So, everyone remembers the 2005 movie. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the "Brangelina" explosion, and that weirdly intense kitchen fight where they basically destroyed their suburban home. It was iconic. But when Amazon announced a Mr. & Mrs. Smith TV series, people were skeptical. Honestly, I was too. Why touch a classic?
The thing is, the show isn't a remake. It’s a total vibe shift.
Instead of two super-spies who didn't know the other was an assassin, we get John and Jane. They’re two lonely strangers who sign up for a mysterious spy agency. They know they’re being paired together. The marriage is a cover, but the feelings—and the danger—become very real, very fast. It’s less Mission: Impossible and more of a messy, awkward look at how hard it is to actually trust someone when your life is literally on the line.
What People Get Wrong About the New Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Most people expected Donald Glover and Maya Erskine to just do a Pitt and Jolie impression. That would have been a disaster.
The 2005 film was about the fantasy of perfection. Brad and Angelina looked like gods, lived in a museum-quality house, and were effortlessly cool. The TV show flips that. John (Glover) and Jane (Erskine) are flawed. They’re awkward. They have baggage. John is a former soldier who’s a bit of a mama's boy; Jane is socially guarded and has a history of "failing" out of government programs like the CIA.
Their chemistry isn't built on being the hottest people in the room. It’s built on the "High Life."
That’s the name of the agency they work for, by the way. Or rather, that’s the name of the lifestyle. They are managed by an anonymous chat interface they call "Hihi." It’s basically a corporate HR department if HR could send a hit squad to your house if you messed up three assignments.
The Three Strikes Rule
The stakes in Mr. & Mrs. Smith are surprisingly bureaucratic. You get three missions. If you fail all three, you’re "terminated." In this world, that doesn't mean you get a severance package. It means you’re dead. This creates a pressure cooker environment where the couple has to balance their growing (and often toxic) romantic feelings with the cold, hard reality that a mistake by one of them could kill both of them.
Why the Episodic Guest Stars Matter
The show uses a "mission of the week" structure, but it’s really a way to mirror different stages of a relationship.
In one episode, they meet another "John and Jane" played by Alexander Skarsgård and Eiza González. It’s a short, brutal look at what happens when the job goes wrong early. Later, they meet a "super high-risk" version of themselves—played by Ron Perlman and Sarah Paulson—who show them what a long-term, bitter, and violent version of their future might look like.
It’s clever writing.
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Instead of just having random action scenes, every guest star serves as a mirror. When John and Jane go to therapy (yes, spies go to therapy), it’s not just a gag. It’s a genuine exploration of how two people who lie for a living can ever be honest with each other. Sarah Paulson’s character in particular brings this frantic energy that highlights just how much the "High Life" erodes your sanity over time.
A Departure from the Source Material
If you’re looking for the 1996 TV show starring Scott Bakula or the 2005 movie, you might be frustrated by the pacing here. This is a slow burn.
- The action is quick and messy, not choreographed.
- The dialogue is realistic, filled with "ums" and "likes."
- The locations (NYC, Lake Como, the Dolomites) are beautiful but feel lived-in.
The showrunners, Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover, focused heavily on the domesticity. There are long scenes of them just eating pasta or arguing about who has to take the dog out. It makes the moments of violence feel more jarring and high-stakes because you’ve spent 40 minutes watching them try to figure out if they actually like each other.
The Controversy Surrounding the Casting
We have to talk about Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Originally, the Fleabag creator was set to star alongside Glover. They worked together on Solo: A Star Wars Story and seemed like a dream team. Then, "creative differences" happened. She left. Fans panicked.
But honestly? Maya Erskine was the better choice for this specific version of Jane.
Erskine brings a vulnerability that is tucked under layers of ice. Her Jane is someone who desperately wants to be loved but is terrified of being seen. If Waller-Bridge had stayed, the show likely would have been much more overtly comedic or "meta." Instead, we got something grounded and, at times, deeply depressing. It’s a spy show for people who like Noah Baumbach movies.
Analyzing the "Hihi" Mystery
Who is running the show?
Throughout the first season, "Hihi" remains a mystery. It’s a faceless entity that provides high-end housing and infinite credit cards. Some fans theorize it’s an AI. Others think it’s a rogue faction of a government agency.
The genius of the writing is that it doesn't really matter who "Hihi" is. The entity represents the "Company"—the invisible forces we all work for that don't care about our personal lives as long as the "KPIs" are met. John and Jane are just gig workers with better fashion and silencers.
The Ending That Left Everyone Stressing
No spoilers here, but the finale of Season 1 is an absolute masterclass in tension. It circles back to the core question of the series: Can you have a real relationship in a world built on deception?
The final confrontation isn't just about guns. It’s about the truth.
When the show was renewed for Season 2, the internet went into a tailspin. Will Glover and Erskine return? The "anthology" rumors have been flying around because of how the first season ended. Regardless of who stars in the next installment, the blueprint is set. Mr. & Mrs. Smith has successfully moved out of the shadow of the 2005 film by being its own, weird, quiet, and violent thing.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and New Viewers
If you’re diving into the series or rewatching to catch the clues you missed, keep these details in mind:
- Watch the background. The "Hihi" messages often contain subtle hints about the next mission or the agency's true intentions.
- Pay attention to the "Other Smiths." Every time they encounter another couple, it’s a foreshadowing of a specific conflict John and Jane are about to have.
- Don't skip the "boring" parts. The scenes where they are just talking in their brownstone are where the actual plot—the emotional plot—happens.
- Check the credits. The music selection is curated by Glover (Childish Gambino) and his team, and the tracks often provide a subtextual commentary on the scenes.
The best way to experience the show is to stop comparing it to the movie. Forget the exploding ovens and the tango dances. This version of Mr. & Mrs. Smith is about the quiet, terrifying realization that the person sleeping next to you might be your greatest partner or your eventual downfall. It’s a high-stakes look at modern intimacy disguised as a spy thriller. Grab some popcorn, but maybe don't expect a happy ending.