Chances are, this won’t be the first Amazon Prime Video’s Mr & Mrs Smith review you’ve encountered online. But hopefully, it’ll be the last.
Wanna know what’s the toughest part about this gig?
More often than not, it’s previewing absolute cracking entertainment and then having nobody else to talk it over or even share the joy until weeks (sometimes even months) later.
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That’s essentially the burden I’ve been living with since I pulled an all-nighter just to watch every episode of Amazon Prime Video‘s Mrs & Mrs Smith series starring multi-hyphenate talents Donald Glover (AKA Childish Gambino) and PEN15 co-creator Maya Erskine; the latter of whom replaces fellow multi-hyphenate Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
But considering the calibre of binge material I was graciously served ahead of time, let’s just say any and all nocturnal sins, or would-be gripes about disrupting my circadian rhythm, were forgiven before the final credits rolled.
The reboot series — which draws more inspiration from the 1996 series of the same name starring Scott Bakula and Maria than it does the 2005 Brangelina flick IMO — follows the titular spies who are paired by a mysterious agency that offers wealth, world travel, and a dream brownstone in Manhattan in exchange for a high-risk life of espionage-based servitude (and the sacrifice of their original identities).
We learn during the application process that Mr Smith (Glover) is ex-military who’s killed people before, with vague references to being dishonourably discharged, potentially related to an incident of either bloodlust or blunder; while Mrs Smith (Erskine) is an emotionally disassociated CIA flunkee who gladly leaves her old life behind if it means never interacting with her estranged father.
By the close of the first episode, it’s clear that they may be in way over their heads professionally. By the close of the second episode, it’s clear that they may be in way over their heads romantically. Side note: the chemistry between Glover and Eskrine is paradoxically subtle and off the charts in this one; as a viewer, you’re constantly hoping they figure it out.
Given Donald Glover has co-created this iteration of Mr & Mrs Smith alongside Francesca Sloane and enlisted the help of longtime auteur collaborator Hiro Murai to both direct and executive produce — plus writing partner/brother Stephen Glover — fans of FX’s Atlanta will be delighted to hear the latter’s tonal (and aesthetic) DNA is very evident in the former. There’s a hint of the surreal in every sequence, which unfolds in an almost hazy, dream-like fashion.
The other important detail to note is that it’s wonderfully well-balanced in every sense of the term. You can view this as both a spy thriller hilariously framed through the lens of finding your feet as a newlywed (bombastic action sequences and all); and vice versa — a rom-com-adjacent relationship dramedy where the protagonists just happen to be globetrotting spies. But this isn’t strictly limited to the tonality.
Similar to Glover’s Atlanta, the ethos is a potent cocktail of genuinely laugh-out-loud comedy; poignant commentary about human existence, loneliness, and alienation; and gorgeously captured backdrops that make everything from the chaotic urban sprawl of a major city and the quiet suburbs to sumptuous European holiday destinations and anonymous backwoods a pleasure to visually consume.
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Then there’s the matter the insane (with a capital ‘I’) cast Glover and Sloane have assembled for a medley of bit parts, cameos, and so forth. Without ruining the surprise(s) for you — there will certainly be more than one occasion where you’ll be like, “Oh… it’s X!” — all I’ll say on this front is that nothing is milked and everyone plays their role perfectly (a la The Bear season 2).
Alright, look: I could quite literally go on and on but that would spoil the grand reveal. That is, when you witness this eight-episode certifiably fresh reinvention with your own two eyes. Just know that yes, it is indeed worth your time, and no, this isn’t some lazy cash grab. Careful thought, excellent writing, and masterful directing have delivered a genuine contender for series of 2024. And it’s only February.
Mr & Mrs Smith season 1 is now streaming in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video. Do your part in making sure it receives the renewal for season 2 it deserves by giving it a red-hot go now.
Now that you’ve read our review of Amazon Prime Video’s Mr & Mrs Smith series starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, check out everything else coming soon to the streaming platform and more below:
