Mr. & Mrs. Smith – Season One [2023] on Prime Video

Amazon’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith remake is as fun as an overdrawn drama with random but interesting action sequences can be.

Let’s start from the top. Prime Video has been struggling to start, or restart, an action-based franchise of their own. Just look at all the money they poured into Citadel, Reacher, Jack Ryan, and countless others. All of them have one thing in common: Over complicated storyline drawn into 6 to 10 episodes with a plot that is engineered to spawn sequels and spin-offs. Yet, none of those worked. And this one is no different.

Starring Donald Glover & Maya Erskine as the titular Smiths, the show takes the original movie, and expands it to around seven and a half hours of storytelling, and it shows. The first episode is almost perfect, the last episode is the equivalent of the original movie, but with a lower budget. And everything in between is forced harder than a parent forcing their child to eat or take their meds.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved, really loved, that we got time to create layered and three-dimensional characters, but this show could be better by letting go of the “Smith” bagage and just being a drama and action series. If the 2005 film relied on explosive star power, the new TV version works harder for its payoffs. Sadly, it rarely does pay off.

If Prime Video decided to renew this series, both characters need to step out of the shadows of the movie, and the Smith moniker. They actually need to be a drama and action series, mixed with the fact that they’re married. Yes, it’s not all about explosions and drama. But, let’s be honest, this is what the franchise is about. Gimme that, but also sprinkle some marriage problems. Not the other way around.

Should You Watch It?

The series is stylish, cinematic and entertaining, with hooks waiting to snag you every time your fall asleep between the disparate action sequences. But despite all that, it’s missing that indefinable spark that makes you fall in love.

Where Can I Watch It?

You can stream season one of Mr. & Mrs. Smith exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.