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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Donald Glover returns to Prime Video with a new action-crime comedy-drama spy thriller series, Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Following last year’s critically acclaimed limited series, Swarm, Glover reunites with Atlanta screenwriter/ supervising producer, Francesca Sloane. The two serve as the co-creator/showrunner duo of this hit streaming title. I gave myself two viewings to take in the details of this series, and I must say, this is a greater experience upon a second watch.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a streaming television series whose main characters are inspired by characters written by Simon Kinberg in the 2005 feature film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
In this review, I will be discussing Glover and Sloane’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith. As the title of this article suggests, there will be spoilers ahead, so strap up and read ahead at your discretion.
Prime Video’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith Synopsis
According to Amazon Studios Press, here is the synopsis for Mr. & Mrs Smith.
Two lonely strangers land jobs working for a mysterious spy agency that offers them a glorious life of espionage, wealth, world travel, and a dream brownstone in Manhattan. The catch? New identities in an arranged marriage as Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith. Now hitched, John and Jane navigate a high-risk mission every week while also facing a new relationship milestone. Their complex cover story becomes even more complicated when they catch real feelings for each other. What’s riskier: espionage or marriage?
Amazon Studios Press
Prime Video’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith Descriptions
According to Amazon Studios Press, here are the descriptions for all 8 episodes of Mr. & Mrs Smith.
- Pilot—“First Date” written by Francesca Sloane & Donald Glover, directed by executive producer Hiro Murai
Meet the Smiths, John and Jane! Strangers who have given up their identities to be paired off by a secretive organization, both in espionage and in marriage! Two peas stuck in one pod. Come along as they run, jump, and adventure, making friends and making memories! But watch out, there’s something amiss for this very first mission. It’s John and Jane’s: FIRST DATE! Good luck, John and Jane!
Amazon Studios Press
- Episode 102—“Second Date” written by Sloane, directed by Murai
John and Jane are all dressed up with somewhere to go: a sinister black tie event! But first, the Smiths need ground rules at home: NO S-E-X! But when their wily target Eric Shane turns things topsy turvy, will they be able to set things right? It’s John and Jane’s: SECOND DATE! Bark bark!
Amazon Studios Press
- 103—“First Vacation” written by co-producer Yvonne Hana Yi, directed by Karena Evans
In their New York townhouse, in the bedroom, on the snowy slopes: John and Jane always have fun. And today, they’re off to the Italian Dolomites! Will John discover a new hobby? Will Jane make a new friend? Are the two of them starting to really care about each other? John and Jane, it’s time for your FIRST VACATION! Remember, another failure will make the boss very unhappy!
Amazon Studios Press
- 104—“Double Date” written by executive story editors Adamma Ebo and Adanne Ebo as well as Yi and Sloane, directed by producer/cinematographer Christian Sprenger
John and Jane aren’t the only Smiths having fun. This time, meet Other John and Other Jane, another pair of Smiths, only they’re SUPER high risk. But will the whole gang together be too much of a good thing? Double the laughs and double the hijinx! It’s John and Jane’s: DOUBLE DATE!
Amazon Studios Press
- 105—“Do You Want Kids?” written by co-executive producer Carla Ching and executive producer Stephen Glover, directed by Karena Evans
It’s summertime, and John and Jane can’t wait to spend more time together! Join them in glamorous Lake Como as they drive cars, dodge bad guys, and chase after slippery Toby, whose naughty criminal ways have put them all in danger. But as they’re taking care of this baby man, the two of them can’t help but wonder, John and Jane, DO YOU WANT KIDS? Mamma mia, Toby!
Amazon Studios Press
- 106—“Couples Therapy (Naked & Afraid)” written by Sloane, directed by Amy Seimetz
Oh, John. Oh, Jane. Our pair have been oh so bad at sharing and caring. Time to call in help — John and Jane, get ready for: COUPLES THERAPY, what a gas!
