The mixture of romance, comedy, and action in film can work from time to time. Films like Romancing the Stone, Gross Pointe Blank, True Romance, and Smokey and the Bandit are just some of the projects that audiences have come to watch for a long time. 2005’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, continued this genre blend successfully but became a one-and-done project that could’ve gone further. However, filmmaker/actor Donald Glover and producer/writer Francesca Sloane took Mr. & Mrs. Smith and decided to give it an updated feel and expand on the concept.
What came to fruition is a fascinating deep look at relationships in the modern era while using the backdrop of the spy world to somewhat a success.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith stars Glover and Maya Erskine as John and Jane Smith – respectively. The two are assigned to impersonate a married while completing a mission from their handler, Hihi. It’s a simple idea from Glover and Sloane’s minds, yet the Prime Video series brings up some complex questions and nuances of what it is to be in a relationship. Consequently, the show succeeds thanks to the showrunners and the writers.
The scripts for each episode are tight for the most part. Much of the dialogue between Glover and Erskine isn’t wasted and helped give me more and more of an idea of how these characters tick. The two are set in several situations that help explore different parts and steps of what it is to be a couple. For example, episode five takes a view on raising a kid.
While on the run, the couple escorts a target to a specific destination. The episode kicked off with an action set piece but switched over when the Smiths had to go further in their mission of caring for the VIP. It’s a subtle way of showing how these characters would react in numerous situations when their parenting – or lack thereof – comes into play. It’s one of many clever aspects the show uses to raise questions about going through the ups and downs of being in love.
However, that’s not the only exceptional part of the show.
Comedy is another driving point of the show, but not in the cheesy “ha-ha” way. There are numerous opportunities for subtle comedy, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith pass the test with flying colors. The show doesn’t use cheap tricks to conjure up a laugh but uses an easily relatable level of intelligent comedy. Yet, several moments in the show merit a good laugh and keep the flow of subtle comedy intact. Hence why, episode six features a couples therapy setting and is by far the funniest episode of the season.
It relies heavily on the leads’ chemistry and performance for all this to work well.
Glover is one of those multi-talented individuals who tend to excel at many of his projects. He carries that over into Mr. & Mrs. Smith with his charismatic personality and ability to work well with Erskine. Erskine does a great job as someone who is standoffish but slowly reveals more of their emotions over time. The actors’ dynamic goes through the realistic motions of a relationship that stays genuine for most of the show. However, the two have numerous issues with their roles that become apparent later in the season.
The action picks up here and there in Mr. & Mrs. Smith and calls for Erskine and Glover to do some convincing work. Erskine holds her own for the heavy hand-to-hand combat, but Glover is the weakest link. Episode three presents this fact when the actor’s moves appear stilted or off-beat. He does try his best when the actions get heavy during the season, but I feel he could’ve gotten more training done before the show went into production.
Although minor, another issue with the show is some of Erskine’s acting. She tends to be on point for most of the series, but there are a few instances when the actor appears robotic. The Jane character is supposed to have a wall around her true feelings, but it wasn’t needed on several occasions. It’s as if Erskine forgot to switch off that trait of her character, and the scene suffered because of that.
The style, action, chemistry, and commentary of relationships make Mr. & Mrs. Smith work. There are a few hiccups within the show, but it shouldn’t take away from its quality. An additional two episodes might have expanded more for the show, but eight episodes will suffice for this season. The show deserves another season if greenlit, yet if that’s not the case, the ending of season one gives it a valid reason not to return.