November Surprise

Dex prepares to go undercover

**November Surprise** is the seventh episode of the first season and the 7th overall episode of **Stumptown**.

## Short Summary

Dex goes undercover after she is hired by a local politician to dig up dirt on his political opponent. Meanwhile, Grey and Liz's romance continues, and Dex celebrates a tense Friendsgiving at Bad Alibi.

## Full Summary

Dex watches a political ad for Llewellyn Slocombe. Once it's over, she's told that Vanessa is ready to see her. Vanessa knows she went up against Randall Tapper, which caused him to pull his campaign donation. She clears a room and shows Dex pictures of Dan Gibson. She wants to destroy him. She wants Dex to find her October Surprise. Dex says politics isn't really her thing. Vanessa says it's $50,000. $5,000 upfront and the rest when she gets the dirt. Elliot, an assistant comes up with two gas masks. He says they found a package that may contain anthrax. Vanessa gives Dex her gas mask as a sign of good faith, then takes Elliot's for herself. Elliot tells Dex he doesn't want to die for $12/hour, so she gives him the other mask.

Liz tells Grey she was amazing last night. He says it was his first time. She recorded it and they watch together. The video shows him throwing an axe at a target. She asks him for a job.

Grey stretches as he talks to Dex about her new case. Ansel and Grey aren't sure it's a good idea, but she says there's no good guys in politics. She has a plan to infiltrate his campaign office.

At the office, Dex uses a fake name and introduces herself to Carol, a team leader. Dex gets assigned to the phone bank. Carol asks why she's there and says people know they're riding a gravy train to DC, because Dan wants to go all the way. Dex says she wants to know if Dan really is too good to be true.

Grey has Liz make him a drink. She asks where Ansel is and Grey says he has Thursdays off for soccer practice. She dubs him a pushover and asks if she can have a week off for Christmas. He reminds her that she hasn't been hired yet and says the situation with Ansel is complicated. She gives him his drink, which he likes. She negotiates her pay. Then Grey asks her to go see his friend's band with him and she agrees.

Dex makes a series of calls and gets frustrated. Archie, who is next to her, says success rates are low, despite what they might say. Dex asks what they do about sensitive information. He says everything gets shredded in Dan's office. She just has to give it to Carol. Just then Dan and another man come through the office talking rapidly about something. Archie says the venue for tonight's fundraiser fell through. Everyone was supposed to go. Dex says she knows a venue that might work, which would make her a hero.

At Bad Alibi, the event is in full swing. Dan and his husband, Antony thank Dex and Grey. Dex mentions that Grey is a felon and Dan talks to Grey about his proposed changes that would benefit felons.

Once they're away from Dan and Antony, Grey makes fun of Dex for being awkward in front of them. Dex then notices Liz tending bar. Dex thinks she seems a little too young. Liz calls Grey over to answer a question.

Dex mingles at the event until Miles comes in. He thanks her for the invitation and asks if at some point, he can meet Ansel. Dex invites him to Friendsgiving. Just then, Dan steps up to give his speech. While he's talking, Dex slips out.

Dex breaks into the office. In Dan's office, she finds a letter from a former colleague at the University of Northern Oregon. She's reading the letter when she's interrupted by Carol, who reveals that she's also a PI hired by the opposition. Dex tries to make a compromise, but Carol's not interested. She wants the letter. Dex uses the flashlight to disorient Carol and knock her over before leaving.

Dex has gone to the University of Northern Oregon and so Grey checks that Ansel will be okay home alone. They go over emergency procedures, including texting "Apple" if there's an emergency. Ansel says they treat him like a little kid, but Grey says he doesn't see him as a kid.

Dex visits Rohan Gopalin. She explains who she is and asks about the letter, which says he's proud of Dan for living his truth. She wants to know what lie he was living before.

Carol talks to Miles. She wants to report the break-in to him, but she also wasn't technically supposed to be there, so she just wants Miles to tell Dex to back off and get her off the streets. Miles asks why Carol is still doing the PI thing. He asks why she doesn't just get out of the game. Carol says Dex is in over her head.

Dex talks to Rohan in a more private area. She wants his help with Dan, saying she's there to help him. Rohan says Dan was different back then. There was one student in particular and Rohan always wondered. The student was actually a woman because Dan wasn't out yet. Rohan doesn't remember her name, but she was a volleyball player and dropped out. The next semester, Dan was gone. He's happy Dan is living his truth now.

Grey asks Liz which in a line of volleyball players is the hottest one. She points one out. He's helping Dex track down the woman. He likes tracking people down like this. Liz asks if he looked into her and learned why she came to Portland. Her ex had a psychotic break while they were in France and said she was using him as a drug mule. The State Department had to retrieve her and she lost everything. She had to leave Seattle and start over. Grey's not sure if she's messing with him or not. Grey calls Dex and gives her the information he found. Her name is Emma Lindstrom. Dex gets her address and hops in the car to find her.

At Emma's house, Dex sees a bunch of awards and pictures for a teenager name Jacob Lindstrom. He comes in and Dex introduces herself as Emma's old friend. Emma's brother, Casey Lindstrom, also lives with them. They send Jacob out of the room so they can talk. Casey is suspicious of Dex. Dex tells Emma everything she knows, including that Jacob is Dan's son. She says that this knowledge is all very valuable. Emma talks about her time with Dan. She had a boyfriend back home, so she lied and told him Jacob was his, but he split right after Jacob was born and since then, it's been her, her brother, and her son. Dex suggests they tell everyone, to get ahead of it, because they can't keep it hidden. Casey asks her to leave.

