Should You Be Down to Watch DTF St. Louis?
DTF St. Louis is a show that I feel pretty mixed about. On one hand, it has some clear positives and aspects of the miniseries that I really enjoy. On the other, the series definitely has some ways in which it’s lacking. Let’s break down the positives and negatives of DTF St. Louis before I give my ultimate determination as to whether it’s worth your time.
We’ll start with what the show does right. Overall, DTF St. Louis has an intriguing setup. Our story centers on a love triangle between three middle-aged adults: a married couple named Floyd and Carol, as well as Floyd’s co-worker, weatherman Clark Forrest. After a member of the trio meets his untimely demise, a detective and member of a special crimes unit investigate what happened.
Part of the story is set in the present day, concentrating on the investigation. The majority of the series, though, concentrates on showing what occurred as the relationships progressed between the three main characters. This includes the close bond that forms between Floyd and Clark, which is the sort of tight, genuine male friendship often not depicted on TV shows.
It’s a solid setup for a series. The focus of the show, with these three main characters as well as the investigators, is certainly interesting. There’s also a dark comedy aspect to the show which I really enjoy. At times, the series is laugh-out-loud funny, despite the seriousness of some of its subject matter.
The greatest strength of the series, without a doubt, is the performances of the leads. Jason Bateman plays Clark. He tends to act as the same sort of character in many of his roles, but that works here.
David Harbour and Linda Cardellini play Floyd and Carol, and both of their performances are top-notch. Harbour, in particular, takes a risk playing the vulnerable Floyd. He’s an often too-nice-for-his-own-good ASL interpreter who stands beside Clark and interprets while the latter gives the weather.
Unfortunately, despite a good premise and above-average acting, the show misses the mark in some ways. For a mystery-type show, which DTF St. Louis at least partially is, the show feels like it’s missing a couple more suspects. What actually occurred feels pretty predictable. Ultimately, there aren’t enough twists or turns to make seven episodes feel worth it. I definitely enjoyed the show less as it progressed; while I enjoyed the vibe and feel of the show, it simply felt sort of stagnant/unexciting with the actual story progression.
It also felt odd that the series didn’t focus at least a little more on Clark’s wife and daughters. Clark’s wife, in particular, feels like someone who should’ve been a main character, but is hardly in many scenes.
In addition, the conclusion of the series felt like the show’s writers were forcing in certain story beats that didn’t make sense simply to make the ending they wanted to achieve work. I won’t spoil said beats here, since they’re major reveals, but the show has the type of ending where if you really think about it for a few minutes, instead of just going with it, major aspects of it don’t work.
Despite its weaknesses, I would still recommend DTF St. Louis for anyone looking for a different-feeling black comedy drama to watch. Even with pacing and plot issues, I enjoyed the acting and characters enough that I found the experience of watching the show to be worthwhile. DTF St. Louis might not be a great show, but it’s still a unique one.
Grade: 7/10