If you’re looking for a character drama with a dash of spy, look no further than the new Mr. and Mrs. Smith on Amazon Prime Video.
The show was initially criticized for remaking a movie that was popular even if it wasn’t highly rated. But the 2005 movie was also a remake.
So what is the new show about, how is it different, and where did Mr. and Mrs. Smith come from? Here’s everything you need to know.
What’s the new Mr. and Mrs. Smith about?
John and Jane Smith are happily married. So were the first John and Jane, before they were shot dead. Now, the new Mr. and Mrs. Smith are ready to take their place.
The two strangers are interviewed by a mysterious agency before they’re hired to become secret agents. Their first mission: sever all their ties to their current life. Their second: live as a married couple with their new identities.
As they get assignments from anonymous text messages, they have to complete their missions while working through their burgeoning relationship. As for which one is harder, it’s hard to say.
The Original Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Just like the couple in the show, this version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith isn’t original. It’s just the newest. The first show premiered on CBS in 1996 starring Scott Bakula and Maria Bello. There, the organization was known as “The Factory.”
After Mrs. Smith fails a mission, she encounters a rival named Mr. Smith. Seeing that they make a good team, The Factory hires her and assigns them to work together.
The show was canceled after only nine episodes of the original thirteen aired. Though the casting was stellar, bringing the popular star power of Bakula after his enormous popularity of Quantum Leap, the show simply didn’t captivate audiences the way it should.
Still, it did introduce Maria Bello to a wider audience and featured Timothy Olyphant’s screen debut. It also cemented the general dynamic between married spies.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith as a Blockbuster
Next came the wildly popular blockbuster starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in 2005. The movie received mediocre reviews but the one thing that was off the charts, was the on (and off) the screen chemistry between Pitt and Jolie.
In this version, the couple are both spies, but each is blissfully unaware that the other is a spy. Their love affair seems genuine, including marriage counseling to try and regain the spark that first brought them together. It’s only after the agency decides to send them after the same target that they discover the other’s identity, and are then ordered to kill each other.
The romance is front and center in the film, using the espionage as the catalyst for their explosive attraction—complete with actual explosions. And while it didn’t work for some, the dynamic between Jolie and Pitt was undeniably fun.
The film was so popular that Jolie and Pitt attempted to get a sequel made. But they were never given a script that satisfied their desire for an original take on the couple’s continued story.
Never one to let a popularity wave die, ABC studios created a pilot for a spin-off starring Martin Henderson and Jordana Brewster. The episode didn’t do well among critics, and ABC ultimately never moved forward with the series.
The New Mr. and Mrs. Smith 2024
In February 2021, Amazon Studios announced they were going to do a reboot based on the 2005 movie. It was originally set for Donald Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge in the title roles.
In September 2021, Waller-Bridge and Glover had creative differences that led to her exit. Maya Erskine replaced her.
Unlike the first show and the film, the 2024 Mr. and Mrs. Smith premiered to critical acclaim. It was well-received by critics and viewers alike, becoming Prime Video’s top five new series debuts.
How is the 2024 Version Different?
Though the show was meant to be a reboot of the film, it instead follows the 1996 show where the two spies are well aware of who they are and what the marriage is. They complete assigned missions together and develop their attraction in the midst of the action.
The show is focused less of spy work and more on their relationship, with Glover discussing how he was more interested in exploring the question of why two people get married in the first place. It’s an interesting idea, marriage of convenience in an entirely non-conventional way.
This Mr. and Mrs. Smith aren’t the slick, perfect, gorgeous couple that Pitt and Jolie effortlessly portrayed. Instead, the characters are more accessible and understandable. They're two people seeking direction and connection, a premise anyone can get behind—with or without the espionage.
Where Can I Watch the 2024 Mr. and Mrs. Smith?
The show premiered on Amazon Prime Video on February 2, 2024. All eight episodes of the first season are available to stream now.
