Stumptown Review: Missed Connections (Season 1 Episode 2)

Viewers get a peek into Dex’s history with her best friend, Grey, on Stumptown Season 1 Episode 2, “Missed Connections.” While the episode offers some answers about Grey and Dex’s relationship, by the end, it also raises a few questions about Grey himself.

“Missed Connections” is another strong episode that makes Stumptown two for two. It continues to build the case that Stumptown is one of the best new series of the season.

Building on momentum from its first episode, Stumptown Season 1 Episode 1, “Forget It Dex, It’s Stumptown,” “Missed Connection” is undeniably fun, with sharp dialogue, exciting fight scenes, and a sort of reckless attitude that keeps the episode moving at a quick pace. But for all its brash irreverence, “Missed Connections” is grounded in quiet character moments. Moments played with touching vulnerability by Cobie Smulders that explore the friendship between Dex and Grey and invest viewers deeper into Dex’s story. 

Case of The Week

Dex takes her first case as an unlicensed PI on “Missed Connections” (or at least the first one we get to see).

The case she takes involves a man trying to find a woman he met at a bar the night before. As expected, the case is not at all straightforward. It’s eventually discovered that the girl is a con artist who initially sought Dex’s client out as a mark, but fell for him instead. 

It’s a sort of staple story of the detective genre and procedurals in general, but there is enough ambiguity and subtlety that it doesn’t feel obvious. It’s clear someone isn’t going to be who they present themselves to be, but it’s not clear whether it’s the man who hires Dex or the woman she’s hired to find. It’s enough to keep the case compelling and entertaining.

Even if the case had been entirely predictable rather than just generally familiar, the writing and execution of the story are excellent. Watching Dex work a case and seeing her wheels turn as she puzzles things out is one of the joys of Stumptown. 

There is also a direct thematic parallel between the couple involved in the case and Dex and Grey. The woman in the case pushes the man she’s fallen for away to protect him from her, much in the same way Dex held back from a romantic relationship with Grey after they met.

Seeing this case end on a happy note and seeing the woman move beyond her past is a hopeful possibility Dex hasn’t yet allowed for herself, but perhaps will someday.

Dex and Grey

It’s initially surprising that Dex and Grey met as what they each thought would be a one night stand. On “Forget it Dex, It’s Stumptown,” it feels like Grey has unrequited feelings for Dex, and their story would be her realizing Grey’s feelings weren’t as one-sided as they seemed. 

As it turns out, though, it’s her very awareness of her feelings that keeps Grey in the friend zone. She knows she has, or could have, real feelings for Grey, and keeping them at bay is not only a conscious choice but one she’s completely upfront about. 

Except for her relationship with her brother and her work as a PI, everything Dex does seems to be a diversion from the guilt she still carries over Benny’s death. Guilt that makes her feel like a liability.

Once real feelings are involved, and Grey is someone she cares about, she puts a stop to any romantic progression and tells him exactly why.

Even though Grey and Dex choose only to be friends in the flashbacks, the developments on “Missed Connections” further set them up to be the likely romantic pairing of the series.

Both characters still have feelings for each other. It feels like just a matter of time before they start to chip away at the wall they put up after their first encounter. 

I’m still not super invested in Dex and Grey as an eventual couple. Cobie Smulders and Jake Johnson have a solid rapport, and I’m intrigued by their relationship in general. As to whether it’s romantic, I’m just not there yet (and we probably aren’t supposed to be anyway). 

What I am immediately invested in is what Dex’s confession about Benny means for understanding her character and her journey moving forward. It’s been 12 years since Benny’s death, and the confession in the “Missed Connections” flashback feels as raw as it does in “Forget it Dex, it’s Stumptown” when she breaks down in her car. 

It’s heartbreaking to think that she’s been carrying that burden for so long as a self-inflicted punishment, choosing not to move forward because she doesn’t think she deserves it.

That’s the element of the Dex/Grey relationship I am most interested in seeing develop, much more so than I am in seeing them as a potential couple.

Grey’s Past

Working as sort of a C-storyline after the case of the week and the exploration of his relationship with Dex, “Missed Connections” also reveals hints about Grey’s past — a past that looks like it will be a more prominent part of the story on the next episode.

The episode reveals that Grey has a criminal past that is coming back to haunt him and an old acquaintance coming to collect a debt. It ends with the friend who warns him about the danger ahead being found dead.

There are lots of plot questions about what Grey did, who he was connected with, and how he ended up where he is, but what I’m most curious about is what Dex knows and how this will impact their friendship. 

In a flashback, Grey tells Dex that he was once in jail for grand theft auto but doesn’t go into detail. It seems like this is a part of Grey’s history Dex doesn’t know about, and so how she reacts to finding out after six years of friendship is guaranteed to impact their relationship in some important ways.

Stumptown started strong with its first episode, and “Missed Connection” raises the bar with an even better one. The characters are being fleshed out, and their stories are starting to take shape in some compelling ways. If I wasn’t already all in, I am now.

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

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Stumptown airs Wednesdays at 10/9 c on ABC.

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