Smoke

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've watched the first two episodes of Smoke on Apple TV+ and so far, I'm enjoying it. The atmosphere is dark, tense, and moody, with the Pacific Northwest setting really adding to the overall tone. The story is slowly building tension, and the performances by Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett are strong and believable. The pacing is slow but feels deliberate, like it's setting up for bigger twists to come. The characters seem layered and complex, and the mystery around the fires is keeping me hooked. I'm definitely curious to see where the story goes next. Right now, I'd rate it a 7/10.😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

Dennis Lehane and Taron Egerton's follow-up to Black Bird is ambitious, uneven television that succeeds as psychological thriller whilst failing as conventional crime drama.

The Good: Egerton delivers a masterfully unnerving performance once Dave's true nature emerges. His portrayal of wounded masculinity and narcissistic delusion is genuinely compelling. The supporting cast - particularly Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine's tragic Freddy and John Leguizamo's bitter ex-partner - provides excellent dramatic weight.

Ep 6-7 represent television at its finest, with psychological warfare that's properly riveting.

The Bad: Severe pacing issues plague the series. Ep 1 feels generic, Ep 4 descends into ridiculous territory, and Ep 8 tests patience as obvious setup. The finale prioritises character revelation over narrative closure, leaving frustrating loose ends. The series suffers from identity crisis: never quite deciding whether it's procedural or character study.

The Verdict: When "Smoke" embraces its psychological complexity, it's genuinely brilliant. Unfortunately, structural flaws and tonal inconsistency undermine its overall impact. The series works best as an actor's showcase for Egerton, whose performance alone justifies the journey.

Bottom Line: Compelling but flawed... worth watching for the psychological depth and exceptional performances, but temper expectations regarding satisfying resolutions.

Ambitious television that doesn't quite achieve its considerable potential.

This show starts out slow and builds into something that is worth watching. The characters are not anything to captivate you from the beginning but the main villain becomes a great example of the rot in society, in a provocative way. It needs to be said that Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine is a genius in this show and delivered the most impactful roll of a villain I've seen since Blackbird. Speechless at how great his performance was. This show is worth watching if only to see what he does.

I must admit that my brother and I watch a lot of tv so a show has to stick out for me to write a review. Smoke is absolutely worth the time to write a review. While it could have probably been an episode of two shorter it's still a really good show. Smoke is about an arson investigator (Taron Egerton) who unwilling teams up with a police detective (Jurnee Smollett) to investigate and stop two arsonists. What follows is plenty of secrets being revealed and twists and turns that will keep you engaged and entertained. Egerton and Smollett lead a great ensemble cast that all give great performances here. The show feels fresh and original enough that it will keep you wanting to watch more as soon as possible.