'Stumptown' Episode 10: Will we see an upward curve for sober-adjacent Dex after mid-season break?
The first half of 'Stumptown' Season 1 has been pretty hard on Dex (Cobie Smulders), but not without a sprinkling of ups and good spots. The show aired its mid-season finale with the previously aired Episode 9 on Wednesday, December 11, and it seemed like things are taking a turn for the better. Dex started off as a PTSD-ridden war veteran who sought out chaos, and was accused of being the same even on Episode 9 titled 'Dex Education'. As Grey (Jake Johnson) puts it, she hadn't dealt with the demons of her past, which made her a volatile person.
Over the season, though, we have seen her evolve and even take in constructive feedback. In the last episode, we see Sue Lynn (Tantoo Cardinal), despite her issues with Dex, advise her to make better choices starting with making her bed. The structure begins with one small choice, she advises her, and we see that Dex is willing to make that choice. As comical as it was to watch her make her bed, she did it, and we are proud of her. She wants to do better for herself and for her brother Ansel (Cole Sibus).
However, Ansel has plans to become independent and reveals his plans to move out of their home to Dex as soon as Dex takes a satisfying look at her neatly made bed. Ansel has Down's Syndrome and is often treated like a child by both Dex and Grey, and he realizes that the only to get away from all that pampering is for him to get some space. We saw him making inquiries regarding security deposits and credit cards in the previous episode, and it is evident that he has made up his mind.
Will Ansel's moving out mean one step forward and two steps backward for Dex? Or, will she still be inspired to do better for herself? As Sue Lynn said, she needs to be able to forgive herself before she can move forward in life. She needs to truly believe that she is not at fault for what happened in her past to believe that she is not going to ruin all good things.
We hope that is the direction 'Stumptown' takes when the show returns with Season 1 Episode 10 in 2020.