Wikipedia

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024 TV series)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is an American spy television series created by Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover, which premiered on February 2, 2024. It is inspired by the 2005 film of the same name, although instead of following a married couple of competing spies like the film, the series stars Glover and Maya Erskine as two strangers paired up as a duo of spies who must live undercover as a married couple; instead of real names, John and Jane Smith are aliases given to the characters and the other agents working for the same organization.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Glover and Erskine look over their shoulders in the car
Promo Image
Genre
Created byFrancesca Sloane
&
Donald Glover
Inspired byMr. & Mrs. Smith
by Simon Kinberg
ShowrunnerFrancesca Sloane
Starring
Music by David Fleming
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Christian Sprenger
  • Fam Udeorji
  • Kaitlin Waldron
Cinematography
  • Christian Sprenger
  • Stephen Murphy
  • Cody Jacobs
Editors
  • Kyle Reiter
  • Isaac Hagy
  • Greg O'Bryant
  • Kate Brokaw
Running time42–63 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAmazon Prime Video
ReleaseFebruary 2, 2024 (2024-02-02) –
present (present)

Arnon Milchan, who was a producer on the original film, is an executive producer for the series alongside, among others, Sloane, Glover, Glover's brother Stephen, Hiro Murai, Anthony Katagas and Michael Schaefer. In May 2024, the series was renewed for a second season.

The show received positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised the performances and Glover and Erskine's chemistry. It received 16 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for its first season, including nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor for Glover, Outstanding Lead Actress for Erskine, and five acting nominations for some of the featured guests.

Premise

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Two strangers independently agree to become secret agents for a mysterious organization under cover as a married couple using the names "John" and "Jane" Smith. The couple must work through missions as their espionage skills, and developing relationship, are put to the test. All instructions are received from an anonymous source via text. The Smiths take on a separate mission in each of eight episodes and the show features different locales while also focusing on the marital relationship the two characters assume.

Cast

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Main

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Guest

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Additionally, Beverly Glover, who is Donald's mother in real life, makes her acting debut as Denise, John Smith's mother.