Amazon Studios Press
- 107—“Infidelity” written by Yi, Schuyler Pappas, and Sloane, directed by Seimetz
Hihi told John and Jane to take some space! John has been spending lots of time with his new friend, Bev. But what about Jane? Will John forget about all the fun they had together? Poor Jane! Bad, bad, John! How will John and Jane bounce back from INFIDELITY!
Amazon Studios Press
- Finale—“A Breakup” written by Sloane and Donald Glover, directed by Donald Glover
John and Jane are taking a time-out. Will they be able to say they’re sorry or will this be the end of their adventures? Grab some tissues John and Jane, it’s A BREAKUP! Only this time, it’s life and death. Don’t be so dramatic!
Amazon Studios Press
Discussion
Glover and Sloane’s television series is an effective narrative that re-writes the flaws of Liman and Kinberg’s original take. Employing Glover’s go-to production crew from Atlanta, Guava Island, and Swarm, along with others, Mr. and Mrs. Smith establishes a coherent examination into the lives of its titular protagonists: the main John (Glover) and Jane Smith (Maya Erskine). With a rather astonishing roster of screenwriters, directors, cinematographers, composers, and more, this eight-episode season makes for a brilliant viewing experience.
In fact, the series is comprised of so much meticulous detail—weaved both within itself and tied to the original film—that it might be easy to miss the subtle messages being conveyed. As was the case with Glover’s surreal comedy-drama as well as his slasher-horror thriller comedy television programs, there is not much of an overall plot to gain from the season itself. Instead, the season’s episodes are almost anthologized, linked together by character choices and developments as the season progresses. This navigation through the season allows for the relationship between the two leads to have their ebbs and flows. Ultimately, these sets of choices and character beats results in an unanswered conclusion to the dynamic.
For example, John’s kendama—introduced in “Second Date”—is a subtle addition to his character. Kendamas help strengthen hand-eye coordination, balance, and reflexes. The Japanese toy breaking in “Infidelity”, symbolizes his failure to balance his personal life with his professional life. Furthermore, this is indicative of his lack of reflexes in “A Breakup”. This leads to him getting hit by a taxi cab and later getting mortally wounded in the closing scene.
The Clever Merit of the Teleplays
Jane tucking a syringe of truth serum by her left thigh under her red dress is a clever nod to John jabbing her with that same serum in the finale. She also gives an older Jane Smith (guest star Parker Posey) a house tour in “Double Date”. This foreshadows the latter Jane making attempts to break into their panic room in the season’s final scene. The Smiths’ home elevator even represents the full circle moment from where they first meet to then returning (to probably bid each other farewell).
While older Jane’s advice towards the couple during dinner—“[B]e prepared to abandon [your plans]. Be a master at thinking on your feet. Be smart; trust your instincts, go with your gut, listen”—is something they seem to dismiss, ironically scoffing at older John Smith’s (guest star Wagner Moura) advice to control their breathing to control much else is a key to their survival. I love the moment in an Italian alleyway during the following episode, “Do You Want Kids?”. Here, John helps a man, Toby Hellinger (guest star Ron Perlman), inhale and exhale.
The Smiths going to therapy and paying for their monthly sessions via the Venmo mobile phone application in “Couples Therapy (Naked & Afraid)” is an interesting plot point. In the following episode, “Infidelity”, they must pay a Kosher Food Mart clerk (guest star Dave Attell) via Venmo. However, the clerk is hesitant to have them pay due to his bizarre belief regarding computer viruses. Keeping a gun in the oven—shown in the finale—is also a nice nod to Jolie’s Jane having a kitchen oven that contains weaponry. Scenes like these showcase Jane’s remarkable means of resolving problems. She knows how to think outside of the box, yet is almost always shut out/down by John.
