Mr. & Mrs. Smith

After seeing the low ratings for this show, I couldn't help but think, "Oh no, not another disappointment." However, since I'm a fan of espionage-themed TV shows and movies, and having enjoyed the film, I felt compelled to give this TV series a chance. And, I'm glad I did. While the movie leaned heavily on the sex appeal of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, this rendition of Mr. & Mrs. Smith excels in both acting and writing. With only 8 episodes, building a story arc with substantial depth is no easy feat. Yet, this series manages it admirably. Each episode is fun to watch, and it's evident that the cast relished portraying these deadly characters. Although it was seemingly written as a limited series, I'm really hoping for a second season.

I had an absolute blast watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith. I just binged all 8 episodes over the weekend and it was such a fun show it flew by. This is both a good spy thriller and a good rom-com. Donald Glover and Maya Erksine are both terrific as the leads and every episode has guest stars from other well known actors. It had Alexander Skarsgard, Eiza Gonzalez, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Ursula Corbero, Sarah Paulson, Wagner Moura, Parker Posey, among others. Each episode was a different adventure and they were all fun to watch. Glover and Erksine star as John and Jane Smith. Two loners who are put together to work as spies for a mysterious organization.

I watched all 8 episodes and found them to have the same sentiment as the original movie but with a ton more depth. And also what I thought was better acting, Donald and Maya took every episode and put their full acting strength behind it to give each episode a familiar piece of life with some crazy action involved too. Some of the mid episodes definitely just felt like fillers and since we had the general plot going we didn't feel as we had to watch every second to get the gist. Now to the ending, DIDN'T LIKE, why with 8 full episodes would the series runners leave it on a cliffhanger... not appreciated and made me have mixed feelings toward the entire series. Boo.

I felt driven to provide a review after seeing the dumpster fire growing here. People seem to be expecting to see the Donald Glover they remember from Community, or some endless, action-packed rollercoaster that simply repeats the movie formula for a dozen hours.

Let this series be what it is, a spy dramedy, halfway between drama and comedy, just like a relationship, which is key to this show.

The opening sequence seems like a nod to the original, telling us that the Pitt/Jolie Smiths were taken out by other Smiths, after running for some unstated period of time.

Then we can learn about a new Mr and Mrs Smith, from recruitment to retirement, and watch their relationship grow, through the lens of international espionage. It's a fun concept that is well executed, if you can just let go of the fact that it isn't the same as the movie.

This show starts slow, hence the impatience of the ADD generation and bad reviews. Two people are put together to be spies for a mysterious organization. Both of their personalities are very different, so it takes time for them to gel and for the audience to get to know them. That's actually a strength as the series continues because just like a real relationship their differences is what makes it work. Their relationship starts slow, develops, then their personalities clash after the honeymoon phase and the show does a good job of exploring where the characters go from here. Unlike the movie it does a better job of exploring the relationship dynamic and is not as dependent on their looks. The movie was terrible, and there in lies a problem. People who liked the attractive people in the movie, explosions, and action aren't going to enjoy a nuanced show about how to make relationships work within a spy show. This is more of a show about being in a relationship with two very different personalities than a spy show. If you're looking for a flashy show, with attractive people, no plot, lots of explosions, then watch the movie. If you want actual characters, character development, and an overarching storyline, then give this series a try. It's a slow burn that requires a little patience. It's by no means perfect, but you might find yourself growing to like their characters as the series progresses. The show does take some liberties to push the storyline along and to further explore their relationship. Examples include the episode with Toby who acts more like their child than a grown man, their opening up their home and secrets to another couple, and others. This is done to further show the relationship dynamic more than the actual spy craft. It is a fun show, just more relationship oriented and character development than action.