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"First Date"Hiro MuraiFrancesca Sloane & Donald GloverFebruary 2, 2024 (2024-02-02)
A couple named "John" and "Jane" are shot dead by armed intruders. Later, two strangers undergo an interview for a mysterious organization and are hired to sever ties with their pasts to become spies; "John" and "Jane" Smith at a "high risk" level. For their first mission, they are instructed to intercept a package and deliver it to a set location. John and Jane tentatively bond as they deliver what turns out to be a bomb that explodes and kills the inhabitants of the home.
2"Second Date"Hiro MuraiFrancesca SloaneFebruary 2, 2024 (2024-02-02)
John and Jane begin to cautiously open up to each other, setting initial boundaries against sleeping together and plan to eventually go their separate ways. Their next mission is to infiltrate a black tie silent auction and discreetly extract information from an unknown target who is bidding on Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster). Despite successfully identifying the target as Eric Shane, miscommunication leads to them overdosing him with truth serum, which results in his death. Their handler informs them that this was their first failed mission and that they have two fails remaining. Subsequent emotions and bonding leads the duo breaking their earlier agreement and sleeping together.
3"First Vacation"Karena EvansYvonne Hana YiFebruary 2, 2024 (2024-02-02)
The Smiths' next mission sends them to the Italian Dolomites to observe and report on couple Gavol and Parker. John and Jane bond further throughout their mission, but tensions emerge when it is revealed that John remains in constant contact with his mother, which is against the rules. Splitting up to follow and extract information from each target, John attempts a rescue operation when Gavol is kidnapped, despite having already completed his mission by bugging her phone. After rescuing Gavol and eliminating the kidnappers, John, freezing and near death, is saved by Jane. While recovering, they admit they are beginning to have deep feelings for each other.
4"Double Date"Christian SprengerAdamma Ebo & Adanne Ebo and Yvonne Hana Yi & Francesca SloaneFebruary 2, 2024 (2024-02-02)
John and Jane come across another pair of Smiths, who operate at the "super high risk" level. They invite the other Smiths over on a double date at their house, where the two couples discuss missions, lifestyles, romance and the company. Upon bringing up their agreement to eventually go separate ways and quit, the other Smiths indicate their employer would never allow this and discuss a previous elimination of another Jane and John. The Smiths are talked into accompanying them on a "super high risk" mission, but are tricked into completing it themselves. Despite successfully completing the mission, they are left traumatized. Later that night they admit they love each other.
5"Do You Want Kids?"Karena EvansCarla Ching and Stephen GloverFebruary 2, 2024 (2024-02-02)
John and Jane must protect and escort Toby Hellinger, an asset of apparently high importance to the company. They are ambushed upon arrival at the safe house and, after evading their pursuers, hide out at a property John had bought, without Jane's knowledge. Their handler asks Jane whether she is happy. Toby and the events of the day lead the Smiths to discuss their future. The next morning, they escape an ambush and Jane blows up the house as they take Toby to a seaplane pick-up. At home the Smiths discuss having kids, which John wants, but Jane is against. Tensions rise as their handler singles out Jane's success, and gives her the option of replacing John.
6"Couples Therapy (Naked & Afraid)"Amy SeimetzFrancesca SloaneFebruary 2, 2024 (2024-02-02)
John and Jane attend multiple sessions of couples therapy. They discuss their work and relationship under the guise of software engineers. Throughout therapy, flashbacks show multiple missions which have led to further tension between the couple: one where John attempts to take the lead of an infiltration, a later chase and execution of a target, and a tracking wilderness mission. John expresses how he misses Jane looking up to him, and Jane discusses John's behavior and her beliefs of compatibility. The therapist suggests working separately, before revealing she has been recording every session. To destroy any copies, the Smiths set the house on fire as they leave.
7"Infidelity"Amy SeimetzYvonne Hana Yi & Schuyler Pappas & Francesca SloaneFebruary 2, 2024 (2024-02-02)
John and Jane now work missions separately. Jane infiltrates and, at gunpoint, interrogates their neighbor Bev about her relationship to John, who she assumes Bev is sleeping with. John arrives and Bev, who is revealed to be a spy working for a rival company and John's target, attacks both of them before escaping, nearly killing John. They track Bev but she dumps her tracker at the café where the Smiths had their first mission and disappears. They realize the company supplied them with the information on each other's actions and locations; it becomes clear the company has been trying to cause a rift between the two. Now with three fails, they are instructed to await further instructions. John concedes he is done and leaves. Jane smashes John's computer in anger and a new one is ominously delivered the next morning.
8"A Breakup"Donald GloverFrancesca Sloane & Donald GloverFebruary 2, 2024 (2024-02-02)
John and Jane are instructed to terminate each other. Jane is shot at and her cat Max is killed, while John discovers tripwire and C-4 at his mother's house. They agree to meet up, both blaming the other. Jane nearly kills John with a bomb, but he escapes and gives chase. Jane makes it home to find John's mother, who reveals his real name as Michael and seeks to give Jane advice against breaking up with him, before leaving. John uses the neighbor's house to gain access to his house. Using weapons hidden throughout the house, the duo fight to the point of exhaustion. John ultimately prevails, and injects them both with truth serum. Delirious, they both admit they had the chance to but chose not to kill each other and they loved each other, among other personal secrets. They realize neither of them were behind the earlier attempts on their lives, as the Smiths they previously met enter the house to kill them. The other Smiths reveal "super high risk" is the execution of Smiths, and their belief that the company is omniscient. Our Smiths blind the other John and escape to the safe room, with John seemingly mortally wounded. While the other Jane is trying to get access to the safe room, our Jane agrees to have kids, reveals her real name as Alana, and with one bullet left makes her final stand. Outside the building, three shots are seen fired. In a post credit scene, the neighbor, a real estate agent who wants to sell the property, is trying to deliver a book and rejoices at the sight of the destroyed home, hoping to be finally be able to sell their house.

