Who would you be in the fire?

Created by Dennis Lehane (Black Bird), Smoke tells the story of Dave Gudson (Taron Egerton), an enigmatic arson investigator that’s hot on the trail of two serial arsonists in the Pacific Northwest. After months coming up empty, Gudson is forced to partner with Detective Michell Calderon (Jurnee Smollett) , a hard-nosed cop who has been booted down in the system due to her personal activities. As the two try to put aside their differences, the secrets that they will learn about one another threaten to bring down the entire investigation.

Inspired by true events, Smoke is utterly compelling from start to finish. With a sharp script and confident cinematography, the series knows exactly what it wants to accomplish from the first episode but takes its time to get there. Anchoring the series is some genuine heat between Smollett and Egerton. Held in juxtaposition against one another, both Smollett’s Detective Calderon and Egerton’s Gudson feel like inverted mirror images of one another. For example, Calderon may be a mess on the outside but she maintains a piece of her soul. On the other, Gudson (pronounced ‘good son’) may shine a charming grin yet he is a volcano ready to erupt. Together, they propel the series forward with intensity as both attempt to try to keep the other in the dark about their personal lives.

Visually, this is a series that wants to immerse you in darkness. With the grit of a modern film noir, this detective story features minimal lighting, creating a space that feels like it keeps its secrets in the shadows.

Except for the fire.

Every so often, the series allows the screen to spark with the colour of flame. From simple embers to full-blown blazes, Lehane uses the fire symbolically, highlighting the rage that scorches these characters from within. In a world marred by shadows, these flames stand out, forcing us to acknowledge what burns underneath the surface.

However, what makes the series so fascinating is the fact that this isn’t a ‘whodunnit’. By the end of the second episode, we know the identities of our arsonists. Like the very best in true crime thrillers, the ‘who’ isn’t nearly as important as the ‘why’. Operating on a slow burn, the series sits with its villains to remind us of their humanity. These are not ‘mustache-twirling’ psychopaths (mostly). Instead, they’re complex characters who are motivated by their own experiences. They view the world through a lens of shame and brokenness. They feel dismissed and need to be seen. Their deep-seeded hatred of a society that has passed them by fuels their need to destroy it. There’s a fragility to their ego that pushes them into the darkest of places, demanding that others feel the same pain that they do every morning.

But they’re not alone.

In fact, it could be argued that Smoke gives everyone a dark side. Without giving spoilers, what separates the heroes from the villains though is how their secrets fuel their actions. For some, their personal demons are only toxic to themselves. For others, they become dangerous to everyone else. For example, Detective Calderon may live behind the badge but she’s is far from a hero. She makes questionable decisions on the job and is struggling to keep it together in her personal life. Even so, we empathize with her because she feels redeemable. (And not all of the characters benefit from this quality)

Detective Michell Calderon may be far from perfect… but she still seeks truth. And Smoke understands that those who do evil often build their own reality. Even when they’re living in a world that doesn’t despise them, these villains need to see themselves as heroes. (“Bad people create stories to deny that they’re bad people,” we’re told.) They play games with the truth until it serves their purposes, justifying their actions in their minds. But Calderon is able to see through the lies. Her story may be broken but she clings to some belief in integrity. But not everyone feels the same way. When they’re in the fire, the flames reveal something else—something less—than what Calderon wants to leave behind.

But that’s the intrigue that fans the flames of Smoke. Early on, they ask us ‘who would you be in the fire’ as way to point out that the heat of the flames shows us who we truly are. And, inevitably, these characters can’t help but reveal the cracks in their character, for better or for worse.

Smoke premieres globally on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Friday, June 27, 2025, followed by one episode every Friday through August 15, 2025.