Mr. & Mrs. Smith Review: Sparks Fly For Donald Glover & Maya Erskine In Updated, Exciting Spy Show

In some ways, the title Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a touch misleading for Prime Video’s new show. Born from the iconic action rom-com starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, the series has a similar setup regarding married spies, but the circumstances surrounding the central pairing are vastly different: Rather than revolving around married spies who don’t know their spouse works in espionage, the updated Mr. & Mrs. Smith finds its lead duo coming together as spies first, husband and wife second. Naturally, genuine romance isn’t too far behind (seriously, considering the pacing of the eight-episode season).

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a TV adaptation of the 2005 film starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine take on the lead roles for the series as spies who are placed in an arranged marriage for an undercover mission only to develop real feelings for each another.

Pros

• Donald Glover and Maya Erskine’s chemistry is excellent
• Each episode has a standalone mission
• The series offers a nice twist on a familiar story

Cons

• The series doesn’t offer answers about the shadowy agency
• Some of the sexiness falls away as the season goes on

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine star as John and Jane, opposing personalities drawn to the “high-risk” level of their jobs for reasons that are gradually revealed. Glover co-created Mr. & Mrs. Smith with Francesca Sloane, though there was once a time when Phoebe Waller-Bridge was involved as both an additional co-creator and Glover’s leading lady. We’ll never know what she might’ve brought to the series, but under Sloane and Glover’s creative control, Mr. & Mrs. Smith has fun even when it strains credulity, both in terms of the missions the spies go on and the speed of their relationship.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith’s Biggest Strength Is Its Leading Duo (Even When It Falters)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith wouldn’t work without thrilling chemistry between its lead actors, and for the most part, Glover and Erskine deliver on that front. Their quick-as-a-whip banter and clashing personalities make genuine sparks, setting up a dynamic that is interesting to watch. Glover’s John proves to be the more sensitive of the two, and his vulnerabilities gradually emerge as they brush uncomfortably against Jane’s work ethic. Jane keeps her emotions close to the vest, giving Erskine some excellent moments where she finally lets some walls down, only to close them up abruptly and leave us desperate to know more.

At the same time, the inherent sexiness of the premise fades away at some point. This could be because, in order to get the characters to a certain point in their relationship in time for the finale, specific developments come far faster than I certainly expected. The show has the right set-up for a proper slow-burn, complete with a pact John and Jane make vowing to not have sex. For all of their posturing, that does not last long, and while a real romance adds some new stakes to future missions, it does take tension out of other moments.

Each Episode Of Mr. & Mrs. Smith Brings Something New

The accelerated romance still yields some fun elements, though, such as an episode where John and Jane turn to couples therapy and must get creative when talking through their problems with a civilian (a hilarious Sarah Paulson). As a whole, Mr. & Mrs. Smith boasts a truly impressive guest cast, with the aforementioned Paulson, Parker Posey, Wagner Moura, and Ron Pearlman as the standouts. The episodic side of the show keeps things fresh with each installment, as each mission only lasts for an episode.

Some are more successful than others; for example, episode 2’s silent auction assignment gets very weird, borderline icky, and a bit unbelievable, but episode 3 brings things back with a ski trip that ties John and Jane’s changing relationship into the task at hand. Mr. & Mrs. Smith is at its best when it is exploring the spies’ personalities and dynamic through missions. Through it all, the mysterious agency that employs them looms large, though few answers are given. This can be frustrating, particularly because later episodes raise some big questions about the company that go unanswered by the finale.

Whether Mr. & Mrs. Smith will eventually return to Prime Video for season 2 isn’t yet clear, but its ending will no doubt leave viewers yelling at their screens. There are plenty of story threads left dangling that can sustain the show for another run, though there’s also something strangely poetic about the final moments of the season, which will not be spoiled here. It all comes down to Erskine and Glover’s chemistry and their performances; they keep Mr. & Mrs. Smith light on its feet, even when some of the initial tension dims.