On Stumptown Season 1 Episode 11, Dex was learning just how hard it is to be on your own. 

Dex has been trying to outrun her demons, and finally, now that she is alone, they are catching up to her.

How far down the rabbit hole is Dex going to fall? Read on through our review as we discuss.

Dex is spiraling. 

After the midseason finale and Sue Lynn's blunt advisement to get it together, it seemed like Dex was going to try to turn over a new leaf.

Even during Stumptown Season 1 Episode 10, it really appeared like Dex was going to hold it together through Ansel leaving. 

Dex isn't as strong as she likes to pretend she is, though. 

Ansel is the glue that holds the fibers of Dex's being together. Without him, Dex can't help but fall apart.

Throughout Stumptown Season 1, we have seen the effect that Dex's time overseas in war has had on her. When she came back from war, she was left with the responsibility of taking care of Ansel. She had a purpose, and that sense of purpose kept her going. 

Sure she always has had a drinking problem but knowing that Ansel was relying on her kept her from going off the deep end. 

Now, without Ansel, we see just how broken Dex is. There is no more faking it for his sake. 

Seeing Dex continue to treat Ansel, moving out as a temporary situation was difficult. She is in complete denial about the fact that he is gone and he has no intentions of coming back and living with her. 

As Grey said, this isn't about Ansel. It is about Dex not knowing how to be alone. 

After Dex's great bed making moment and Ansel's encouragement for her to finally be an adult, it would have been nice to have seen Dex's first act of independence be something productive, and adult-like. 

Instead, she throws a rager.

Dex's party may have been a good laugh, but seeing Dex revert to her old ways was a bummer. 

We have seen Dex grow so much from the first time we saw her. 

She has found a passion in private investigating that has allowed her to make a real difference in people's lives. People like Jeremy, who thanks to her got to reconnect with his family. 

Without Dex, he might never have found them. 

If Dex continues down the dark path that she is headed on, though, she isn't going to be much help to anyone. After all, you can't help anyone if you can't help yourself.

It was interesting to see Dex opening up more about her time in the war. We have caught glimpses of it during her flashbacks when her PTSD is triggered, but we have never really heard her discussing it with anyone. 

Her comment to Tookie about how the silence reminded her of her time overseas caught me off guard. 

Being open about it is a huge step.

Internalizing it isn't getting her anywhere. If she can acknowledge it, that is one step closer to being able to process is and being to overcome it. 

As a fellow veteran, Jeremy was able to see that Dex is not okay. 

His suggestion to join his group was a great one, but Dex isn't there yet. 

Unfortunately, it feels like Dex is going to have to hit rock bottom before she can see how much help that she needs. 

Stumptown has never seemed like the show that is going to take the easy way out, and Dex being told she needs help and magically accepting that fact, would be just that. 

Stumptown isn't afraid to show the messiness of life and Dex and all her flaws and all her denial is a great reflection of that.

At least if Dex is going to fall apart, Ansel is far enough away to be safe from the fall out. 

Cobie Smulders continues to shine in this role. It feels like she was born to play it. 

The way she can play the nuances of the character of Dex is perfection. It is no easy feat to portray someone who is one of the most caring individuals with an enormous heart but has a complete disregard for self-care without it feeling contrived. 

Dex feels like a real person, warts and all, and that is because of Cobie's performance. 

Grey took his first dive into his undercover work to infiltrate the carjacking ring. 

Grey is in some serious trouble. 

Hoffman voicing his concerns for Grey was on behalf of every viewer at that moment. 

Grey seemed right at home, stealing that car with Max. It was so easy for him to slip back into his old ways without missing a beat. 

It probably didn't hurt that there was a pretty girl there to lead him on his journey. 

Stumptown couldn't have found a better person to play Max if they tried. 

Inbar Lavi is an absolute gem and is the perfect woman to con her way into any man's heart.

If you haven't seen her on Imposters, I suggest you check it out immediately because you will love her as Maddie, the con artist that you can never quite decide if you should love or hate.

It was clear from the moment they met that Grey was drawn to her.

After Hoffman told him that Max could be facing 30 years in jail if they take her down, though, Grey was even more hooked.

Grey loves himself a good damsel in distress, except he keeps finding women who do not need him to ride in on his white horse and save them. 

Max is a big girl who can take care of herself. She has made her bed, and now she has to lay in it. 

Grey can't afford to try to save her. Especially when saving her involves trafficking drugs, presumably behind Hoffman's back. 

Hoffman may be the worst person to run an undercover operation. 

Why would he put a tracker on a car that is Grey is bringing to a den of car thieves? As if that wouldn't be the first thing they check for. 

Hoffman is lucky that Grey had enough sense to think about that and check for himself before he took it in. If he hadn't, he would probably be dead in a ditch somewhere. 

Something felt very odd about the way that Max kept saying she knows all about Grey. They also made it seem like Leo was going to be a big reveal as if he was someone we knew.

Is it possible that the carjackers have some connection to Liz? 

Many of us suspected that there was more to Liz than met the eye when she had weaseled her way into Grey's life. Maybe she intended to drag him back into the carjacking game? 

Stumptown continues to manage to set itself apart from other procedural crime dramas.

Where other procedurals like Stumptown can quickly start feeling stale, each episode of Stumptown manages to feel fresh, new and exciting. 

Just as we are getting used to the case of the week format with Dex, they add on another layer with Grey's undercover mission, and even another layer with the deeper dive into Dex's mental health issues.

Stumptown is one thrill ride that I'm happy to be on. 

Time for your to sound off Fanatics! What did you think of the latest installment of Stumptown? Hit up the comments section and watch Stumptown online at TV Fanatic! 

Meaghan Frey was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in September 2020.