When Amazon’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith was first announced, understandably hesitant. It simply didn’t seem as though the film needed to be reimagined, and yet, that was precisely what Amazon was looking to do. But with talent like Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane on board, it was hard not to be a bit excited to see what the series would ultimately look like. While the show isn’t a complete homerun, it’s enjoyable enough and offers up a nice action piece for both Glover and his leading lady, Maya Erskine.
The pilot episode opens with a hell of a bang featuring Alexander Skarsgård and Eiza González. The duo might not have much screentime, but audiences are sure to still feel their presence by the end of the episode. It was a wonderfully choreographed action scene that is powerful, despite its limited dialogue. Unfortunately, with an opening like that, it’s easy to downhill rather quickly. The episode does, naturally, seem to lag as most pilot episodes do. While it, understandably, needs to introduce viewers to the latest iteration of Jane and John Smith, Erskine and Glover, respectively, the dialogue at times does drag the episode down. Thankfully, it does find its footing in the end and delivers an explosive ending to the first episode. Hopefully hooking viewers eager to see what is in store for the spy couple.
The premise of Mr. and Mrs. Smith is simple enough. So, it was never a question of whether or not it could be developed properly as a series. Ultimately, many were curious to see Glover and Erskine, who came on later in the project to replace Phoebe Waller-Bridge, could become the combative partners we’ve come to know courtesy of the film. Those that are doubtful of the duo’s ability to shine in an action setting will be thrilled to see how easily they slip into these roles. The action shots are well done, with Glover and Erskine working wonderfully together, and the character development for both is well-done. If there was one big issue that stood out in the series, it wasn’t its leading couple, but rather the use of its incredible guest cast.
With big names like Skarsgård, González, Ron Perlman, Sarah Paulson, Michaela Coel, and Paul Dano, one would expect big things from the supporting cast. Unfortunately, most of the guest stars often feel wasted. (Dano, Paulson and Coel being the exceptions.) Given the show tackle a new case each episode, at times, it felt like a game of “Who’s the Latest Guest Star?” That being said, there is some filler in the series. This is to be expected with eight near hour-long episodes. But the filler is, oddly enough, still enjoyable even if it slows things down.
If viewers can give the show time to do its thing, they’ll find that Amazon’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a delightful action series that showcases its leads as action heroes in the making. The character work is well-handled, as are the action scenes, and it’s clear Glover had fun making this series. We can only hope he’s given the chance to do more projects like Mr. and Mrs. Smith down the road — same can be said for Erskine.
Bring on season two!
