DTF St. Louis

DTF St. Louis
Promotional poster
Genre
Created bySteven Conrad
Written bySteven Conrad
Directed bySteven Conrad
Starring
Music byAlex Wurman
Opening theme"Let the Sunshine In" by the 5th Dimension
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
ProducerChristina M. Fitzgerald
CinematographyJames Whitaker
EditorKevin D. Ross
Running time49 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseMarch 1, 2026 (2026-03-01) –
present

DTF St. Louis is an American dark comedy television miniseries created by Steven Conrad for HBO. The series stars Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, Richard Jenkins, Joy Sunday, Arlan Ruf, and Peter Sarsgaard, and premiered on March 1, 2026.

Premise

The seven-part series is about a love triangle between three adults experiencing middle-age malaise, which leads to one of them ending up dead.[1] Two detectives investigate and learn the crime is connected to a dating app called "DTF St. Louis", which enables married couples to have affairs. The series is presented in a nonlinear narrative, with episodes often revisiting previous scenes to reveal their place in the overall chronology of events.

Cast and characters

Main

Guest

Episodes

No.Title [5]Directed by [6]Written by [6]Original release date [5]
1"Cornhole"Steven ConradSteven ConradMarch 1, 2026 (2026-03-01)
In 2018, Floyd Smernitch is a sign language interpreter who lives with his wife Carol and her troubled teenage son Richard. During a televised storm report, he protects meteorologist Clark Forrest from being injured, and the two quickly become close friends. At a family get-together, Clark tells Floyd about DTF St. Louis, an app for married people to have affairs. Both men confess that their marital sex lives are not going well. Eventually, Floyd agrees to meet Clark to set up their profiles on the app. Weeks later, Floyd's dead body is found inside the local community pool house. Detective Donoghue Homer and special crimes officer Jodie Plumb disagree over the evidence and their theories about Floyd's death. Plumb obtains surveillance footage capturing a recumbent bicycle leaving the scene and identifies Clark as the likely owner. Homer questions Clark, who denies being at the scene, and seizes his phone as potential evidence. Homer discovers through Clark's texts that he had been having an affair with Carol for several months but became obsessed when she ended it. The toxicology report reveals that Floyd was poisoned. Homer and his deputies arrive at the news station and arrest Clark during a live weather report.
2"Snag It"Steven ConradSteven ConradMarch 8, 2026 (2026-03-08)
Clark and Carol begin an affair after a series of flirtatious encounters lead them to arrange secret sexual trysts that Carol calls "dream meetings", in which they act out each other's sexual fantasies. During a concert for which Floyd is interpreting, Carol is unexpectedly moved by his energetic performance and tells Clark she wants to remain with Floyd. Clark nevertheless grows closer to Floyd, which is when he introduces him to the DTF St. Louis app. Floyd later agrees to meet a user named "Tiger Tiger", leading to his poisoning. In the present, Homer traces the Tiger Tiger account to Clark's IP address and credit card and charges him with Floyd's murder, informing Clark that the prosecution intends to seek the death penalty. Plumb later examines Floyd's belongings and discovers multiple copies of a Playgirl magazine matching one found at the crime scene, depicting a nude male model dressed as Indiana Jones. Homer believes Floyd brought the magazine page to sexually arouse himself prior to meeting Tiger Tiger, but Plumb learns from Carol that Floyd himself is the model in the photos. Plumb tells Homer she believes Carol is lying about Clark instigating their affair. Clark calls his wife from jail and insists he did not kill Floyd.
3"The Go Getter"Steven ConradSteven ConradMarch 15, 2026 (2026-03-15)
Clark and Carol's affair intensifies; Carol tells Clark about her dissatisfaction with her marriage and describes Floyd's financial problems, including debt and limited income from his work as an interpreter. Clark is later revealed to have set up Floyd's life insurance policy; Carol tells him Floyd must never know about it. Floyd matches with a user named "Modern Love" on the DTF St. Louis app and arranges a date, only to learn that the user is a man. He nevertheless has breakfast with him and lets the man kiss him, later telling Clark that they engaged in more intimate foreplay that Floyd allowed to avoid hurting the man's feelings. Floyd also spends time with his stepson Richard and bonds with him during a visit to a skate park. In the present, Clark tells Homer and Plumb that he loved Floyd and would not harm him. When the detectives present a key connected to the investigation, Clark stops answering their questions and requests a lawyer. Later, Carol reassures Richard that they will be financially secure after Floyd's death.
4"Missouri Mutual Life & Health Insurance Company"Steven ConradSteven ConradMarch 22, 2026 (2026-03-22)
5"Amphezyne"Steven ConradSteven ConradMarch 29, 2026 (2026-03-29)
6TBASteven ConradSteven ConradApril 5, 2026 (2026-04-05)
7TBASteven ConradSteven ConradApril 12, 2026 (2026-04-12)

