Donald Glover, left, and Maya Erskine in a scene from the series Mr. & Mrs. Smith, premiering Feb. 2 on Prime Video.David Lee/The Associated Press
First things first: Other than sharing a basic premise, Donald Glover’s TV series Mr. and Mrs. Smith has nothing to do with the film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. In fact, during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Glover told a brief story about how the Hollywood star basically “Brad Pitt-ed his way out” of giving any advice on how to approach the project, which was first announced in 2021.
But it’s not like Glover, the brain behind the critically acclaimed show Atlanta, really needed any tips. While the 2005 film made news for the on-screen chemistry between the Hollywood A-listers – playing a bored married couple who happen to be spies working for rival agencies and who are ordered to take each other out – his version has a slow-burn kind of intensity that hits different.
This is thanks in large part to his performance – and that of co-lead Maya Erskine (Pen15).
Prior to working on the series, Glover and Erskine didn’t know each other much beyond belonging to the same industry, which works well for the show’s thesis: John and Jane are two strangers and former spies who sign up with a mysterious agency simply called The Company, which instructs them to pose as a married couple and carry out missions. There’s an awkwardness between them when they meet for the first time, in the elevator of the New York brownstone they’re meant to inhabit. Is it really a meet-cute if both parties agreed to the arrangement?
The secrets they both harbour, paired with the seemingly innocuous mission they’re given at first, add to the tension of their work-life relationship. They’re charming and funny as they get to know each other and their employer, whom they nickname “HiHi” for the way they receive short and cryptic text-message directions.
That initial job requires them to tail an older woman and intercept a package she’s meant to receive. They start at a restaurant, hang out at a park while enjoying a pretzel and a drink, lurch on public transit and saunter through streets – all while embodying an ordinary couple.
John wants to know more about Jane’s previous assignment. In a neat reversal of gender dynamics, Jane is less chatty and more cautious when it comes to divulging personal information or intentions. But she is equally willing to take risks.
Through John’s persistence, we learn their backstories in a limited fashion. They were both relieved of their duties at other agencies because of an assortment of personality issues. Both need this job to keep themselves afloat. They also need to quickly build trust with each other; after all, as they soon realize, their lives are literally at stake.
Their initial exchanges, then, are a combination of a job interview and the Modern Love essay on 36 questions that lead to love. As the series progresses, we see John and Jane become more in tune with each other as they reveal their vulnerabilities. Physical intimacy leads to personal intimacy, which makes work complicated. It’s sexy but also goofy.
Of course, this is not entirely new ground. Shows such as The Americans or Slow Horses have mined the unglamorous side of being a spy. The freshness of Mr. & Mrs. Smith comes from its cast. Glover and Erskine are solid, playing their parts with charm and empathy. What’s the true sign of intimacy? A kiss? A fart joke? Sharing your GPS location? How do you convey boredom in a marriage without sounding passive-aggressive about leaving dirty dishes in the sink? What’s the line between snooping and being curious?
The series, co-created with Atlanta co-producer Francesca Sloane, also brings in perspectives of race, class and family dynamics. John points out he’ll blend in better as wait staff at a swanky art auction. Jane has no problem going completely AWOL on her family, but breaks the rules by bringing her cat along to the brownstone.
The show also features a string of star appearances: Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Dano, Parker Posey and Michaela Coel to name some. It’s slick and smart. Sometimes it gets a little talky, but then it quickly cuts back to the action – interspersed with the droll comedy that Glover and Erskine are known for.
As Glover pointed out in the chat with Fallon, it’s an expensive project shot on exotic locations. It’s also a meditation on marriage set in the spy world. And a spy series that also works (kinda-sorta) as a dark rom-com. That’s enough to warrant another season. Here’s hoping the series does not self-destruct at the end of its first mission.