'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' Shouldn't Return Without Donald Glover and Maya Erskine

The Big Picture

• Prime Video's Mr. & Mrs. Smith TV reboot surpasses the original movie, delving deeper into spycraft and modern dating.
• The chemistry between Donald Glover and Maya Erskine is pivotal to the show's success and should continue in Season 2.
• An anthology format for Mr. & Mrs. Smith could expand the mystery and relationship dynamics while maintaining audience engagement, but it wouldn't work as well without Glover and Erskine.

While there are plenty of mediocre television shows based on hit movies, the opposite rarely happens. 2005’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a perfectly entertaining studio action movie that, despite its rather generic humor and action, succeeded thanks to the effortless charisma of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. However, Prime Video’s television reboot managed to improve upon its predecessor in nearly every way; the series revamped the premise to explore the all-consuming nature of spycraft, crafting a powerful deconstruction of what dating is like in the Internet era. Based on the strong response that the first eight episodes received, Mr. & Mrs. Smith was swiftly confirmed for a second season.

Although strong writing and a series of memorable guest stars certainly helped Mr. & Mrs. Smith be an entertaining series, the show’s brilliance was in the dynamic between Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. The duo created flawed, yet highly relatable characters who struggle to balance their personal and professional obligations. Although the series seems intent on transforming into an “anthology” format that could introduce a new set of leads, Mr. & Mrs. Smith’s second season would be far more interesting if Glover and Erskine reprised their roles.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Two strangers land jobs with a spy agency that offers them a life of espionage, wealth, and travel. The catch: new identities in an arranged marriage.

'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' Ends With a Compelling Season 2 Hook

While the ending is somewhat ambiguous, the final episode of Mr. & Mrs. Smith ends with a major moment of character development that signifies a new direction that a follow-up story could take. A lasting tension between Jane (Erskine) and John (Glover) throughout the first season is a debate over whether they want kids; while Jane initially expresses discomfort about starting a family due to the nature of her profession, she finally admits to John that she wants kids when it appears that they could meet the end of their lives. This places the characters in an interesting position should their survival be confirmed; even if their lives are constantly in danger, John and Jane may want to start a family during the time that they have left.

One of the most interesting elements of Mr. & Mrs. Smith is its subtle way of hinting at the larger espionage organization that employs various “Johns” and “Janes.” There are brief hints at what the organization's true motivations are through the secret messages sent to John and Jane, but the series doesn’t reveal who is truly in charge. Bringing back Erskine and Glover could allow Mr. & Mrs. Smith to develop its central mystery. It appears that John and Jane are finally committed to one another out of complete sincerity, and not due to any professional obligations. Given this newfound loyalty, it seems that they may be interested in exploring the program that had previously employed them.

The desire to turn Mr. & Mrs. Smith into an anthology series makes sense, as the show was able to hint at a larger universe by bringing in acclaimed actors as various guest stars. However, allowing Erskine and Glover to return wouldn't prevent the series from introducing other “Janes” and “Johns.” In fact, it might be very interesting to see how Erskine and Glover’s characters react to another couple that is in a different stage in their relationship; the moments focused on the alternate John (Wagner Moura) and Jane (Parker Posey) are a standout of the first season.

'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' Could Make the Relationship Dynamics More Complicated in Season 2

Although Mr. & Mrs. Smith features some of the most exciting espionage action on television in recent memory, the show is at its best when detailing the emergence of a modern relationship. As John and Jane lead various missions together, they experience dating, vacation, therapy, infidelity, and even a potential breakup. A second season of Mr. & Mrs. Smith has the potential to explore the later stages of a relationship. It would be interesting to see how John and Jane deal with the possibilities of marriage, buying a home, or meeting each others’ families; given the constant danger that they are in, there’s a good chance these developments could be both surprisingly funny and very intense.

Given how significantly Jane and John change over the course of the first season, it would be disappointing if Mr. & Mrs. Smith went back to “square one” with a new couple. Even if the relationship dynamics were slightly different, it would be hard for a second season with new characters to avoid going through some of the same narrative beats and feeling very repetitive. Viewers connected with the first season because the audience and characters were making revelations at the same time; this is negated if the leads are recast and the show starts from scratch.

'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' Is Less Relevant Without Donald Glover and Maya Erskine

While the premise is a brilliant one, Mr. & Mrs. Smith succeeded thanks to the creative collaboration between Glover and Erskine. Both performers may be best known for their comedic work but managed to give mature performances that showed a different side of their screen personas. This was essential in cracking the unique tone of Mr. & Mrs. Smith; while there are certainly shocking twists that are intended to be serious, the inherent humorous sensibilities of its stars allowed for some unexpected moments of comic relief.

The involvement of Glover and Erskine is what differentiates Mr. & Mrs. Smith from other spy shows. Prime Video has no shortage of espionage-adjacent genre shows, such as Reacher, Jack Ryan, Bosch, and the upcoming reboot of Cross. Comparatively, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a relationship drama that uses the parameters of a genre series to be more entertaining. The first season marked the beginning of something truly unique that had the potential to get deeper and more complicated as it continued; it would be a shame if Season 2 opted to negate this progress by attempting to turn Mr. & Mrs. Smith into a franchise.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.

Watch on Prime Video

ncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kurN5wKebZqWiqHq0ucitn2arlZbAsLqMa2Sdp56WuaV5xqWmr52iYrqixcBmnKurm567pns%3D