Every year, Apple TV+ releases a mystery thriller.
Two years ago, we reviewed The Crowded Room, which initially left something to be desired; last year, we reviewed Disclaimer, which also had its issues.
However, there are improvements, and with this summer thriller, Smoke, the streamer pulled all the stops.
The two-episode season premiere introduces the characters and the general story.
Taron Egerton, like many film actors nowadays, ventures into the small screen.
His co-star, Jurnee Smollett, is seasoned in TV and film. It’s great to see her back on the small screen after HBO canceled Lovecraft Country, a pandemic show where she truly shone.
Smoke demands the most from both actors – and others in the ensemble – as it delves into the characters’ psychology and the overarching story about arson.
Meeting Everyone In the Smoke Pilot Episode
The hour-long introductory episode covers a lot of ground as it introduces multiple characters, with Dave at its center.
Dave is the window into the most prominent inanimate character: fire.
The way he talks about fire in the first scene of the episode reveals someone familiar with the subject matter.
It sets him up as an expert on it, and given that he’s an arson investigator, he better be.
His home life is so-so. He has a wife and a stepson, but one would not characterize Dave as a family man.
And most importantly – at least to himself – is that he’s writing a book.
It’s not unusual for experts in specific fields to write books about some of the things they’ve encountered while on the job.
We don’t get to see his expertise in investigating arson because, on this workday, he’s saddled with a new partner.
The Unlikely Partners
But given that the higher-ups saw the need to give him a partner, he can’t be that good. Two arsonists have been at large for some time.
Their partnership is not some typical buddy-cop situation.
They don’t like each other, and at first, it’s unclear why. Dave and Detective Mitchell have an antagonistic relationship where everyone thinks they’re the most intelligent person in the room.
However, they must work together since they have no other options.
Dave is – as the British might call him– a total bum.
He has a job where he does barely anything. Being forced to work with someone disrupts his long days of doing nothing.
Michelle, on the other hand, is the kind of person who is always looking for the next thing to do to destroy her life with.
She is forced to work at a department where careers go to die after her stunt with her boss and ex-lover.
However, she has a fire in her that never allows her to sit and wallow in her unfortunate circumstances.
It’s a clash of differing personalities that explains the terse first meeting.
The episode establishes the season’s general arc, in which two arsonists are on the loose and continue to bring hell wherever they choose.
The Cooking Arsonist
An interesting choice on production’s part was to follow one of the arsonists.
Freddy works a dead-end job at a fast food joint. The hours are rough, his coworkers and boss treat him like a second-rate human, and his home life is just sad.
You think eating microwaved dinner alone in front of the TV is bad, what about leftovers from work while watching porn?
A typical profile that emerges with arsonists in many shows I’ve seen is that they feel powerless.
Circumstances in life have rendered them supporting characters in their own stories, and the pressure to take control continues to build up.
Perhaps the unpredictable destruction caused by fires appeals to them because it’s what they wish they could do, but never dare to do.
Freddy’s pastime involves stalking happy people, using leftover oil from work to burn their houses down, and reveling in the extremes of existence, as represented by the whiplash of life’s happiness scale.
The existence of people like Freddy scares me so much. When you insult or punch someone, they may retaliate. It might be proportionate or otherwise, but at least it’s expected.
But the fact that someone can get triggered by your existence to the point of burning your life to the ground when you did nothing to them is scary.
And it doesn’t have to be anything significant. It can be the way you walk, talk, dress, and so on.
The other arsonist is not shown, and the reason becomes clear in Episode 2. But before the episode, I had already started formulating theories about who it might be.
Mystery shows distract you from the most obvious choice, and after a few scenes, I was sure it was Dave’s boss, Harvey.
Going Deeper Into the Characters
The pilot introduces the characters, but the second episode dives even deeper, especially with Dave.
Cracks begin to show in all aspects of his life. His job is at risk, the marriage is barely hanging on, and his manuscript is worse than used toilet paper.
And just how big of a bum is he becomes even more apparent.
His relationship with Ashley is one of convenience. He projects an image to society while enjoying leeching from the system.
Children are very perceptive, and they’re never given enough credit for it.
Perhaps it’s because adult convictions haven’t yet corrupted them, but they can detect bullshit from a distance.
Emmet clocks Dave as a poser very early and even his attempts to forge a connection by using words like “bro,” seem pathetic to the kid.
He uses Ashley because she has her life in order, and I’m not even sure he’s attracted to her.
He only gets intimate with her if pills are involved or she’s just massaged his ego.
This development of Dave changes everything established in the pilot episode. This guy is no hero. He’s a bum going through a midlife crisis.
On her part, Michelle continues to try to dig herself out of the latest hole by attempting to nab the other arsonist.
So she focuses on Arch and is convinced he’s the arsonist.
Michelle’s character remains consistent but is strengthened. She’ll do anything if she thinks she’s right.
That’s a dangerous person, especially someone in law enforcement.
One thing I’ve come to accept, hard as it may be, is that you can never be sure of anything. Even if all the evidence you have supports your theory, you could be wrong.
Michelle never stops to think she’s wrong. Only when she learns that she is, she twists everything to fit her narrative.
The episode serves as an unforeseen delight for me in the shape of Adina Porter.
She is one of my favorite actresses, and given that I was unaware she was a cast member in the show, I was surprised to see her.
Here she plays Brenda, someone who takes a liking to Freddy even when everyone thinks he’s a joke. She encourages him to dream bigger, and he takes the leap.
Despite his attempts, we all know the other shoe will drop when he doesn’t get the promotion. Given his favorite hobby, it means more suffering for people.
Or he might get it and be done with arson.
The Flip-the-Script Moment
The final minutes of the episode feature a complete turn that changes everything.
It forces us to reconsider our thoughts about Dave. It turns out he is the second arsonist.
While this possibility was at the back of my mind, it wasn’t less shocking. How will the show manage to keep us engaged when everyone is so unlikable?
There is an emerging trend of TV shows having morally ambiguous characters or antiheros, but that has not worked for many shows before.
The development changes the show from a pursuit to a cat-and-mouse game, making it more interesting.
Those antagonistic scenes where Dave and Michelle seemed like they wanted to punch or kiss each other finally make sense.
They have uneasy feelings about the other person and are sizing each other up.
Dave’s obsession with characterizing fire finally makes sense. The way he spoke about it was because he was in love with it.
Michelle is catching on to Dave’s performance as the limping arsonist, while Dave’s life is crumbling with Emmett moving in.
His outlet for the lack of control in every aspect of his life is burning things, and he refuses to stop.
Will he be able to keep Michelle off his scent? If not, what happens? It’s certainly intriguing to see where things go from here.
The Smoke series premiere successfully introduces an intriguing tale of fire and games. It remains to be seen how things unfold, but I’m intrigued.
Not every show gets love, but we still cover them.
If you made it this far, you probably care too. Help us keep the fire burning. Drop a note, hit share, and keep rooting for the little guys — us and the show.
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