'Smoke', an Apple TV+ thriller, starts with procedural clichés involving two mismatched law-enforcement characters pursuing arsonists. Despite an intriguing premise, it suffers from pretentious storytelling and lackluster material that poorly utilizes its talented cast, including Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett. Although two episodes in become tedious, a surprising plot twist revitalizes the narrative. However, it ultimately embraces tired tropes while attempting social critiques that feel superficial, raising questions about the balance between style and substance in its storytelling.
Initial tension gives way to drunken bonding. Pretentious stylistic choices exacerbate the lazy setup.
After two interminable episodes, a bombshell resets the show, eliminating some of its worst excesses and contextualizing others.
An emerging critique of aggrieved white machismo comes off, mostly, as a shallow topical hook.
The cast includes John Leguizamo, Greg Kinnear, and Anna Chlumsky, but the actors are poorly served by the material.
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