Production

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On February 12, 2021, it was announced that a TV series reboot based on the original film, created by and starring Donald Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, with Francesca Sloane as co-creator and showrunner, would premiere on Prime Video in 2022.[1] The original film was directed by Doug Liman and starred Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.[2] Waller-Bridge exited the project in September 2021 due to creative differences with Glover.[2] On April 7, 2022, it was reported that Maya Erskine would take over Waller-Bridge's role.[3]

On June 29, 2022, it was reported that Michaela Coel, John Turturro, and Paul Dano would appear in guest star roles.[4] On September 22, 2022, it was reported that Parker Posey and Wagner Moura had joined the cast in recurring roles.[5]

In addition to Glover and Sloane, the series was executive produced by Yariv Milchan, Arnon Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Stephen Glover, Anthony Katagas, Hiro Murai, Nate Matteson, and Jenny Robins.[1][5] Filming began in the summer of 2022.[6]

On May 14, 2024, Amazon Prime Video renewed the series for a second season, with Sloane returning as showrunner. However, whether Glover and Erskine are returning or not is unclear.[7]

Release

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On September 23, 2022, it was reported that the release date for the series had been pushed back from 2022 to 2023.[8]

Amidst the 2023 Hollywood strikes, Amazon delayed the release from 2023 to "early 2024".[9] All eight episodes of the series were released on February 2, 2024, on Prime Video.[10][11]

Marketing

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A series of guerrilla marketing stunts were used to promote the series. On January 19, 2024, a pair of shoes were stolen at an art exhibit after the lights went out. On January 24, two furries sat next to Tyra Banks at a basketball game. On January 25, a comedy show featuring Mark Normand was interrupted when two unknown people rushed the stage. Social media posts about these events had advertisement disclaimers but did not specify the product being advertised. Gothamist found that marketing firm Verb had put out casting calls for the "HiHi Mission Contest" that would take place at a "culture event in New York City".[12] The comedy show was a taping by HiHi, according to the comedy club, that influencers had been invited to.[13]

Reception

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Critical response

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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 90% approval rating, with an average rating of 7.6/10, based on 110 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Building on the basic premise of its source material, Mr. & Mrs. Smith anchors its spy hijinks in a relationship drama fueled by the chemistry between its charming leads."[14] On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]

Audience viewership

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On February 9, 2024, it was announced the series had become one of Prime Video's top five new series debuts ever in terms of total U.S. viewers.[16]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2024 Gotham TV Awards Breakthrough Drama Series Mr. & Mrs. Smith Won [17][18]
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding New Program Nominated [19]
Astra TV Awards Best Streaming Drama Series Mr. & Mrs. Smith Pending [20]
Best Actor in a Streaming Drama Series Donald Glover Pending
Best Actress in a Streaming Drama Series Maya Erskine Pending
Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series Paul Dano Pending
Wagner Moura Pending
Ron Perlman Pending
Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series Michaela Coel Pending
Sarah Paulson Pending
Parker Posey Pending
Best Directing in a Streaming Drama Series Hiro Murai (for "First Date") Pending
Best Writing in a Streaming Drama Series Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover (for "First Date") Pending
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Drama Series Mr. & Mrs. Smith Won [21]
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama Series Donald Glover Nominated
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Drama Series Michaela Coel Won
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series Donald Glover (for "A Breakup") Nominated
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series Francesca Sloane & Donald Glover (for "A Breakup") Nominated
Francesca Sloane & Donald Glover (for "First Date") Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Drama Series Donald Glover, Francesca Sloane, Stephen Glover, Hiro Murai, Nate Matteson,
Anthony Katagas, Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Carla Ching,
Christian Sprenger, Fam Udeorji, and Kaitlin Waldron 		Nominated [22]
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Donald Glover (for "Couples Therapy (Naked & Afraid)") Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Maya Erskine (for "A Breakup") Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Hiro Murai (for "First Date") Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover (for "First Date") Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Paul Dano (for "A Breakup") Nominated
John Turturro (for "Second Date") Nominated
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Michaela Coel (for "Infidelity") Won
Sarah Paulson (for "Couples Therapy (Naked & Afraid)") Nominated
Parker Posey (for "Double Date") Nominated
Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Carmen Cuba, Candice Alustiza-Lee, Teresa Razzauti, and Alejandro Reza Nominated
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series David Fleming (for "First Date") Nominated
Outstanding Music Supervision Jen Malone (for "A Breakup") Nominated
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series Kyle Reiter and Isaac Hagy (for "First Date") Nominated
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series Stephen Pope Won
Outstanding Stunt Performance Tara Macken (for "A Breakup") Nominated
2025
 Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Pilot and First Season Drama Carmen Cuba, Charley Medigovich Pending [23]

