PODCAST-SMOKE-TV SERIES

Smoke is a nine-episode Apple TV series based on Dennis Lehane’s book, Firebug. This thriller is dark and gritty, with its main theme being no one can escape the negative effects of a traumatic childhood. All the primary characters have backstories that have left them flawed. The writing is good and is often laced with a cynical and biting humor.

As the story opens, we viewers learn that a serial arsonist has set more than twenty fires in the city. The investigators are under great pressure to find the perpetrator. The plot is comprised of a series of twists and turns, so many, that you can predict another is just about to happen, which is not optimal. That being said, the story kept my interest.

The acting is terrific and that alone makes the show worth watching. Jurnee Smollett does an amazing job capturing the complexity of her character, a detective who’s survived terrible abuse. Taron Eagerton delivers an stellar performance as an arson specialist who seems charismatic and charming in a twitchy and almost maniacal way. I felt a special affection for the character, Ezra Esposito, played convincingly by John Leguizamo. Ezra is a fired cop, despised by everyone because of his past failures. Yet, this guy, whose behavior can be described as amoral at best, is the one person who wants to find the truth, whatever the cost. This skilled ensemble has great chemistry. In fact, I might call it phenomenal negative chemistry, in that many of the characters have contempt for one another or histories that entangle them in unhealthy ways. Their interactions felt genuine, and the dialogue felt authentic. This thought-provoking series would be great to discuss with others.

Writers included a subplot that I found riveting—true to life and thoroughly moving. Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine’s performance as Freddy is amazing. I don’t want to say any more about this, except that the segment is worthy of your close attention.

The pacing felt slow at times. I think the narrative tension would have been higher if they’d condensed the series into six episodes. My husband lost interest at episode three, but I hung in through episode nine. I found the last episode annoying. Lehane decided that he wanted to “go big or go home.” Up until that point, I appreciated the nuance of the material. The choices the main character made at the end strained credulity and did not fit with her street-smart way of handling crisises. At the very end, they portrayed an unrelated fire, maybe to entice viewers to show up for a possible season two? I found this confusing and thought that it diluted the intensity of emotion viewers might have felt at the conclusion of the series.

If you like watching flames, little fires and big conflagrations, this movie is for you. The ethereal shots of collapsing buildings and blazing forests are mesmerizing. All these gorgeous scenes are complemented by a topnotch soundtrack.

What I liked most about this series is the complex portrayal of each of the main characters, how we can’t escape our pasts and how no one is completely good nor completely evil. This show may be too grim for some viewers. However, I feel it’s worth watching based on the superb acting, engaging soundtrack, and beautiful (but terrifying) cinematography.

### Interested in watching other TV series? Check out: THE PERFECT COUPLE and HIGH POTENTIAL .

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SMOKE

(Photo by Jen Fariello)Deborah Prum’s fiction has appeared in The Virginia Quarterly Review, Across the Margin, Streetlight and other outlets. Her essays air on NPR member stations and have appeared in The Washington Post, Ladies Home Journal and Southern Living, as well as many other places. Check out her WEBSITE. Check out her DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING SERVICES. Check out her PAINTINGS.

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