Production

The seven-part series has Steven Conrad as the series writer, showrunner, executive producer, and director. It started development in 2022 with David Harbour and Pedro Pascal attached to star and executive produce and was originally inspired by the James Lasdun article in The New Yorker entitled "My Dentist's Murder Trial: Adultery, False Identities, and a Lethal Sedation". However, in October 2024, it was announced that Pascal was no longer involved and the creative direction of the series had evolved into a wholly original idea with no connection to the original article, with Jason Bateman joining the series to star alongside Harbour and serve as an executive producer for Aggregate Films. Additional executive producers include James Lasdun, as well as Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch for Escape Artists, Molly Allen, Bruce Terris, and Michael Costigan for Aggregate Films, Kristina Wenson for Bravo Axolotl, and MGM Television.[1]

Linda Cardellini joined the cast in December 2024.[7][8] Richard Jenkins and Arlan Ruf joined the cast in January 2025.[9][10] Chris Perfetti and Joy Sunday were added to the cast in February.[11]

The main story takes place in Twyla, Missouri, a fictional suburb of St. Louis. A city website was created by the show's production designers, and follows along with the timeline of Floyd's death, and subsequent investigation.[12]

Filming took place in Atlanta, Georgia, in May 2025.[13][14] The first trailer showed locations in Cumming and Johns Creek, Georgia.[15]

Release

The series premiered on HBO on March 1, 2026.[16]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 88% approval rating based on 41 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Steve Conrad zeroes in on the crossroads between the suburbanite mundane and insane with this sly yet telling crime thriller that boasts strong performances by David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, and Jason Bateman."[17] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 70 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable".[18]

References

  1. ^ a b Otterson, Joe (November 1, 2024). "HBO Orders Limited Series DTF St. Louis Starring David Harbour & Jason Bateman". Variety. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "HBO Original Limited Series DTF ST. LOUIS Starring Jason Bateman, David Harbour, and Linda Cardellini Debuts March 1" (Press release). Warner Bros. Discovery. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  3. ^ Cordero, Rosy (January 22, 2025). "Richard Jenkins Joins HBO Limited Series 'DTF St. Louis'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  4. ^ Otterson, Joe (February 18, 2025). "'DTF St. Louis' at HBO Casts Chris Perfetti, Joy Sunday". Variety. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Shows A–Z – DTF St. Louis on HBO". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  6. ^ a b Fienberg, Daniel (February 27, 2026). "'DTF St. Louis' Review: Jason Bateman, David Harbour and Linda Cardellini Topline HBO's Intriguingly Evasive Murder Mystery". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  7. ^ Murphy, Chris (January 22, 2026). "Jason Bateman, David Harbour, and Linda Cardellini Enter a Deadly Love Triangle in DTF St. Louis". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  8. ^ Petski, Denise (December 9, 2024). "Linda Cardellini Joins Jason Bateman & David Harbour In Steve Conrad's HBO Limited Series DTF St. Louis". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  9. ^ Otterson, Joe (January 15, 2025). "Richard Jenkins Joins HBO Limited Series DTF St. Louis". Variety. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  10. ^ Lang, Brent (January 27, 2025). "Arlan Ruf Starring Opposite Jason Bateman, David Harbour in HBO Limited Series DTF St. Louis (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  11. ^ Porter, Rick (February 18, 2025). "Abbott Elementary, Wednesday Breakouts Board HBO's DTF St. Louis". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  12. ^ "City of Twyla, Missouri — Official Government Website". cityoftwyla.org. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  13. ^ "David Harbour wears fake belly on set of HBO's DTF St. Louis". The Express Tribune. May 27, 2025. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  14. ^ Cobbs, Cathy (May 29, 2025). "HBO series featuring Jason Bateman and David Harbour films in Dunwoody". Rough Draft Atlanta. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  15. ^ "First Look at HBO's 'DTF St. Louis' – Trailer Reveals Familiar North Metro Locations". Filming in Georgia. February 1, 2026. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  16. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (January 28, 2026). "DTF St. Louis Trailer: Jason Bateman and David Harbour Are Suburban Dads Plagued by Sex App in Kinky HBO Comedy". Variety. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  17. ^ "DTF St. Louis: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  18. ^ "DTF St. Louis: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
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