candace losing custody of her daughter. Artie reminds Dex he is a “for hire” private investigator and that he never hid his desire to maximize his earning potential. And, if he had to manipulate Candace AND Dex to do it, well, oh well.

“I’m not your daddy. I’m not your mentor.”

Dex threatens to report Artie, but he’s too shrewd for this, reminding Dex she’s the one who bugged a private citizen and put a tracking device on Tapper’s assistant’s car. Not Artie.

Artie’s got the gloves off now telling her the fact that she cares is what is getting in the way of Dex being an exceptional P.I. Artie tells Dex one day she’ll thank him for these lessons. As if to drive his knife-shaped lesson further into Dex’s back, Artie reveals that he never met Chaka Khan, nor does he have a daughter.

Dex has a murderous look on her face as she exhales, having believed those stories. She walks over to the hideous and expensive vase in Artie’s office, picking it up and looking at Artie who tells her that won’t make her feel better. She smashes it anyway and leaves.

Police Station. Grey is with Detective Hoffman in an interrogation room. Hoffman plays Grey’s voicemail to Feeney. Grey admits he lied to an off-duty cop, but that in and of itself is not a crime. Hoffman lays out the optics for Grey and how none of this looks good for him.

To be clear, Grey is the ONLY suspect right now in Feeney’s murder. Hoffman is trying any angle to get Grey to come clean about whatever he is hiding with respect to Jack Feeney. Hoffman mentions Dex and this gets a reaction from Grey, who wonders aloud if this is all about Dex? Hoffman bristles at this. There’s a knock at the door and a woman brings Hoffman a file. Hoffman looks through it and it corroborates Grey’s alibi. Timestamps on CCTV cameras in the area confirms that Grey was at his bar the entire time during the murder window.

Hoffman isn’t laughing because he thinks Grey does know who killed Feeney and that Grey is definitely hiding something. As Grey gets ready to go, Hoffman voices his hunch that Grey and Feeney are wrapped up with a deal from their prison days with Wallace Kane and now Grey is left holding the bag.

Hoffman presses further saying he was the one who put Wallace Kane away, noting that Kane killed one of Hoffman’s informant’s ahead of the take down. Hoffman, trying to get back on Grey’s good side, admits he’d be afraid himself if Kane had control over him and that he would want protection. He’s making an offer to Grey here in exchange for info but Grey doesn’t bite. Not yet anyway. He does ask for Hoffman to leave Dex out of all this, whatever Hoffman is going to do.

Dex leaves Artie’s office and is in her car. She pounds the steering wheel in frustration. The Sentient Tape Deck clicks on to SNAP!’s classic, “The Power.” She drives to Candace’s apartment. In a flurry of a brain dump, Dex explains that Artie sold her out, duped her and now that error could cost Candace her child (“The Power” is still playing). Dex is angry but firm in her resolve. She explains that even though Tapper has power and influence, men like him underestimate women like Dex and Candace, women who “have been fighting our entire lives for everything.” Dex vows to Candace that Randall AND Artie are going to way for what they’ve done.

“I won’t lose again.”

“The Power” ends with a resounding, “I’ve got the power!”

End scene.

***

Thoughts.

Uh. Dex’s full name is Dexadrine? This gives credence to what Dex said about her parents not mattering. They named her after an amphetamine. Dexedrine, slightly different spelling, is a stimulant that can treat ADHD and narcolepsy. There were a few references to her parents, more about her dad and he just seems unpleasant. The fact there’s just been cursory mentions about her parents makes me all the more curious. Dex is pretty jaded by life, yet manages to maintain a sweet side for those she cares about. Now I want to know more about what makes her tick.

Artie is a piece of work, huh? I gotta hand it to him though. He laid out to Dex his whole strategy: manipulate and exploit his contacts to get ahead, and he did just that. Dex never saw it coming.

Grey has a whole other side to him. We got a glimpse of it the last episode, with his and Dex’s backstory but the depths of it? I think we are only scratching the surface now. This iceberg goes much deeper, I feel.

Regarding the name of the episode, in addition to “Stumptown,” Portland is also known as “Rip City.” This name came about during the first season of Portland’s NBA team, the Trail Blazers. A game announcer was excitedly calling a three point play against the Lakers. Bill Schonely, the announcer, called Jim Barnett’s unlikely three point shot as, “Rip City! All right!” The announcer later said he had no idea where it came from, but it stuck.

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Stumptown airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 10pm (ET/PT).  We’ll be live tweeting from time to time so check us out on Twitter! 

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Thank you for reading along! Leave a comment below for discussion. Follow us on social media for up to the minute updates on Stumptown, including recaps and lots of other pop culture news you need to know on Twitter @popcultureview and Instagram @pop_culture_review. You can follow me on Twitter @SheilsMcGangsta.See you next week for the next installment of Stumptown!

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