‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ is bound for Emmy glory
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie‘s 2005 film “‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith” has come close a TV adaptation several times, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge involved in its creation once upon a time. Now, Amazon Prime Video has finally delivered and creators Donald Glover and Francesa Sloane, who worked with Glover on his hit show “Atlanta,” have done a splendid job with this adaptation.
The series stars Glover and “Pen15” actress and creator Maya Erskine as two strangers who become secret agents by posing as a married couple, John and Jane Smith. The show is packed full of the sort of terrific action sequences you’d expect from a “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” project. But what elevates it to the next level are the relationship dilemmas that crop up through John and Jane Smith’s escapades.
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One episode sees them think about their own future as a “couple” when they spy on a miserable married couple played by Sharon Horgan and Billy Campbell. Another episode explores how they’d cope as parents to a toddler when Ron Perlman‘s whining, whinging, moaning high-target keeps them on their toes.
Using the spy genre as a vehicle to explore modern-day relationships has proven to be a genius move, as noted by critics.
Alan Sepinwall (Rolling Stone) stated: “It cleverly inverts the movie’s premise. It blends the best elements of retro TV and modern TV, and deftly balances the ridiculousness of the core idea with the danger of it.”
Brian Tallerico (Roger Ebert) explained: “A remarkably easy watch, a fun piece of comfort food programming that alternates unpredictable mystery-of-the-week plotting with increasingly likable characters.”
Linda Holmes (NPR) observed: “What a delight to watch something smart and deeply felt that’s also so fizzy and funny. And on top of that, it’s stylish and great-looking.”
Kristen Baldwin (Entertainment Weekly) opined: “Fueled by nimble writing and the natural chemistry of its two leads, ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ is the (very) rare reboot that both evolves and honors the original.”
Aaron Pruner (The Wrap) summarized: “Simply put, ‘Mr & Mrs. Smith’ is the first must-see show of 2024.”
As a result of these rave reviews, we are predicting that “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” will be nominated for Best Drama Series alongside “The Crown,” “The Morning Show,” “Shōgun,” “The Gilded Age,” “Slow Horses,” “The Curse,” and “Fallout.” And there are multiple reasons to believe that this show will definitely secure that bid.
Firstly, Glover is front and center here. The multi-hyphenate writes, produces, creates, and stars in this show. He even directs the season finale. Emmy voters adore these types of creatives and often flock to nominate their shows whenever they can. In the Best Drama Series category alone, several shows created by or featuring multi-hyphenates have earned nominations including Mike White‘s “The White Lotus,” Jason Bateman‘s “Ozark,” and Waller-Bridge’s “Killing Eve.”
Glover has also proven to be a hit with Emmy voters. He has 11 Emmy nominations to his name including two bids for Best Comedy Series for “Atlanta” (in 2017 and 2018). He also has three writing citations to his name — two for “Atlanta” in 2017 and 2018 and one for “Swarm” in 2023. Voters clearly like Glover’s style of work and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” is a product of Glover’s unique style and tastes. Voters could flock to appreciate his work yet again.
“Mr. and Mrs. Smith” also blurs the lines between comedy and drama and could easily fit into the Best Comedy Series category as well as it does in Best Drama Series. Emmy voters increasingly like these sorts of shows, too, such as “The White Lotus” and “Killing Eve.”
Action or spy series also get a lot of recognition in this category, with many shows earning nominations here including “Killing Eve,” “Bodyguard,” “The Americans,” and “Homeland.” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” could be next.
It also helps when a show has such a magnetic duo at its center. Many shows such a terrific pair leading the lines have wound up with Best Drama Series bids, including “The Last of Us” (Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey), “Killing Eve” (Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh), “Bodyguard” (Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes), “House of Cards” (Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright), and “True Detective” (Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson). Glover and Erskine and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” could join this list.
The show has already proven that it has some awards pedigree as we gear up into this Emmys season. It was nominated earlier this year the Gotham Awards for Best Breakthrough Drama Series, proving it has awards backing. That should translate to Emmy success.
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