Mr & Mrs Smith: Review
By Sioph Leal
If you’re coming to this series expecting the same plot as the 2005 movie, you’re going to get something very different and much improved. Instead of a bored married couple discovering they are both assassins hired by competing agencies to kill each other, this version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith immediately shows it is going in a different direction. Our John and Jane are introduced by a job interview. They’re two lonely strangers wanting a high-risk job, and they take an offer from a mysterious company that gives them a thrilling life of espionage, travel, wealth, and a dreamhouse in Manhattan. To get all that, they must give up their lives, become Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and do whatever mission the company assigns them without fail. Each new mission brings a deeper understanding of each other and bigger risks as their real feelings are combined with their personas.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith balance comedy and action perfectly, opting for a dry, darker humour that Donald Glover and Maya Erskine as the Smiths combine with great chemistry, intensity, and comedic tone to perfection. Their chemistry is amazing and propels every aspect of the story forward that is used in the more quiet and normal moments of the Smith’s lives. When they first meet, it is awkward, but despite that, the Smith’s work well together, and it's easy to see why they were paired as characters but also as actors. Glover’s John is warmer and more curious about the personal aspects of their lives, while Erskine’s Jane is mission-focused and takes the personal out of it—except when it comes to her beloved pet Max. Their dynamic is explored with the expert pacing of the first episode as we get to know them, and they get to know each other. It’s natural and fits well with the chaos of their first mission. While John is lighter than Jane, once the mission is complete, he becomes colder and shuts down any curiosity from Jane about the company they work for. The brief switch in their personalities still carries the comedy and gives signs of the interesting dynamic that will carry through the season.
It isn’t just the two main stars that bring something exceptional to the series; the quality of the guest stars is a credit to the series without taking away from the story or Glover and Erskine. With names like Sarah Paulson, Alexander Skarsgård, Wagner Moura, and Parker Posey, they could easily have been a distraction from the main Smith’s like other series would have done, but are instead there to maintain and elevate the main characters and add deeper levels to their relationships and missions.
Given how new the Smith’s are to the world of espionage, they mess up. A lot. The series is better for it, with refreshing set pieces from their missions and mess-ups that keep you wanting more with every episode that ends. Spy media has high stakes and dangerous situations, which is a staple of the genre, but with the dark comedy twist, Mr. and Mrs. Smith bring new life to it, and it is because they mess up and don’t’ take the easy route that adds to the humour that the cast are able to play on and give something fun and unique to watch.
We see a lot of the Smith’s dynamic playout through missions or through montage with a marriage therapist when we see cracks starting to form with the married couple. Normally, that can give a longing for more time shown with the characters instead of flashbacks and intercut scenes, but the series conveys the emotional side this way to match the pacing and keep the focus on the mission and the Smiths. It can, at times, leave out some of the mystery, and things can seem brashly brought to light, but it does not hinder the enjoyment of the series, and everything else being so strong helps maintain a great level of quality.
As the series ends, there will be a hunger for more from Glover and Erskine or from the world of Mr. and Mrs. Smith agents that could continue this fresh and entertaining new take on the spy genre. The mix of dry, black humour is an expert choice that we long to see more of in this world. There are twists and turns that you won't see coming but many shocking moments that are obvious- one in particular involving the identity of another character that carries through to the post credits which underlines the dark humour and action combination that is true to the series and to its merit.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith will be available on Amazon Prime, February 02nd 2024.