Smoke

Just want to encourage those who aren't loving it so far to hold on and give it proper chance as it is a bit of a slow burn.

I worked on Smoke and I admit I was a bit miffed at the first few scripts and what seems like major cliches in the plot and characters but it really does come together!

Taron Egerton give an amazingly layered performance. Easily the most nuanced character I've seen him play thus far. But to me the true stand out was Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine he was utterly terrifying at times. His work should land him high on all lists come awards season.

Smoke was truly one of the most interesting projects I've ever been a part of and hope people warm up to it.

Novelist, Dennis Lehane, creates an intelligent series that deals with the demented mind of pyromaniacs, all disguised as a mystery melodrama with edgy characters. Taron Egerton delivers an engaging - and sometimes uneasy performance - playing Dave Gudsen, an arson forensic for the fire department who draws you into the mystic power of the uncontrollable force of fire, a most powerful drug addiction to some. Jurnee Smollett matches it with a brutal portrayal as detective Calderone, forced to partner with Gudsen in order to track down the sick arsonists. The biggest surprise is Greg Kinnear as the fire chief, that brings the right balance to the yin and yang of the two main characters. A series well handled by the creative technical team that really gets into the psyche of the troubled minds who worship the power of the fire and its devastating effects.

I love this show. It starts rather slow, but builds beautifully, by ep. 03 you can't wait for the next twist. Acting is superb and the dialogues are really good too. Setting is perfect imo too, in some rather gloomy American back country with maybe 20% of the time in a wonderfully grotesque chicken fast food restaurant (that has "moth..fu.. good!" poster , its almost dystopian, you could have it in the Fallout series!) . The show is a slow burner but its rewarding and def. Speaks to adult audience with themes 40+ will appreciate like failed marriage, stress issues, middle age crisis and such. So its not about arsonists. A deep conversation on humanity wrapped in a plastic of procedural that is melting await with fire that burns inside ready to burst out in your face.

After 2 episodes I'm in. This is easily one of my favorites shows of the year so far, unless the rest of the season goes off the rails. The characters are interesting, the dialog realistic (I'm no expert on the subject but it all feels legit), and the story has me completely hooked.

I don't understand the poor reviews especially after only 2 episodes. Cliche'? Maybe to some, but I haven't seen any other shows executed with this level of style and edginess in a while. The characters are just beginning to develop and boy are they a puzzle. After the plot twist at the end of episode 2, I can't wait to see where this goes.

I think the storyline is original, and I'm totally drawn in by what motivates serial arsonists to set fires. A lot of the time, they feel powerless in their own lives, and lighting something up gives them a strange sense of control or satisfaction. It's dark, but fascinating.

Taron Egerton continues to impress and this was the first time I've seen Jurnee Smollett (at least that I can remember). She delivers an edgy performance and they have good chemistry together.

Overall, I'm hooked and can't wait for the next episode. If I had one complaint, it's just that I wish I could binge the whole season now. But honestly, it's good enough that I don't mind waiting.

P. S.: Not sure why there are so many early, poor reviews ... doesn't add up.