References

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  1. ^ a b Goldberg, Leslie (February 12, 2021). "Donald Glover, Phoebe Waller-Bridge Team for Mr. & Mrs. Smith Series at Amazon". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Yossman, KJ (September 6, 2021). "Phoebe Waller-Bridge Departs Amazon's Mr. & Mrs. Smith Series". Variety. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  3. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 7, 2022). "Mr. & Mrs. Smith: Maya Erskine To Star Opposite Donald Glover In Prime Video Series, Replacing Phoebe Waller-Bridge". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  4. ^ Otterson, Joe (June 29, 2022). "Michaela Coel, John Turturro, Paul Dano Join Donald Glover & Maya Erskine in Mr. and Mrs. Smith Amazon Series". Variety. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Otterson, Joe (September 22, 2022). "Mr. and Mrs. Smith Amazon Series Casts Parker Posey, Wagner Moura". Variety. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  6. ^ Craighead, Olivia (October 11, 2022). "Everyone Is Having an Awesome Time on the Mr. & Mrs. Smith Set". Gawker. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  7. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 14, 2024). "'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' Renewed for Season 2 at Amazon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  8. ^ Eckardt, Steph (September 23, 2022). "Everything We Know About Donald Glover's Mr. and Mrs. Smith Reboot". W Magazine. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  9. ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (September 14, 2023). "Donald Glover and Maya Erskine's 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' gets delayed". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  10. ^ Petski, Denise (November 16, 2023). "'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' Gets Premiere Date On Prime Video". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  11. ^ Herman, Alison (February 1, 2024). "Donald Glover and Maya Erskine Make a New and Improved 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith': TV Review". Variety. Archived from the original on February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  12. ^ Pandya, Hershal (January 31, 2024). "Why Is Donald Glover Pranking Us?". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 1, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  13. ^ Kailath, Ryan; Fondren, Precious (January 26, 2024). "What does Donald Glover have to do with Brooklyn furries and an evacuated comedy club?". Gothamist. Archived from the original on February 1, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  14. ^ "Mr. & Mrs. Smith: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  15. ^ "Mr. & Mrs. Smith: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  16. ^ Campione, Katie (February 9, 2024). "'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' Among Amazon's Top 5 New Series Debuts Ever". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  17. ^ Lewis, Hilary (June 5, 2024). "2024 Gotham TV Awards: 'Baby Reindeer,' 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith,' 'Colin From Accounts' Top Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  18. ^ Lewis, Hilary (June 4, 2024). "2024 Gotham TV Awards: 'Baby Reindeer,' 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith,' 'Colin From Accounts' Top Winners". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  19. ^ Longeretta, Emily (June 10, 2024). "'Baby Reindeer,' 'Ripley' and 'Shogun' Lead 2024 TCA Awards Nominations: Full List". Variety. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024.
  20. ^ Prusakowski, Steven (July 9, 2024). "2024 Astra TV Awards Nominees Announced". Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  21. ^ "8th Annual Black Reel Television Awards Nominees". Black Reel Awards. Archived from the original on June 16, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  22. ^ "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  23. ^ Rice, Lynette (November 1, 2024). "Artios Awards Nominees Revealed: Netflix Leads With 17 Nominations, HBO/Max With 6". Deadline. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
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