Apple TV+’s New Crime Drama ‘Smoke’ Huffs More Than It Puffs
It's all smoke on the water and not enough fire in the sky in the first two episodes of Smoke.
The name Dennis Lehane should spark excitement in drama lovers.
After all, he’s the author behind riveting pageturners like Shutter Island, Mystic River, and Gone, Baby, Gone that were turned into cinematic masterpieces. Lehane is also no stranger to the world of television either, having served as the showrunner for Apple TV+’s Black Bird, which earned rave reviews and showcased his ability to really dig deeper into the facets of human emotion.
Now, Lehane returns as the showrunner for Apple TV+’s Smoke, which teams him up with Taron Egerton once again. In this series, Egerton plays arson investigator Dave Gudsen, who receives a new partner in the form of Detective Michelle Calderon (Jurnee Smollett). They work an important case, trying to figure out the identities of two arsonists who are on the loose and wreaking havoc.
‘Smoke’ is a test in seeing how long you can keep your eyes open
The opening 15 minutes of the first episode of Smoke captivate, since it doesn’t take too long for the characters to be introduced and get them to their first crime scene. There, Dave Gudsen demonstrates his impressive skill in determining if a fire was started by an arsonist or not, while Michelle Calderon brings a detective’s eye to the scene, spotting other irregularities that her partner might not see. It’s a promising start, since it showcases how they might not be able to catch the arsonists independently, but together, they stand a chance.
The problem with Smoke is what follows after the fiery opening. It’s excruciating trying to keep your eyes open. No, not because of all the smoke that gets in them, but due to how boring the show becomes. Hardly anything happens, as scenes bounce around to form grey clouds, threatening a storm that never comes. There are large stretches of narrative nothingness where the characters engage in mundane activities that move the plot forward by 0.0001% in some instances. Whereas Black Bird was done and dusted in six episodes, Smoke is nine episodes – with six of these episodes being over 50 minutes in length. It’s far too long and far too tedious.
It should have been a movie instead of a series
So, at this point, you might be asking how did Dennis Lehane get it so wrong with Smoke? Well, not quite. His dripping drama and exploration of characters remain ever-present here, and there are sparks of brilliance, mostly thanks to the acting talent. The problem is sifting through the time-filling blocks to find the moments. A story like Smoke would have worked better as a movie instead of a series. Alternatively, if Lehane was adamant about it being a show, it could have been six episodes rather than eight. Whichever way, you can’t run away from the fact that Smoke requires better pacing and faster-moving pieces rather than being a slow burn – pardon the pun.
It also doesn’t help that the first two episodes lack any hook to keep you invested. There’s almost too much backstory and detail overstuffed into the narrative, not allowing the viewer to fill in some of the blanks for themselves or letting the story unfold organically later on. For example: Let’s look at a character’s relationship with their significant other, which is typically a B or C subplot in this type of story. Yes, it’s important to have scenes that either showcase the bond or deterioration of the relationship. However, when you’re exploring several characters and you dedicate too much screen time to their respective relationships, you lose the viewer who wonders when the main plot will feature. In other words, the focus becomes too much on the side quests and not enough on the actual mission.
This is one Apple TV+ show you can skip
With so much content competing for your attention nowadays, it’s important that a show grabs you immediately. If not, it really needs to have something special in it that demands you stick with it for the long haul – Apple TV+’s Sugar being a prime and recent example of an outstanding slow-burner with just enough curiosity that rewards your patience. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Smoke. Despite the gifted talent in front and behind the camera, it huffs more than it puffs. Again, this should have been a movie rather than a series, because there is a good story somewhere here, but gosh – it’s buried too deep to find it.
