February Show Pick: 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'

I was on the verge of writing an angry review about Amazon Prime, criticizing its endless pricy channels and the lack of good subtitles. However, after watching the first 3 episodes of this new show, I completely changed my perspective—until the fourth episode, when I reverted to the never-ending pool of hate. The decision to release all 8 episodes at once seemed like the promise of a great weekend, initially felt like a gift. However, it became apparent to me that Prime has a secret vendetta, intending to make my weekend utterly unproductive and filled with frustration. In the beginning, I enjoyed the fresh take on the Smith family, feeling glued to the storyline for at least the first 3 episodes. Unfortunately, we soon spiraled back into contradictions. The show wants us to believe that the Smiths are proficient killers, yet they consistently act like total unprofessional misfits. Spoilers ahead, and I should mention that I've decided to name these episodes however I choose; you will totally understand why I picked those names after you watch the show.

Ep.1 'Donald Glover's Hot Jeans'.

When I saw Alexander Skarsgard directly at the beginning of the first episode, I immediately realized that he is just a cameo who is going to be killed. Nevertheless, I always enjoy him. The last time I saw him was with Mia Goth, and that was a while ago. So the beginning was solid; it really looked like European cinema through the Hollywood lens. The whole show looks like it came from the old continent, which gives it a sip of fresh air. One thing that struck me was how unprepared the first Smiths were. They were a bit unprofessional, and I remember thinking to myself, 'Haven't you watched any movies or TV shows with that exact scenario?' But their quick demise only brought realism to this grounded-looking show. They were killed and replaced as fast as you will read this. And here we meet for the first time our new Mr. & Mrs. Smith, who are magnetic. What a great pair. I love that Phoebe Waller-Bridge had exited the show due to creative differences with Glover because Maya Erskine, who plays Jane, is perfect! I can't stress enough how good those two are together. And good for Glover, who is playing John; he co-wrote some of the episodes and is generally involved in the making of this pick. But don't get it twisted; it is all about his jeans and the swagger he has. I never got Glover before, but now I am looking at him like Annie Wilkes is looking at Paul Sheldon. I suspected the mission would have some turn because it was fun watching it unfold realistically, and when the bomb exploded, I was relieved that it really happened. I loved Jane acknowledging that if she stood there for a drink, as she insisted, she would have been dead now. High-risk job.

Ep. 2 'Menschliches Hundespielen'.

This episode was even more bananas. Here we are graced with the presence of Paul Dano, who is listed as a hot neighbor on IMDb. And do not go there; everything there is either false or a result of some kind of vendetta. For me, it was so disappointing to see the low score everyone gave to this show because I thoroughly enjoy it. So what else happened on that mission? Well, we saw the perverted rich and their demands unleashed. And here in Germany, you can see these fetishes everywhere; people are free to explore almost everything they want, and they often like 'menschliches Hundespielen'. I am a firm believer that if you wear your fetishes on a sleeve, there is nothing more interesting in you than your own fetish, the same goes for tattoos, mutilation for attention. But in this episode, we got to explore the Pupplay behind closed doors, way more intriguing. What a crazy scene that was, and can you imagine a scenario where this is your first kiss with somebody you like? But here our new Mr. & Mrs. Smith are also careless and unprofessional, and they get their first out of three strikes for killing the dog lover. And putting him in the composter is such a stupid idea. I imagine the smell of a human body is way worse than eggshells. I hope they dispose of the body somehow because this is junior level murdering. I loved the Tom and Jerry joke.

Ep. 3 'The Freezing Penis'.

I love that the show is switching locations and has various missions and themes, like freezing penises and farts. The mountain landscape of the Dolomites in Italy got me excited for the next episodes. I really liked Glover's tactic 'the freezing penis', even though it is working just for a small amount of time, but I am very disappointed to see Jane acting like that because I was expecting a stone-cold killer from her introduction in the beginning. Yet here we see a whole rainbow of emotions. Still, I guess it is a more realistic take on a cold detached human, but somehow I am not seeing her as a killer. Here Glover goes out of his way to save a woman; also, we find out that he keeps contacts with his mother and talks with her 3-5 times a day, which completely follows his introduction from the beginning. I hope Jane gets on track and keeps her core iced because these contrasts were what made the episodes fun to watch, and seeing her melting is just not so fun. Nevertheless, I am keeping watching it today because it is the most interesting thing that Prime has put out lately, and yeah, I am talking about your TV show, Nicole Kidman.

Ep. 4 'Stupid'.

