Stumptown Review: Family Ties (Season 1 Episode 4)

Dex takes on Artie Banks on Stumptown Season 1 Episode 4, “Family Ties,” but more than that she takes on the cynicism he represents and wins.

When we left Dex last week on Stumptown Season 1 Episode 3, “Rip City Dicks,” we left her defeated, but determined. 

Dex says “she won’t lose again” and we believe her. It’s not a question of will she win, but how she’ll win.

The battle between Dex and Artie speaks to two themes. The explicit theme is whether people can change. The show concludes that they can. By the end, Artie has a change of heart and helps Dex takedown the abusive husband he betrayed his client for.

Artie isn’t the amoral cynic he sees himself as. He just needed a push from Dex to see that.

It could have been equally satisfying if Artie were just an amoral nihilist that gets his comeuppance after crossing Dex because watching them faceoff is really entertaining.

In terms of skill and wit, they’ve each met their match and it’s just so much fun to watch that back and forth. Whether that plays out with character growth for Artie or not, it’s always going to be good TV.

Smulders and Logue are a big part of what makes “Family Ties” entertaining. Smulders remains the best part of the show and Logue is perfectly cast as Artie. The way they play off each other is delightful.

Seeing Artie get what’s coming to him would have made a great episode, but having him be more complex is the stronger choice, especially for a show like Stumptown that takes inspiration from classic noir where people are never who they seem. 

It leaves the door open for some interesting possibilities should they bring his character back. Dex helps Artie change for the better and move forward. I can see a future episode where Artie comes back and helps Dex move towards forgiving herself so she can move forward too. 

That is a story I would really like to see someday.

The other theme the face-off between Artie and Dex represents is cynicism vs. optimism. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that Dex is an idealist, but she does want to believe in people and has a sense of justice that guides her.

She always ends up doing what’s right because it’s right and her integrity and values make her who she is.

On “Rip City Dicks,” Artie frames Dex’s compassion and moral compass as a liability but in the end, that’s how she wins. She doesn’t beat Artie at his own game, she acts as a mirror that convinces him to do better. 

If she were a cynic like him she would have lost.

Earlier on the episode, Dex comments to Sue Lynn Blackbird that they are both looking for justice and Sue Lynn replies with her own cynical take that for one of them to get justice the other has to lose.

But just as with Artie’s assessment that things like compassion and empathy are liabilities, Sue Lynn is wrong. Dex doesn’t find justice for her client by engaging in the zero-sum approach Sue Lynn describes. She wins by finding a common purpose and working together to disrupt privilege and power.

 

Stumptown is not the only show to lean into these kinds of themes, not by far. But they do it very well, and especially in this episode. Despite all the tragedy, betrayal, and pain in Dex’s life the show never feels pessimistic and, despite herself, neither does Dex.

Stray Thoughts

• Hopefully, we’ll get more scenes with Dex and Lieutenant Cosgrove because this week’s scene is fantastic.
• Ansel has a lot of little moments in “Family Ties” that further establish him as the show’s heart and they are all lovely.
• Where can I get Dex’s Jackets? Asking for a friend. A friend who is me.

 What did you think of this episode of Stumptown? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Stumptown airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.

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