Mr and Mrs Smith is a spy action drama series released on Prime Video on February 2, 2024. It is created by Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover. There are 8 episodes in the series with a runtime of about 40-60 minutes.
The cast of the series includes Donald Glover as John Smith, Maya Erskine as Jane Smith, Parker Posey, Wagner Moura, Michaela Coel as Bev, John Turturro as Eric Shane, Paul Dano, Alexander Skarsgård, Eiza González, Sarah Paulson, Sharon Horgan as Gavol Martin, Ron Perlman as Toby Hellinger, Billy Campbell as Parker Martin, Ursula Corbero as Rooney and others.
The story follows two strangers who got hired by a spy agency that offered them a life of adventure, wealth, travel around the world, and a nice home in Manhattan. However, they had to pretend to be married and change their names to John and Jane Smith. They undertake a dangerous mission every week while also juggling new challenges in their relationship. Things get even more complicated when they start developing real feelings for each other, putting their complex cover story at risk.
Mr and Mrs Smith Review
The opening sequence of the series is just as one would have expected, looking at the title and reminiscing about the famous movie starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Two rogue spies in love, running away from the secret organisation that matched them in the first place. In a way, it’s a hint about what’s to come for the lead characters as well. As the couple’s love story takes a tragic end, it is followed by Donald Glover and Maya Erskine having job interviews but with an automated machine. They are asked a bunch of generic questions but their answers reflect the kind of person they are.
The similarities in their answers were that they were ready to give up their identities to be paired off by a secretive organization, both in espionage and in marriage. Yet being in a fake marriage wasn’t something they were prepared for. At first, they try to maintain their distance by keeping it completely professional and not divulging it in any romantic sense. But the circumstances are such that they are left with nothing but to get to know each other better for teamwork, ofcourse.
Well, they do embark on dangerous, high-octane missions given through a messenger application. With the condition that they can’t fail more than three missions. It’s not certain what would happen to them if they did but one can assume that it won’t be something good. But the mission and action are not the focus of the show, it’s the relationship between two strangers that develops through each episode.
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It takes us away from the thrill and flashiness of being spies on a mission but presents us with two human beings dealing with the intricacies of daily life and vulnerable emotions. Its central theme is the relatable nature of the characters, whose imperfections are emphasized. All while staking out and chasing targets around the world, we see the raw and emotional journey of John and Jane as they navigate through the different milestones of their arranged marriage setup to form a genuine connection.
It’s like watching a relationship reaching all the high and low points, in a short span. From first everything to gradually getting used to their partner’s habits, and dealing with the complex emotions that follow through to using each other’s vulnerabilities as leverage when faced with difficult situations. We see John and Jane at their best and worst, yet how they choose to make their partnership work is something that we take away. They aren’t the best spies, in fact, they are in it because they don’t have anything else to fall back to. It’s their last resort to find a footing in the world and together they fight for it.
If someone tunes into it expecting a re-telling of the classic movie plot, then they are in for an awkward surprise. Instead of action-packed sequences, you will encounter two complicated people trying to figure out their emotions. Instead of a chaotic/noisy sound design, there’s palpable emotional tension and long silences, imbibing the audience to feel/empathise with them. Instead, it can be easily categorised as a romantic drama with a decent share of action.
Overall, it’s a completely different and interesting watch than what one would have expected. At some points, the pacing might feel a bit slow but in an overview, it’s worth sitting through and immersing yourself in their world. You could either resonate with John or see bits of reflection of yourself in Jane, leaving you with something to introspect.
On a personal level, Jane’s character was quite frustrating to watch. But I suppose that’s the whole point – to portray a closed-off, emotionally challenged person. The best part about the show was the soundtrack. The suspenseful and mysterious ambience it created was a bit contrasting but definitely elevates the show.
Rating: 3.5/5
Mr and Mrs Smith is available for streaming on Prime Video.
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