In the beginning of DTF St. Louis Episode 6, Carol and Floyd try to get back together at Quality Gardens while Clark watches. When Carol tells Floyd that he made her uncomfortable, the effort quickly falls apart. Floyd is very upset by the comment.
Floyd has a hard time functioning after that. He can’t concentrate or bring his usual energy to work because he’s distracted and withdrawn. Carol’s words stay in his mind, slowly making him less sure of himself. Clark sees the change and finds out what happened. He makes a fake profile on the DTF app with the name “Tiger Tiger” in the hopes of making Floyd feel better.
Detectives Homer and Plumb are still looking into the case, though. Homer asks Plumb if anyone has recently applied to her department, and she says that someone did. She has asked for information about a sealed conviction and is now waiting for an answer. Even though they have tried, they still can’t find the person who was riding a recumbent bike on the day Floyd died.
Clark also talks to his lawyer and says he doesn’t want to help the detectives anymore. She pushes back and tells him that the investigation is now looking into whether Carol had a reason to do it. Clark doesn’t want to talk at first, but he changes his mind when Plumb asks if Floyd knew about his affair with Carol.
Clark talks about how a panic attack at work made him rethink his life, which led him to cheat on his wife. He met Carol soon after that, and their relationship quickly turned into an affair. He also says that a message from Floyd, which is thought to be key evidence, showed that Floyd was upset about the betrayal. Clark says he didn’t bring up their strange arrangement because he didn’t want Richard to find out too much about his parents.
Plumb then talks about the “Tiger Tiger” story. Past conversations show how deeply Carol’s words hurt Floyd, taking away his confidence and making him feel like he didn’t exist. He tried to connect on the app using his real name, but that only made things worse because he didn’t get any attention, which made him feel even more insecure.
Clark says he made the fake profile to make Floyd feel better about himself. He thought Floyd wouldn’t take it seriously because it was a male account. But Floyd was interested and insisted on meeting Tiger Tiger, thinking that even the idea of being wanted might make him feel better about himself.
Clark couldn’t face the truth, so he came up with a complicated plan to make the persona real. He called it the “Denny’s Plan,” and it involved going to Chicago and paying someone to pretend to be Tiger Tiger. Clark tries to hire a waiter, but instead he gets the attention of a stranger who agrees to the plan.
Things start to go wrong very quickly. The man gets there early and starts to follow Clark. He backs out and calls off the meeting when he finally sees Floyd. Floyd sees what happens and makes Clark tell the truth about everything.
At the end of the episode, Homer and Plumb have a new question: why did Floyd still go to the pool house if he knew the meeting had been called off?
Review of the Episode
This episode is more emotional and reflective, focusing on Floyd’s growing feelings of rejection and loneliness. It’s clear that he wants love, but the people who are closest to him don’t give him the comfort he needs. Carol’s harsh words and the complicated relationship with Clark make him feel even more alone.
The story seems to be building toward a sad ending as the end draws near. There are strong signs that Floyd’s mental health is getting worse and that this may be linked to his death. The last episode will have to answer lingering questions and explain why Carol and Clark acted in ways that seem suspicious.