Unfortunately, this show is getting dumber and dumber. Throughout the entire episode, I was really waiting for our Smiths to take care of this couple who just popped out on the market at the same place, same time, same job. It is ridiculous how stupid our main characters are, and at the same time, they are trying to convince me that these are high-risk murderers capable of everything they do. If it's like a perverted version of what killers look like in someone's mind, and he thought 'you know what would be funny,' no, that's not funny. At this point, I am playing with the idea of not watching. Now I get the low score on IMDb. And why in the hell would you cut in the most interesting part of the episode where the machete starts to swing and bodies fall? Is that a budget cut? Boy, our girl Phoebe was right to exit. Really, what keeps me around are the cameos, and the two main actors are doing for the most part a decent job. I am starting to feel bad that I was so excited in the first place.

Ep. 5 'I want to put a baby in you'.

Isn't that something wonderful? Another half-baked episode with a cameo. Prime Video is starting to waste my freaking weekend with the promise of something good, and now I'm getting this? 'I want to put a baby in you', the minute I heard that, I realized that my brutal honesty is demanded. At this point, I am watching this show because of Glover's bulge. I love him parading it all around. And behind this multimillion project, I believe there was a full room with fashion and marketing people thinking about how he could be dressed so the bulge will be in my face. I believe that there were meetings about the subject, and Glover was testing different clothes and how they are fitting. I feel like those guys did their job right, and they are keeping me from switching to Nicole Kidman, the another friendly boring competition.

Let's be honest, the beginning was intriguing, but these guys are disappointing amateurs. If the only interesting thing in this show is Glover's bulge, there's a problem! The action here is amusing; I guess shooting on location ate the money up, and they were left with the least amount for the most valuable part in a series about murders. And look what they did to my girl, character assassination. She is a whining, spoiled, ordinary brat that has no charm about her. And the actress is doing a great job; I feel like she is not even acting. Find out more in the review of the next episode where I will most definitely go off if they continue to waste my time.

Ep. 6 'Glover's fishing rod'.

Yeah, the hook is substantial, and it's right in your face. The entire TV show is mirroring Glover's boldness. It had a great start, but it got derailed in the middle and retracted itself. However, this episode, mainly because of Sarah Paulson, was somehow good. I mean, the entire show is half-baked. Paulson portrayed the cliché version of a couples therapist perfectly; her mannerisms were amusing in a good way. I'm not here to criticize Sarah Paulson; she excels in everything she does. The sessions were enjoyable to watch; I get a kick out of seeing couples fight, and kudos to the actors for delivering. The argument about the mother? That was brutal. I wanted to clap and scream at the TV to congratulate Glover because he completely destroyed Jane. This altercation between them was the best fight in the season, and it was all through words, which speaks volumes about the lack of action and the budget.

Ep. 7 'Black excellence'.

This is 'The Cameo' TV show. Now that I've written it, I'm tempted to use it as the title of this episode, but I'll stick with 'Black Excellence' because Michaela Coel, playing Bev, was such a brilliant choice, and I want to give her the recognition she deserves. I realize she's up to something with her cool acting in front of the gun; no one innocent acts with that swagger. She definitely showcased her charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent, handling the situation like a pro.

Unfortunately, the character assassination continues; our poor Jane is now a doormat. She was cool in the beginning, even though she never reached the sociopathic behavior she's bragging about. She was much more interesting in that version. Now, she's just the girlfriend, feeling like a somewhat sidekick to Glover. The relationship between Glover and his bulge is portrayed as more interesting. I know it might sound like I'm being provocative, but if you're flaunting it in my face, I'm going to talk about it. Luckily, it serves as a distraction from the disappointing moments of the show. The lack of incredible action with our main characters still holds the show back. I mean this photos are showing what we were forced to watch every episode.

Ep. 8 'High Risk'

I titled this episode that because it perfectly encapsulates what this show is about. It swings, and for most, it fails miserably. The first half of this episode was entertaining, making me briefly think we were back on track. The action was good, and the cat added emotional depth. However, the scene with the truth serum went on for too long. While I understand the creative choice and respect it to some extent, for me, it's a miss. This, in a way, reflects my overall opinion of this half-baked show, which was a somewhat interesting watch for the weekend. Now, I am free and ready to move on, but not quite yet. I can't help but mention the absurdity of this couple having guns everywhere in the house but neglecting to place any in the panic room. It feels like a lazy oversight on everyone's part, as if they were more concerned with Glover's bulge than the story.

Overall, bundling the 8 episodes together was the right choice because it compelled me to watch. I would have undoubtedly lost interest if it had followed a weekly release format after the third episode. The show fails on more levels than it succeeds, and unfortunately, if I had known, I would have preferred to watch a few clips online with the three great scenes it provides, rather than wasting my time with it. I mean, time is more precious than that.

Iliya Badev