HBO’s Murder Mystery DTF St Louis Hits No. 3 on the U.S. Charts

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Jason Bateman, known for his role in Ozark, has a knack for creating hit TV shows. His newest series is already proving to be a popular streaming success.

Okay, so this new seven-part comedy mystery just dropped on HBO on March 1st – it’s also on HBO Max, which is great. And honestly? It blew up right away! It landed at number three in the US, which is pretty amazing when you consider it was right behind two huge shows already on the platform: The Pitt and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. I was really surprised, but super happy to see something new break through like that.

It’s likely DTF St. Louis will also become popular worldwide, but it was added to HBO Max internationally after its initial release. As a result, it only appeared in the top charts in a few countries – the U.S., Mexico, Belize, and the Bahamas – where it reached ninth and eighth place, respectively, upon its debut.

What Is DTF St. Louis About?

This new dark comedy is created by Steven Conrad, who also made Patriot. The show centers on a love triangle involving three people going through a midlife crisis, and it ends with one of them being found dead.

Most of the show takes place in the suburbs of St. Louis. The murder mystery also features Linda Cardellini (from Dead to Me), Joy Sunday (from Wednesday), Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water), and Peter Sarsgaard (The Batman). The series is named after a dating app used by married people in the St. Louis area.

I first heard about this series back in 2022, and it’s a fascinating story. Initially, it wasn’t going to star Jason Bateman – things clearly changed! The whole thing is based on a really gripping article in The New Yorker by James Lasdun, called “My Dentist’s Murder Trial: Adultery, False Identities, and a Lethal Sedation.” Bateman was also on board as an executive producer from the start, which makes sense given how central he became to the project.

The project took a new turn in October 2024 when Pascal left, and the series shifted to a completely original concept, separate from the initial article. Jason Bateman, known for Arrested Development, then joined as an executive producer.

DTF St. Louis Debuted With a Strong Score

The new dark comedy series has been well-received by critics, earning an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes after 21 reviews. Currently, audience ratings haven’t been released yet.

Karina Adelgaard from Heaven of Horror highly recommended the show, particularly enjoying how characters were constantly revealed to be more complex than they initially seemed. She found this very realistic, noting that people often make quick judgments. Other critics also complimented the actors and the show’s ability to create characters that feel both complex and believable.

I have to say, after watching this show, I’m a bit disappointed. New York Times critic James Poniewozik pretty much nailed my feelings – it doesn’t quite deliver for fans of the genre, and honestly, I wished it had taken more risks and broken free from its predictable structure. It felt a little too safe for its own good.

In a review for Time Magazine, Judy Berman criticized DTF St. Louis, stating the murder plot either detracts from the show’s interesting qualities or relies too heavily on it to support characters that needed a more original storyline.

New episodes of DTF St. Louis come out every Sunday until the show ends on April 12th, just before the premiere of Euphoria Season 3.

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2026-03-02 19:08