When the news first broke that Donald Glover—the man we all know as Childish Gambino—was rebooting Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the collective internet groan was audible. Why? Because the 2005 original wasn’t exactly a cinematic masterpiece, but it had Brangelina. It had that high-octane, "too hot for the screen" energy that defined an era of celebrity obsession. Replacing that with a show on Prime Video felt like a reach. People expected a high-budget retread of the movie. They got something much weirder. And honestly? It was better for it.
Donald Glover’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith is not a spy show. Not really. If you go into it expecting James Bond gadgets and endless car chases, you're going to be disappointed by the third episode. It’s a relationship drama disguised as a thriller. It’s about the awkwardness of living with a stranger and the slow, painful process of falling in love while trying not to get shot in the head. It's smart. It's funny. It's deeply uncomfortable in a way that only Glover can pull off.
The Maya Erskine Factor and the Phoebe Waller-Bridge "What If"
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. Originally, Phoebe Waller-Bridge was set to co-star and co-create with Glover. The Fleabag creator and Childish Gambino working together sounded like a fever dream for prestige TV fans. But then, "creative differences" happened. In the world of Hollywood, that usually means "we hated each other's ideas."
Waller-Bridge left. Maya Erskine stepped in.
Erskine, best known for PEN15, brings a totally different vibe than what people imagined for a Phoebe Waller-Bridge version. She’s grounded. She’s skeptical. Her chemistry with Glover doesn't feel like a movie romance; it feels like two people who met on a weird dating app and are trying to figure out if they actually like each other or if they're just stuck together. This shift is what makes the show human. They aren't super-spies; they're contractors. They have bosses they never see. They have performance reviews. It’s basically the gig economy, but with more grenades.
🔗 Read more: Shamea Morton and the Real Housewives of Atlanta: What Really Happened to Her Peach
Why Donald Glover’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a Mid-Life Crisis on Screen
Glover has been vocal about how his perspective has shifted since his days writing for 30 Rock or making Atlanta. He's older. He's married. He has kids. You can see that maturity—or maybe just that exhaustion—bleeding into the character of John Smith.
In the show, the "agency" is this nebulous, all-knowing entity that communicates via a chat interface. It’s cold. It’s corporate. John and Jane are assigned "missions," but the missions are often secondary to the domestic squabbles they have while executing them. One episode involves them following a high-value target through the Italian Dolomites, but most of the runtime is spent discussing whether or not they should have children. It’s absurd. It’s also incredibly relatable to anyone who has ever had a massive argument with their partner while trying to navigate Google Maps in a foreign country.
- The stakes are emotional. Sure, they might die, but the bigger fear is being "lonely together."
- The violence is messy. It’s not choreographed like a John Wick film. It’s frantic and scary.
- The guest stars are insane. Parker Posey, Wagner Moura, and Alexander Skarsgård pop up in roles that subvert everything you expect from a spy trope.
Dissecting the "Childish Gambino" Influence on the Soundtrack
You can’t talk about a Donald Glover project without mentioning the music. Even though he’s technically acting and producing here, the DNA of Childish Gambino is all over the soundscapes. However, it’s not what you’d expect. He didn't just fill the show with his own tracks. Instead, the music supervisor, Jen Malone, leaned into a mix of eclectic, soulful, and sometimes jarring tracks that mirror the duo's internal states.
There's a specific rhythm to the editing that feels like a Gambino music video. Long takes. Sudden bursts of energy. Silence used as a weapon. If Atlanta was a surrealist dream about the Black experience in the South, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a surrealist dream about the corporate experience of modern intimacy.
💡 You might also like: Who is Really in the Enola Holmes 2 Cast? A Look at the Faces Behind the Mystery
The Ending Everyone Is Obsessed With
Without spoiling the specifics for the three people who haven't finished it yet, the finale of the first season is a masterclass in tension. It strips away the spy veneer entirely. We’re left with two people in a room, forced to be honest for the first time in their lives.
Is there a Season 2? Yes. But the way the show handles the transition is interesting. There have been rumors about whether Glover and Erskine will even return as the leads, given the "anthology" potential of the premise. The show suggests that there are many "Johns and Janes" out there. This allows the creators to explore different types of relationships—long-term marriages, new flings, toxic pairings—all through the lens of international espionage.
Real-World Comparisons: The "Gig Economy" of Spying
One thing the show gets surprisingly right is the feeling of being a cog in a machine. Modern espionage isn't all tuxedos and baccarat. It's data. It's logistics. It's waiting around in a van for six hours. By framing the agency as an "app-based" employer, Glover taps into a very specific 2020s anxiety. We all work for "The Algorithm" now. John and Jane are just doing it for higher stakes.
The critics loved it. The fans were divided at first but eventually came around. It currently sits with high scores on Rotten Tomatoes, not because it’s a perfect action show, but because it’s a perfect "vibe" show. It’s the kind of TV you watch and then spend two hours talking about with your friends.
📖 Related: Priyanka Chopra Latest Movies: Why Her 2026 Slate Is Riskier Than You Think
What to Do Next if You Liked the Show
If you’ve binged the whole thing and are feeling that post-series void, don't just rewatch the 2005 movie. It won't hit the same. Instead, look into these specific avenues to get more of that Glover/Erskine flavor.
First, go back and watch the "Teddy Perkins" episode of Atlanta. It captures that same sense of dread mixed with high-concept humor that defines the best moments of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Second, check out Maya Erskine's work in PEN15 to see her range; the contrast between her playing a 13-year-old and a world-class assassin is hilarious.
Finally, keep an eye on the soundtrack releases. The score by Hiro Murai's frequent collaborators is worth a standalone listen on Spotify. It captures the tension of the show without needing the visuals.
The show isn't a reboot. It's a total reimagining. It takes the name, throws away the script, and builds something far more fragile and interesting in its place. Whether you're a die-hard Childish Gambino fan or just someone looking for a show that doesn't treat you like an idiot, it’s worth the subscription.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Explore the Cinematography: Watch the show again but pay attention to the lighting. The "New York" episodes use a much cooler, harsher palette compared to the "Italy" episodes, reflecting the characters' growing intimacy.
- Follow the Producers: Keep tabs on Francesca Sloane. She was the showrunner and is largely responsible for the show's unique emotional pacing.
- Listen to the Lyrics: Several background tracks throughout the season contain lyrical clues about the characters' true motivations before they reveal them on screen.
The series proves that you don't need a massive blockbuster budget to tell a compelling spy story. You just need two people who are willing to be vulnerable, a few well-placed explosions, and a script that understands that the hardest part of any mission isn't the target—it's the person sitting next to you in the car.
To get the most out of the series, pay close attention to the guest stars in each episode. Each "guest" couple acts as a mirror for where John and Jane might end up in five or ten years. It’s a subtle bit of storytelling that makes the world feel much larger than just two people in a brownstone. Watch for the parallels between the "High Risk" couple and our protagonists; the warnings are there from episode one if you're looking for them.