Welcome back, gumshoes! When last we left our heroes, some dumb reviewer was moaning and groaning about how little they were looking forward to the resolution of the ongoing car thief/drug runner plot. I don’t know who reviewed the last episode, but that guy was completely wrong–this episode ruled, wrapped up the storyline perfectly, and I don’t understand how anyone could have expected otherwise.
Here’s five thoughts on Stumptown’s “The Dex Factor,” spoilers below.
1. The Sting
Dex, Hoffman and Grey set up their undercover operation, but there’s a new complication–they’re running out of time. Hoffman learns from a dirty cop that the original owners of the heroin that was stolen by the car thieves have sent a hitwoman to retrieve the goods, and the audience is treated to a glimpse of that killer doing her violent work as she slowly closes the gap on our heroes.
This is the first time the trio have felt like they were in legitimate danger in maybe the entire series, which works both for and against the storyline. The contract killer and the people she represents are the actual bad guys here, and the amateurs that Dex and Grey are attempting to sting feel like they’re barely worth the trouble. Hoffman’s initial stated goal several episodes ago was to go after the big players, so the knowledge that we’ve been dealing with the small fish this whole time undercuts the stakes.
The trio makes for an awkward team–“You were both inside of me,” Dex amazingly notes–but also a pretty great team. The three are more interesting as friends and allies than they are as three prongs of a conflict triangle, and watching them support each other through this case underscores that. It’s a dynamic the show as a whole could certainly use more of, but in this episode it’s deployed in just the right dose.
2. Ansel & Tookie
Grey has (somewhat bafflingly) left Ansel in charge of the bar, and in a move that would shock no one who has ever worked in the service industry, everyone immediately stops doing their jobs. So Ansel turns to his good friend Tookie to help set things straight.
I’ve written in the past about how much trouble Stumptown has making its extended main cast feel useful, but the strengthening of Tookie’s bond with another member of the cast has been a smart move. Ansel and Tookie are good together, almost as good as Ansel and Grey, and they arguably make for the best comedic duo on the show.
Tookie single-handedly fixes Ansel’s staffing issues, but they run afoul of a mean married couple who leave a nasty review for the bar on Yelp. The storyline culminates with a charming bonding moment where Tookie and Ansel egg the couple’s house. As B-plots go this is very slight, but with so many wheels spinning in the A-plot it makes sense to let Ansel and Tookie’s antics just be a little palate cleanser slotted between the drama.
3. No Safe Harbor
Dex heads back to the veteran meetup group and makes an unexpected friend–Violet, aka the hitwoman (played by a magnetic Cynthia Addai-Robinson). Their chemistry is electric, and they feel like they’re truly bonding, which makes the storm we know is coming all the more devastating. Dex and Violet connecting absolutely works, and makes for maybe the best set of scenes of the series thus far. The two bond over their difficulty reintegrating back into society after their tours of duty, and you can tell they genuinely have developed feelings for one another in a short period of time.
Violet fills the role usually played by Dex’s cases of the week, acting as a dark mirror for Dex and showing the path she could be on if she faltered. “There are two types of people in the world,” Violet says, “those who fight their demons and those who embrace them.” Violet has chosen to be the latter, channeling her trauma into her violent profession. So far this season, especially in its later episodes, Dex has been on a path towards recovery. But Violet offers a glimpse of what Dex might have turned into without the people she loves in her life.
Continued below4. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Dex plays her part in the sting operation and drops off the money, leaving Grey to pick up the drugs and finish out the con. Unfortunately, that lets her leave just in time to run into Violet, gun out and ready to kill everyone inside and take the drugs back for her employers. Both Smulders and Addai-Robinson play the moment of their hearts breaking quite well, making their bare knuckle brawl all the more satisfying.
The two throw down to a very affecting Chromatics cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” which had played previously when Dex and Violet first made their connection. It’s a strong decision that brings more energy to the best fight of the series–Dex has met her match in more ways than one. Though Dex eventually prevails, the fight is far from over, with a wounded Violet slipping away–hopefully to return sometime in the future.
5. Douglas, Arizona
Grey, meanwhile, stares down the barrel of a gun as the car thieves turned drug runners have decided to double cross him. Hoffman and his crew manage to jump in and save the day, which gives Grey the opportunity to escape with Max, the cool lady car thief who just wanted a fresh start. With Dex’s help, Grey calls in a favor from Sue Lynn Blackbird, who confuses the cops with tribal law and gives Max a chance to escape.
Grey’s scheme is silly and doesn’t make much sense, but it does give him some nice development as a character. He used to be a wild criminal who lived for the rush of thievery, but those days are behind him–he’s happy to live his good life with his friends and just tend the bar. Max thinks he won’t last long in his new life, but he seems to be in a good place for now. Time will tell which one of them was right.
Somehow this episode rescued a storyline I thought was unrescuable. “The Dex Factor” is easily the best episode of the series thus far, one that feels fully in tune with the show’s strengths and the talents of its very strong cast. With the ongoing story arc wrapped up, next week should feature the return of the case-of-the-week structure that has given the show most of its energy so far. Hopefully the energy from this episode continues as the show returns to its usual beats.
