DTF St. Louis Recap: That’s My Jamba Juice

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As a film and TV buff, I’m really getting a strong Netflix vibe from DTF St. Louis, and honestly, it feels a little out of place airing on HBO on a Sunday night. The whole look – people are jokingly calling it “Netflix lighting” – and the fact that it stars a lot of familiar faces from that platform, like David Harbour (arguably one of their biggest stars, next to Millie Bobby Brown), just screams Netflix to me. Plus, the way the story unfolds, constantly teasing you with little bits of information, feels very much like they’re just stringing you along until the next episode – a classic Netflix tactic.

The show’s basic premise feels a bit shaky, but the three main actors manage to deliver performances. It’s especially fitting that the series seems built around Joel Harbour, given his naturally endearing personality. The latest episode opens with another flashback showing how Clark and Carol first met – a rather awkward encounter at a neighborhood cornhole tournament. (I’m jokingly suggesting ‘cornholed’ as slang for being deceived or outmaneuvered in a suburban setting.) When Clark realizes Carol is flirting with him, he immediately invents a bizarre story about running a demolition business. The joke – that he’s known as the ‘Bang Master’ – falls a little flat, leaving you wondering if it’s intentionally absurd or if Clark genuinely wants to appear successful. It’s hard to say if this scene doesn’t quite work because I haven’t fully grasped the show’s overall style, or if the show itself is struggling to balance its quirky humor with its more straightforward, Netflix-style crime drama elements.

The show really shines when focusing on David Harbour’s character. He portrays a genuinely kind person so well that you almost forget he’s deceased, before the story jumps to the investigation. The dialogue is often witty and unique, though it usually only gets a small laugh. However, the first two episodes have made me genuinely laugh out loud a couple of times. This week, it was his heartfelt reaction to taking his stepson’s abandoned dance lessons, wanting to bring some energy to his DJing gig. The dance class scene itself, with Harbour and the kids, was brilliantly done, and Clark’s confused admiration was a nice touch. Floyd was a complex character – a bit awkward and sometimes annoying, but full of life and enthusiasm. The dance class established him as a lively, energetic guy, reminiscent of John Belushi, and it made me realize how much I enjoy seeing characters defy expectations with their physicality – both on screen and in real life.

I’m not quite sure what the point of Floyd’s story about Peyronie’s disease is supposed to be. If it’s just a brief, amusing look at his personality – he’s a helpful person who always sees the good in others, even if he’s a bit overbearing – that’s fine. But if this story is going to be important later, it needs to be a really significant reveal, and I’m not just saying that because of the subject matter.

The Jamba Juice scene is surprisingly effective branding, and it works well within the story. The coded conversation between the two characters, using their usual orders, subtly reveals their affair. It even adds to the show’s overall world-building. This is also where it becomes clear that Carol is the one initiating the relationship. Cardellini’s determined walk towards Clark’s billboard – a recurring visual in the show – foreshadows her giving him the signal. At the baseball game, when Carol encourages Clark to get a beer in a suggestive way, it’s revealed that he’s actually more submissive than his initial confidence implied, making him seem more like the person being cheated with than the confident character played by Bateman.

Honestly, Clark just feels…checked out. It’s like being a minor local celebrity has left him completely unfulfilled. And the sheer absurdity of Bateman suggesting his date just scroll on her phone while he…well, you get the picture – that was a truly hilarious moment. But then the show brilliantly undercuts it with the painfully ordinary reality of that scenario playing out in a hotel room. These people, these striving suburbanites, they just don’t aim high enough, you know? And they’re completely blindsided when their affair partner throws them for a loop by gushing about how wonderful her husband is and insisting she’d never leave him. It’s a perfect little twist of the knife.

After the extravagant party at Clark and Carol’s house, detectives Homer and Plumb continue their separate investigations. Homer is starting to see a clear picture of what happened. He learns from an online contact, ‘Modern Love’ (played with over-the-top flair by Peter Sarsgaard, who uses a David Bowie-inspired profile picture), that Floyd was meeting men through the DTF St. Louis platform. Conveniently, the DTF St. Louis profile connected to Floyd’s murder scene belongs to Clark, as does a prescription for the medication found in the poisoned Bloody Mary that killed him. This provides enough evidence to officially arrest Clark for the murder. Jenkins announces, “It’s a Palomar,” sounding quietly thrilled – a rare moment of excitement for a seasoned detective who finds satisfaction in solving a case completely and neatly.

For Plumb, the investigation is only starting. She’s still preoccupied with the Playgirl magazine found at the crime scene – Homer jokingly refers to it as “Indiana Jones jackoff classics” – and, urged on by Homer, she goes to visit Carol at her house. Carol immediately acts suspiciously, repeatedly demanding Plumb “speak up” whenever questioned. This pattern of deflection – people masking guilt or discomfort with noise – becomes a central theme of the episode. The noise comes from everywhere: the street, buzzing phones, cars, and even the constant chatter in our own minds. Ultimately, it leads to a sense of resignation.

The evidence is clear and undeniable, confirming Plumb’s suspicions. After getting a warrant to search Smernitch’s financial records, she finds a copy of the Playgirl magazine from the crime scene – but this one hasn’t had the face scratched out. Surprisingly, it features a young, attractive man who looks like Floyd (definitely a stand-in, and not Harbour, if you catch my drift). She also learns from the staff at Jamba Juice that Carol isn’t a “Go-Getter,” but a “Watermelon Breeze” – talk about a Midwest makeover! Seriously, who would ever lie about what they order at Jamba Juice?

The episode “Snag It” concludes with Plumb discovering evidence that Carol was the one who initiated the affair, not the other way around. However, this reveal doesn’t feel as impactful as the show intends, and the episode feels stretched out from what could have been a concise half-hour story. It’s not the strongest note to end on for the second episode of this seven-part series. Overall, “Snag It” showcases inspired performances and moments within DTF St. Louis, but the series seems to be attempting a more complex structure than it can effectively handle.

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2026-03-09 05:57