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Cast: Donald Glover, Maya Erskine, Parker Posey, Wagner Moura, and Paul Dano.
Creator: Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane
Director: Hiro Murai, Karena Evans, and Amy Seimetz
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video
Language: English (with subtitles)
Runtime: 8 episodes, around 1 hour each.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 1 Review: What’s It About
Taking old concepts and bringing them back to a newer generation seems to be the bread and butter of Hollywood; for a time in the early 2000s, this meant taking old TV series and bringing them to the big screen as dumb comedies or action flicks, but in recent times reimagining these old properties seems to be the all-around choice. So Mr. and Mrs. Smith take the concept of a couple of married assassins and go into detail about it, as we see how life as an assassin comes in conflict with their married life, the cover they use to mix among the civilians.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 1 Review: Script Analysis
When the original film came out, it made big numbers and a big splash with audiences thanks to having Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie onboard as the leads. On top of that, several rumors that the two actors had fallen in love on set made the movie a must-watch. However, once the movie was over, it was clear that it was just a fun action-adventure movie with an entertaining high concept and not much else; there was still room for improvement, and this is what the writers and producers of the show seem to have as a goal.
In many ways, the writers have successfully expanded and improved the movie concept by going even further into detail regarding the situation that would put different people in place as a married couple when they are actually assassins. The series goes far beyond what the movie did regarding world-building; so much time is spent creating the sensation that this could be real and that some rules and protocols must be followed. The fact that at the beginning, our main characters, John and Jane, are just starting their relationship and job makes for a better and more nuanced relationship.
In the movie, both protagonists are already in love; they just don’t know that their life partner is also an assassin. The show takes that concept away and makes both assassins understand each other but makes the married part challenging. These are people who have chosen to kill as a way to earn a living, and so to cultivate and care for a relationship with another human being doesn’t seem like something they would be good at, and they aren’t, but that challenge is what makes it fun to watch, can these two actually work as a couple?
The answer is yes, but reaching that point takes work; it is a process, so the TV series format works very well, as each episode offers a new mission and perspective on the character’s situation. It is very nice to see both characters learning more about being assassins and partners, which is the most beautiful thing about the concept. While every episode is not a banger and especially the first half of the season can feel a bit slow and aimless, the second part feels focused and exciting.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 1 Review: Star Performance
So, while the pacing and the first half of the season stumble a little, it never goes into awful territory thanks to the performances, which makes the whole thing feel more natural and captivating. While Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are excellent, they were too perfect as a couple at the time and don’t represent the standard human being. Meanwhile, Glover and Erskine feel much more approachable in that regard, and you can see them as the couple living next door from you.
Glover has his innate charisma and is also allowed to go to darker places, while Erskine, who just recently killed it with her voice role in Blue Eye Samurai, proves here that she should be a more constant presence on our screen, displaying both tenderness and coldness in equal measure. The show also has the luck to count with many famous known faces in minor roles, which makes the show feel more significant than it actually is, but fun to watch and see which big name they got to be in the next episode.
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Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 1 Review: Direction & Music
The show has not only gone to great lengths to create more accurate and nuanced relationships for our leads but has also done the same work in depicting the world the characters live in. For that, they have gathered several directors to work on every episode and bring that feeling to life, with Hiro Murai setting the tone for the rest of the show and Donald Glover actually coming at the end for the big finale, which feels like an actual finale, in both stakes and scope. Glover has experience directing, thanks to his work in Atlanta, but he shows he can also go into action mode.
The score composed by David Fleming fits the setting and tone of the show and manages to enhance each scene without ever being too overbearing. The score might not be the most memorable part of the show, though; at least I know I won’t be listening to it by itself, but when paired with the images on the screen, it does the job it was meant to do.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 1 Review: Last Words
Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a fun and exciting reimagining of the film’s concept, and thanks to the approach the writers, the actors, and the directors have given it, it feels like a concept that could go even beyond in a future season, but as for this one, it does feel like something worth watching. The first half of the season struggles to hit the road, but when it does, it delivers a fantastic second half that will leave you waiting for more. Glover and Erskine are great leads, and there is room to keep bringing big names for supporting roles in the future.
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