Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season One Early Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of all 8 episodes of the first season of Mr and Mrs Smith, premiering its first two episodes tomorrow on Prime Video

Setting the bar high was 2005’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith, an action comedy vehicle showcasing the chemistry of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. While not exactly the most highbrow of works, it was definitely entertaining. That being said, was another adaptation truly necessary? Either way, here comes a streaming series adaptation of the 2005 film that fortunately throws something different at viewers, putting a different spin on that original premise and this time showcasing the chemistry of Donald Glover (also a writer, director, and the co-creator of the series) and Maya Erskine as the titular John and Jane Smith. Building that key dynamic from the ground up, the series lives or dies on that chemistry and though they deliver for the most part, the foundation is not nearly as solid. Having a lot of ground to cover over the span of only 8-episodes, a large amount of depth is left on the table by focusing too much on building the Smith dynamic rather than on John and Jane as individuals. Despite barely succeeding at the former, moments within those growing pains were still kind of fun to watch as the series slowly found its footing. Glover and Erskine are not Pitt and Jolie, nor should they have to be, however, their chemistry is more than enough to warrant a stream.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith starts with two complete strangers each landing jobs for a mysterious spy agency, offering them wealth and other benefits. Little did they know, the catch involved assuming new identities and being paired together as a married couple named John (Glover) and Jane Smith (Erskine). In order to work together, they would need to know each other to develop some sort of a working relationship. Vowing to keep it professional, it was only a matter of time until it slowly evolved into something more. Spending so much time together both at home and while completing various missions together, starting off small before escalating in complexity and danger in line with their experience, it was inevitable. The closer John and Jane grew, their personal walls started coming down but that also meant that parts of their true selves and personalities did as well. As has a lot of so-called professional relationships go, once feelings are involved, their relationship became complicated and then snowball from there and that’s what happened here. Meanwhile, the other side of the season was the backstory of the all-seeing and all-knowing company that recruited John and Jane. Put in a situation that seemed too good to be true, they couldn’t help but be curious as things were not necessarily what they seemed. How and why they were recruited? Why were they allowed three mission fails, what constitutes, and whatever happened to them if they were to reach that number?

For what John and Jane lacked in experience, they made up for in their unique set of instincts that, more often than not, worked out for them though that didn’t mean there weren’t speed bumps. Perhaps it was through that youth and inexperience that the writers meant for them to be endearing to watch, by giving viewers characters to grow with, but that didn’t necessarily mean that their trajectories were the same in the eyes of their mysterious virtual supervisor. Despite being in a fake marriage, John and Jane faced real feelings as their relationship soon mimicked that of an old married couple, therapy and all. The series was ultimately at its best in the moments where they felt most real and outside of their designed “roles.” The more their personalities came out in moments designed to move the story along that didn’t feel derivative and contrived, the more fun they were to watch. However, the season’s focus on the dynamic over its parts left material on the table, especially as its back half comes off as rushed. In the end, flirting so much with that edge with someone or something else pulling their strings, John and Jane would have to face some consequences and a cliffhanger ending leaves the result of those in question until the next season.

While billed as an action comedy series, Mr. & Mrs. Smith just scratched the surface of where it could go action wise. Most of the action set pieces take place during John and Jane’s series of escalating missions and were often a byproduct of their inexperience. As they ramped up, the more thrilling they became but that also meant that it took time to get there. On the other side, those set pieces were arguably not as elaborate and felt like they were lacking overall which could be due to its TV budget. A tale of two halves, a disjointed second half simply takes away from the natural progression of the characters and the story that viewers come to expect from a series until the season finale attempts to right the ship. However, it could only do so much as the destination got more attention than the journey as it was all about getting there. Though from the very first scene of the very first episode, it was clear as to what the outcome of the season would possibly be. In the end, the goal was to make it worthwhile and essentially, it is.

As mentioned, Glover and Erskine are easily the best part of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Doing the most with what they were given, their strong chemistry is what ties it all together though one can’t help but want more from them. Forced to operate within the confines of the relationship between John and Jane Smith, they did not enough of a chance to let their individuality shine. Though when called upon for the many moments that required the John and Jane dynamic to carry certain scenes, they delivered an interesting contrast on screen over the course of the arc of their relationship. However, those can only do so much as the emotional connection the season creates between them and viewers is not quite where it should have been after 8-episodes. In terms of its supporting cast, the season offers some impressive names, including Michaela Coel, John Turturro, and Paul Dano just to name a few, who all make the most out of their screen time.

At the end of the day, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is an adaptation that carves its own path, delivering a solid central dynamic, but it could have been so much more.

still courtesy of Prime Video

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.