Do you recall the 2005 spy film Mr. and Mrs. Smith? No? The only thing that makes this mediocre action film memorable is the on- and off-screen romance between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Pitt’s relationship with Jennifer Aniston at the time made this contentious. A television series on Prime Video revives the brand nearly two decades later. Why? Perhaps it’s to preserve the IP. This would account for the series’ apparent haste and lack of originality. The episode centers on Jane Smith (Maya Erskine) and John Smith (Donald Glover), two strangers who were paired and married by an espionage agency. The duo begins living together as a married couple and embarking on missions via an enigmatic messaging service. Jane establishes limits early on, but the two grow closer as they complete challenging tasks together. In the end, love blossoms for a while before chaos erupts in this feeble reimagining.
We received a Mr. and Mrs. Smith series even though no one had requested one. But there are some intriguing difficulties with this. Why not try to add some flair and interest to an IP that is, let’s face it, not that beloved, especially when movie series like John Wick are so popular? Although it’s an odd property to wager on, it might succeed with the correct worldbuilding. Unfortunately, this show is far more tasteless and uninteresting than you may imagine.
The writing of John and Jane is the most problematic aspect of this series. As the series progresses, we are given only fleeting views into the lives of the two characters, none of which are really intriguing or significant. Although Donald Glover does a great job playing Michael, also known as John Smith, this series can only go so far with his charisma. It comes down to the reality that an undeveloped plot does him and Maya Erskine no favours. It is nothing you haven’t seen a million times before, and the assignments are rather straightforward. The fact that there isn’t a major antagonist that keeps John and Jane on their toes throughout the season is even more perplexing. To tie things together, a connective tissue, such as an overriding threat, could have been very helpful. Instead, we get a series of action sequences with a hint of emotion to bring everything together. Even worse is the complete lack of Jane and John’s chemistry in this situation. Despite the actors’ best efforts, this romance is difficult to accept.
If it weren’t for the worldbuilding—or none thereof—this could have been okay. For instance, there is absolutely no definition of the organization that the Smiths work for. Don’t worry about a cool network of agents that create suspense with shadowy figures or backdrop texture. Not at all. Not at all. We receive instant messages outlining their missions from a presence that we can only identify as Hih—yes, that is correct.
The worst example of poor storytelling is most likely the episode Double Date. John encounters someone else with the last name Smith when he is out and about (since, I suppose, only those with the last name Smith are agents). They awkwardly demonstrate that there are other espionage couples in the region. Remember, the Smiths are other spies, so what do they do? For that reason, they extend an invitation to visit and show them around their home and safe. After that, they share details of their ostensibly classified operation while drinking all night. Following a night of intoxication and drug use, the elder Smith couple asks the younger couple to take their place on a mission. As in, what the devil? The fact that none of these massive breaches are ever mentioned again suggests that agents’ actions appear to have no repercussions. Additionally, since Jane and John are often involved in public firefights, maintaining a low profile is not an option.
This is absurd, but no one is expecting realism from their comic series. Why should we worry that the authors don’t want this to feel like a rich and compelling world? The response is that you don’t give a damn, your eyes glaze over, and you simply can’t understand why so much money was spent on this worthless burger.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith add nothing to an already uninteresting IP and are pathetic and loveless. On February 2, 2024, Mr. and Mrs. Smith will make its Prime Video debut.