Dex goes to Grey. She has no idea what she should do with the information she has. If she gives the Slocombe campaign the information, it'll blow up Emma and Jacob's life. She got into the PI thing to help people. Liz comes in and interrupts. Grey wants Dex to continue, but she doesn't want to talk in front of Liz. Dex is upset to learn that Grey told Liz about the case. Grey and Dex bicker about it and she tells him not to worry about it. She'll figure it out on her own.

Dex drinks alone and thinks as she looks at a picture of Jacob and Emma.

Grey arrives at the club with a rose. He gets a text from Liz saying she can't make it, so he hands the rose to someone nearby and leaves.

Dex goes to Carol and says they need to talk. Carol isn't interested until Dex says it involves her getting paid.

Dex explains to Carol that she found the October Surprise and she wants Carol to turn it in and they can split the fee right down the middle. Carol says she's out. She heard Vanessa bragging about it and she's tired of it all. She likes reunited kids with their biological parents. That's her bag from her on out. Dex needs to ask herself how much pain she's willing to inflict for a dollar. Carol tells Dex to remember that she has to live with herself.

As she leaves, Dex gets a message from Ansel that says, "Apple." She races home.

Dex is surprised to find Vanessa at her house. She's there with a check for Dex. Emma's brother sold the information to Vanessa and Dex gets a finder's fee. Now she'll use the information to destroy Dan. They're going live at the county fair in an hour. Dex begs Vanessa not to do it, saying she'll destroy Jacob's life. Vanessa doesn't care. Once she's gone, Dex tells Ansel she just destroyed two families and she needs to leave so she can go fix it. She tells him to lock the door after her.

Grey talks to Liz, who says she wants to keep things professional. He asks what happened with her. He'd normally ask if he did something wrong, but he knows he didn't. She says she's afraid she's getting between him and Dex. It happened with her ex, the one from France. Grey assures her again that he and Dex are just friends and he wants to give it a shot with Liz.

Slocombe is campaigning at the fair. Dex comes in and goes to Dan's booth. He remembers her from the fundraiser. She tells him she has information to share with him, so he sends the other volunteers out. She tells him about Jacob and Emma and her role in this coming out. Antony is worried about the optics of this coming out, because his campaign is built on him being true to himself. Dex reminds them that Jacob didn't ask to be in the middle of it. Antony says Dan should own his past, but Dex says that would still ruin Jacob's life. He has to make his choice. Dex has a plan, but he won't like it.

Vanessa and Slocombe come over to talk. Dex explains the situation and asks what it'll take for them to leave Jacob alone. Slocombe says there's only one thing he wants. Dan is prepared to do that, but he wants it in writing. Dan will drop out of the race, but Slocombe has to sign a contract never to speak of Jacob again. Antony has it already drafted up. Vanessa looks it over and Slocombe signs it. Slocombe tries to shake Dan's hand, but Dan punches him. Vanessa laughs about the excitement of it all. Dex says Dan was the better man after all, but Vanessa says they won't always deserve a better man. Dex returns the check over Vanessa objections, saying it's blood money.

Dex and Ansel set the table with what's left of their grandmother's china. She threw and broke most of it. Grey and Liz arrive. Dex isn't particularly happy to see Liz. Liz brought a barrel of sazerac she's been aging. Miles arrives next, with two bottles of wine. Grey's not happy to see him either. Dex introduces Miles and Ansel. Grey asks Dex about inviting Miles, but she says it's time to eat.

Miles asks Ansel if he let Dex cook. He didn't, which is good because Miles' doctor is traveling, so he can't get sick.

Dex tells Liz and Grey that she stopped the world from destroying a kid, but at the expense of burying a man who was going to make the world a better place. Miles says she did the right thing. Liz says she's grateful for things they couldn't predict, like her meeting Grey. Liz goes to the restroom and Grey says she's perfect. Dex says she's really happy and asks if Liz is okay like mentally.

The whole groups sits around the table to eat and enjoy their meal.

## Cast

* Dex Parios
* Grey McConnell
* Ansel Parios
* Miles Hoffman
* Liz Melero
* Dan Gibson
* Carol
* Antony Gibson
* Vanessa
* Llewellyn Slocombe
* Archie
* Elliot
* Rohan Gopalin
* Jacob Lindstrom
* Emma Lindstrom
* Casey Lindstrom
* Day Drinker
1/17
### Main Cast

* Cobie Smulders as Dex Parios
* Jake Johnson as Grey McConnell
* Tantoo Cardinal as Sue Lynn Blackbird (credit only)
* Cole Sibus as Ansel Parios
* Adrian Martinez as Tookie Alvarez (credit only)
* Camryn Manheim as Lieutenant Bobby Cosgrove (credit only)
* Michael Ealy as Detective Miles Hoffman

### Guest Stars

* Monica Barbaro as Liz Melero
* Paul Fitzgerald as Dan Gibson
* Kimberly Hébert Gregory as Carol
* Tosin Morohunfola as Antony Gibson
* Eliza Coupe as Vanessa

### Co-Starring

* Mark Sivertsen as Llewellyn Slocombe
* Tim Banning as Archie
* Gerald Avery as Elliot
* Jay Charan as Rohan Gopalin
* Zander Grable as Jacob Lindstrom
* Emily Vere Nicoll as Emma Lindstrom
* Josh Butcher as Casey Lindstrom
* Amanda Rivera as Josie
* Dennis W. Hall as Day Drinker

## Notes and Trivia

* This episode scored 2.62 million viewers.