Transparency item: A review provides an informed and opinionated critique. These informed critiques are published to make a recommendation to readers. This review is the opinion of the writer. Spoilers for “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” are mentioned in this article.
On Feb. 2, Amazon Prime Video released the eight episode series, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” The series reimagines the popular spy couple storyline from the 1996 television series, starring Scott Bakula and Maria Bello, and the popular 2005 film, starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
In the series, two individuals seek out an opportunity to pursue espionage under a fake marriage. “Jane,” played by Maya Erskine, and “John,” played by Donald Glover, trade their old identities and ways of life to pose as a married couple while working as secret spies for a mysterious employer.
The series begins with the two answering a job placement questionnaire from a faceless robot named Hihi, which demonstrates how the two main characters got into a professional marriage to begin with. Through the beginning sequence, viewers learn more about how the two matched as partners based on their similar yet distinct responses.
Jane exhibits detached, calculated traits while John shows more vulnerability in his character. Despite their distinct personalities, their similar sense of humor and shared failures from their prior professions draw the two closer than they expect.
When the duo first matches, they move into a swanky penthouse in New York City as “husband and wife,” with the legal documentation to prove it. From the start, Jane emphasizes the professional aspects of their partnership and makes it clear she is not interested in entertaining romance of any kind — this is strictly business.
John agrees to keep their work and personal lives separate — though he does so with resistance and displays a greater emotional threshold compared to his reserved “wife.”
The Smiths begin going on missions together, and despite signing up to be high-risk spies, the mysterious identity of the agency that employs them leaves the pair with little knowledge of the extent of their job description.
In each episode, the Smiths receive information from their anonymous boss Hihi and do their best to execute the missions as planned. The imperfections of each character and the involvement of outside forces — usually other agencies who have sent officers to block their missions — often get in the way.
Though the couple begins working on smaller missions like lethal package deliveries, their missions intensify as they grow more comfortable with one another, eventually moving onto larger-scale heists abroad in Italy and South America.
Despite their care for one another, Jane and John’s opposing personalities get in the way of their missions. The two must learn to work together as their unconventional line of work involves life-or-death scenarios.
The show boasts a series of action sequences that make for an exciting espionage story; however, it is the interpersonal connection between Jane and John which grows from their partnership that makes the storyline worth following.
With the help of one another — and a series of life-threatening circumstances — the Smiths begin to form an organic relationship that blossoms as their missions intensify. Through the action and excitement, audiences get a glimpse into their world as seemingly normal millennials living their life in the city.
With moments of intimacy and small acts of love scattered throughout, the show also displays the Smiths’ fights and personal disagreements that make them imperfect. As the series progresses, the Smiths grow as humans and as a couple, and audiences get to see the ways — good or bad — their relationship changes with each mission.
“Mr. and Mrs. Smith” is available for streaming on Amazon Prime now.
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Contact Emma Ibarra via email: emma.ibarra@pepperdine.edu