Adapting the Smiths
The screenwriting is peculiar yet not unlike what I am familiar with in Atlanta. There is a layer of dark humor attached to the episodic plots, created from a mixture of Glover’s comical taste and Erskine’s tenure on Hulu’s PEN15. Watching their characters shift the dialogue from John’s remarks about Jane’s “predator” eyes to her time in New York having “pancakes with a pedophile” is as surreal as it gets. John’s romantic gestures are initially creepy—with John brushing back Jane’s hair to insert an earpiece for communication’s sake. One part that should have been a dead giveaway for John’s identity manifests at the beginning of “Double Date”. He runs into a former girlfriend, Rooney (guest star Úrsula Corberó), at a farmer’s market. It could have easily been that, when he first calls out her name, her first response is to call him “Michael”—John’s deadname.
Conversely, the comedy does have its laughable moments. In “First Date”, Jane had me internally screaming to dim her phone to not disrupt the Cherry Lane Theatre audience. The dialogue between the two Smith couples in “Double Date” about punk music artists is quite hilarious. I love that the events there lead to a punchline about rapper Eminem owning and opening a Mom’s Spaghetti restaurant in Detroit, Michigan. Although, I am sure that Eminem might be prone to making a diss track as a response…
Unlike Pitt and Jolie’s version of the characters, each of whose close friends were played by Vince Vaughn and Kerry Washington, Glover and Erskine’s Smiths are not necessarily permitted to have friends. I like that Glover’s John cheats the system by speaking to his mom. Meanwhile, Erskine’s Jane speaks to no one except for Harris (guest star Paul Dano) at times and, more so, her cat, Max.
A Cinematic Experience, One Way or Another
The cinematographers utilized time and patience to capture the myriad frames of John and Jane’s lives. Christian Sprenger’s framing of the first other John Smith (guest star Alexander Skarsgård) dying from a gunshot to the cheek in the pilot’s opening scene is an intriguing indication of what viewers can come to expect from the series. The violence is brutal enough that it separates itself from the violence of Liman’s film. Additionally, Sprenger’s close-ups of Jane and John’s eyes as the former braces to exit the panic… That might mark the climax of the season.
Sprenger’s framing of the main John and Jane’s first assignment is enthralling work. At first, he centers them in their Orsay bar restaurant booth. This framing acknowledges these characters as the series’ focal points. Then, he moves them off to the side. It is as if to reference the open space that leaves room for others to occupy their personal spaces. The camera work and the editing when Jane fights a seedy man in “Couples Therapy” is an awesome sequence, juxtaposing John as a foil to Jane. Sequences such as these aim for perfection. Otherwise, the series appears to go for the traditional narrative of spy stories.
Music and Sound Design
Composer David Fleming’s scoring, paired with music supervisor Jen Malone’s song selection, are some of the best work I have heard in a little while. There is seldom a track in the playlist that is not congruous with the scenes; most truly blew me away. Fleming’s compositions in the episodes set in Italy are perhaps the best in the series. There, they feel most like an espionage thriller narrative where the characters travel abroad to complete a larger objective.
Payne and Redding’s sound editing is exhilarating as well. The loud bang from a metal tray at the Orsay restaurant in the pilot makes for an excellent jump scare. It also helps the main characters stay alert with their mission, while also gradually getting to know one another. The score and car alarms in the aftermath of the cake detonation are a thrilling combination to have. Malone’s incorporation of tracks by Kadhja Bonet and the Whatnauts supplements the psychedelic display of John and Jane succumbing to truth serum in the finale.
Production
The design of the Smiths’ New York home, despite much of the series taking place exterior to it, is a sight. I find that I prefer this set piece to the more lavish real estate shared between Pitt/Jolie’s Smiths. Glover and Erskine’s movements throughout help exhibit the layout of the home, which feels somewhat close to the home in David Fincher’s Panic Room. Andrew Baseman’s lavish set decoration of the wine racks on the basement floor highlights how far John and Jane can come in their line of work.
Out of all the other location settings, production designer Gerald Sullivan’s construction of the “Do You Want Kids?” set pieces has the loveliest scenery. John and Jane take Hellinger through an Italian town and across the waters to a cottage that John purchases without consulting Jane. While “Couples Therapy” has the strongest narrative structure, there is something about the second Italian episode that is awe-inspiring.
On the next page, I write about performance as a theme and note the key production crew members who lent a hand in putting this series together.
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