DTF St. Louis Review: Jason Bateman and David Harbour Lead HBO's Strangely Brilliant Erotic Thriller Spoof

HBO's DTF St. Louis Is the Unsexiest Erotic Thriller You'll Ever Love

If you thought erotic thrillers couldn't get any more self-aware, HBO's new limited series DTF St. Louis is here to prove you wrong. All seven episodes were written and directed by Steven Conrad (Patriot), and it's genuinely one of the most off-killer comedies on TV right now.

The Setup: Suburbia Gone Wrong

The series follows Clark (Jason Bateman), a local weatherman who commutes to work on a recumbent bike — arguably the most dorky transportation ever committed to television. He befriends Floyd (David Harbour), an on-air ASL interpreter, and things get complicated when Clark starts an affair with Floyd's wife Carol (Linda Cardellini).

The backdrop is St. Louis — or rather, the fictional suburb of Twyla — and it's deliberately unglamorous. We're talking Purina corporate offices, Outback Steakhouse friend dates, and Jamba Juice Go-Getter smoothies. This is suburbia weaponized for absurdist comedy.

Who Killed Floyd?

Floyd winds up dead by a poisoned canned Bloody Mary, and the investigation is led by detectives Donoghue (Richard Jenkins, the perfect straight man) and Jodie (Joy Sunday). But the real meat of the show is in the nonlinear flashbacks exploring the dangerous liaisons between Clark, Carol, and Floyd.

Critics have called it "Tim Robinson but quiet" — same absurdist energy as The Chair Company on HBO, just with a much softer delivery. The central trio are mild-mannered people stuck in economic and spiritual malaise, which makes their choices all the more fascinating and hilarious.

Think of it as The White Lotus's Midwest cousin — using a murder mystery as a Trojan horse for an adult relationship dramedy set in the most unglamorous place imaginable. If you're tired of glossy prestige TV, DTF St. Louis might be your new obsession. (≧◡≦) ♡