We need to talk about the disproportionate amount of nominations for a middling show like “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” Like, was it really necessary to nominate virtually all of the guest stars? I’m most happy for lead actress nominee Maya Erskine, who I thought was genuinely good — if only her character were better served by the show and had more to do. — Marina
OK, I will say I liked “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” I thought it was entertaining. But not enough to understand why it got all of these nominations. Glover is a good actor but not an action star, in my opinion. And though I thought Erskine had a pretty solid performance here, I’m really trying to figure out what I missed for this show to get so much love. — Taryn
Lol, I don’t think you missed anything, Taryn! — Marina
I did not finish this series. I kinda saw where it was going and respectfully declined. — Candice
Cracks knuckles! I saw the first two episodes of the series at a screening and was like, “I think the show has some potential!” It wasn’t terrible, but I wasn’t begging to see what happens next either. Weeks later, I finally sat down to watch the rest of the episodes. It’s a miracle that I kept watching it till the very end. It doesn’t deserve all these nominations, but my guess is that the Television Academy just has an obsession with Donald Glover, no matter how mid the content is.
Here’s where I’ll give the show a little merit: some of the missions Glover and Erskine’s characters had to complete were pretty compelling to watch. I didn’t think I’d buy them as action stars, but I was surprisingly into it. I genuinely like seeing Erskine on-screen; there were even moments, I am hesitant to admit, where Glover looked sexy with his shirt off.
But here’s where things quickly fell apart for me: I didn’t buy them as even a forced couple that happened to kinda fall for each other. Their arguments throughout episodes 3 and beyond started to feel so belabored that I wanted to fast forward those scenes. They were painful to watch. There were SO many guest stars in the series which was both fun and frustrating to see. Alexander Skarsgård is in the opening scene; Sarah Paulson, John Turturro and Michaela Coel pop in later on. I love them all, but I also couldn’t help but wonder what made them decide to spend their time on … this.
For the season to end on a cliffhanger was just the most cheap thing I’ve seen in a long time. (It reminded me of how the TV adaptation of “Kindred” stopped before the novel ends. Terrible series that I have never been so happy to see get canceled.) “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” owes me some money for sitting through this half-baked mess. I wanted to write a review of the series when it debuted but never found the time. Perhaps because I didn’t want to spend another second thinking about the series. Loads of people loved it, and it’s getting a second season. But what’s weird is that Glover nor Erskine will star in it — so again, I ask, what was the point of that ending? See, now I’m enraged all over again. — Erin
