IR TV Review: DTF ST. LOUIS - EPISODE 1 [HBO]

The inset of "DTF St. Louis" is an interesting conundrum of middle aged crisis and yet of course a reflection of something darker. Jason Bateman has continued (below the radar) to pick interesting but tricky pieces of dramatic series culture that show his character on more than one instance moving across the line and back again. Last time he was working against Jude Law in "Black Rabbit" which of course had his character a bit off track but in a closed circle. With this series being only 4 episodes on HBO, it plays to that same ideal, not overstaying its welcome but allowing for enough time to digest what is going on. Bateman plays a meteorologist on a local St. Louis station. He is friends with David Harbour, who plays a signing expert who works with him.

Bateman's Forrest seems to have it all but wants something more. Harbour's Floyd has his issues but just wants to be accepted and yet his journey is in many ways retroactive. Linda CardeLlini plays his wife Carol but there does seem to be a disconnect. We also catch up with a county investigator Homer (played with his usual tongue in cheek flair by Richard Jenkins) but he also is working with/against local city investigator Jodie Plumb (Joy Sunday) who sometimes brings to bear things he can't see. The questions too are retroactive and to give away anymore would risk the set up. The question becomes where does friendship end and trouble begin, and does it work retroactively either with regret or disdain. "DTF St. Louis" asks those questions at the inset but also integrates with two actors who know a thing or two about misdirection. B

By Tim Wassberg