Parents' Guide to DTF St. Louis

Viewers will have to pay attention to this entertainingly oddball series that cuts a path between comedy and tragedy and leaves a lot unsaid, compelling watchers to fill in the gaps. When we meet Floyd in DTF St. Louis, he's embroiled in an awkward group therapy activity, asked by the therapist to put his arms around his rebellious stepson Richard (Arlan Ruf) while he reads off a supportive statement. Big surprise, that doesn't do a whole lot to bring the two together, despite Floyd's many efforts to get through to Richard. Floyd's wife, Carol, doesn't seem to be a big fan of her husband, either: She mocks him to an acquaintance at a party, revealing that he's such a dimwit that he gets lost in his Batman comics. Meanwhile, Clark's wife Eimy (Wynn Everett) barely notices her husband as he comes and goes, preferring to spend her time with her two young daughters.

We don't know why these couples are so unhappy or what made them this way; DTF St. Louis doles out information on its characters sparingly and viewers have to do some work to figure out what's going on beneath the surface. But for a show in which a relatable character played by a likable actor dies in tragic circumstances, DTF is also surprisingly funny, particularly in scenes in which detectives Homer and Jodie jostle over their investigatory duties, each feeling they should be the one in charge, or when Floyd and Clark clumsily try to be bros when each is so painfully self-involved they can barely muster any interest in anyone or anything. DTF St. Louis goes back in forth in time, showing us something that's happened, then flashing back to show us why and how. It's a narrative structure that will frustrate those who watch with one eye on their phone, but careful viewers will love having their intellect challenged by this weird, intriguing show.