Binge Or Cringe: ‘Mr. And Ms. Smith’ Makes A Fun Spy Dramedy Despite Its Artificial Romance
They say remakes are never as good as the originals, but Hollywood has desperately tried to subvert this notion. In the wake of a cultural stagnation where nostalgia is constantly molded into something new to consume, it’s difficult to find a spot for Amazon Prime’s new take on Mr. And Ms. Smith. It opens with an attractive couple — lost in the intimate silence of each other’s brevity — facing off and ultimately gunned down by unknown assailants. The show prides itself in an identity distinctively darker than the 2005 film, possessing the social and political malaise of the current generation. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine are two “lovers” guided by their rapaciousness, a commonality that unites them but fails to bring happiness. While both actors are charismatic enough to provide plenty of laughs, they fail to represent this central romance in a convincing and meaningful way. Mr. and Mrs. Smith is ripe with fun choreography and intense action but falls flat with a synthetic love story that doesn’t understand the amorality and avariciousness of its characters. Particularly, it inadequately captures the emotions of our leads despite an amazing central premise — two lonely people downtrodden by society’s rugged dependence on wealth, desperate to make something of their lives.
Meet Mr. and Ms. Smith
John and Jane are interviewed independently by a faceless organization, both agreeing to sever ties with their past and become “high-risk” spies. John is a casanova, incredibly suave yet terribly afraid of being alone. Jane is an isolationist at heart. A self-proclaimed “sociopath,” she is hopelessly cynical. Their personalities couldn’t be more different, yet both are shaped by the growing millennial dependency on economic opulence. Pretending to be a married couple, they agree that there will be no love or sex, and they will part ways once they accumulate enough wealth. The fake relationship trope is best when their proximity builds a foundation for love to flourish, but they are forbidden from talking about their past, and their increasing apathy towards merciless violence exposes their relationship as purely transactional. Because of this boundary, it’s up to John and Jane to show each other why they’re the exception, why they should be loved, and how they can love each other; unfortunatey, the series never showcases this. Their relationship transitions from excessive materialism to intimacy, something that could have been interesting if the series emphasized their need for money as inherently detrimental to their happiness.
Because John and Jane can’t discuss their past, the series presents a faux “living in the moment” romance that assumes love exists without any introspective look into its characters’ inner desires. In one of the worst expository scenes in recent television, they spill their feelings, figuratively and literally, under the influence of truth serum. It’s here where we’re told how deeply their inner affection is buried, without any sense of irony. It comes across as artificial, greatly reducing the amazing comedic chemistry between Glover and Erskine.
In spite of its weak romance plot, John and Jane are enjoyable to watch when they’re out on missions. Escort missions in Italy brighten the season with colorful, hilarious, and often jaw-dropping production; these impeccable moments beg the show to abandon its central love story, which drags it down, and focus on a conventional action comedy. The series’ guest appearances effortlessly blend in with Glover and Erskine’s sardonic comedic style. Mr. And Ms. Smith oscillates between a dynamic buddy-cop-style spy series and a milquetoast romance drama too afraid to showcase its characters’ selfish desires. They have no reason to care for each other, and they refuse to show romantic affection or openly express their love, despite the series constantly reminding us how much they love each other. Their lack of deep admiration is further highlighted by John and Jane's weak romantic chemistry, no matter Glover’s witty debonair. The series desperately pushes them as lovers intertwined by their violent lifestyles and fear of intimacy when, in reality, they’re lonely people burdened by their toxic sense of individuality.
Was It Binge Or Cringe?
Mr. And Ms. Smith is fun when we’re given breathing room from its faux love story. There are certain moments, albeit few and far between, where their romance seems plausible. Jane’s last few words during their camping mission is one of the series’ sincerest moments thanks to Erskine’s restrained, soul-crushing delivery. After causing an unintentional rift in their relationship, Jane’s discussion with John’s mom before the final battle captures the earnestness that’s missing in their relationship. Glover and Erskine shine in their roles despite the series’ lackluster romantic writing. The series is best when its leads improv through scenes with genuine character breaks that feel authentic and refreshing. The series makes no effort to present Jane and John as good people, rightfully so, but their increasing apathy towards violence is a core element that the show fundamentally ignores. Their toxic love story doesn’t carry substantial weight as they are written as the most destructive couple without room for them to act independently. Their trite relationship buries a buddy action comedy that was just waiting for an opportunity to shine.
The show has enough personality and wit to carry itself through Prime’s extensive catalog, but its unresolved romance is unengaging and awfully dull. They argue in circles about the same topics and end with an egregious exposition scene that further cements Mr. And Ms. Smith’s vapid relationship as one built by ideas rather than meaningful execution. It wants to demonstrate individualism’s effects on two emotionally starved people; it wants to explore a meaningful relationship between two isolationists whose relationship was doomed from the beginning. Sadly, it does neither and hurts the show in the long run.
Who Will Like It?
The series would have benefited from a longer season to give their love time to grow naturally. The action scenes are ridiculous at times but still serve as amusing white noise — not too silly to appear cartoonish but grounded enough to keep tensions high. With its ambiguous season finale, the series could explore the inner workings of its characters with greater depth and complexity in the next season. The season finale is well paced, with enough twists to regain the series’ lost momentum. As it stands, Mr. And Ms. Smith needs more than couple’s therapy — it needs a rewrite if a second season is to come. The series is zany and humorous when it isn’t bogged down by its lackluster love story. John and Jane are meant to be incompatible, but their at best decent relationship could have been a great illustration of rampant individualism’s effects on love, loss, and desire. All eight episodes of Mr. And Ms. Smith can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.