Apple TV+ is second to none for sci-fi streaming original series and has been bolstering its comedy supply, but they’re steadily cranking away in the crime drama department to thrilling ends. From Presumed Innocent (which adapted Scott Turow’s same-named book and will continue in anthologized form), Defending Jacob (starring Chris Evans in a very different-for-him role), and The Crowded Room (in which Tom Holland might destroy you) to Black Bird (a limited series for which Paul Walter Houser won an Emmy), the tech giant’s streaming service tackles difficult legal terrain with an unflinching TV eye, and Dennis Lehane’s Smoke promises to be no exception.
This limited series (that’s the current categorization anyway) will be coming this summer, so let’s clear away the smoke and mirrors on what to expect.
Plot
Taron Egerton (who also earned an Emmy nod with Black Bird) hasn’t shied away from thrillers lately, and after his raging success with Netflix’s Carry-On, he’s with law enforcement on Smoke, which was created by crime-fiction author and The Wire writer Dennis Lehane, who also penned Smoke and is the famed novelist of Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island, and Mystic River, all of which translated into acclaimed and crowd-pleasing big-screen adaptations.
Smoke is not entirely based upon true events but is inspired by them, and Apple TV+ describes the show as “follow[ing] a troubled detective and an enigmatic arson investigator as they pursue the trails of two serial arsonists.” Is there any other TV detective variety beyond “troubled” these days? That the term is so arguably overused speaks to its continued success and endless permutations that keep audiences coming back.
Precise plot details remain secret at present, but Lehane is well known for his hard-boiled protagonists, so we can probably presume that this will be the case here. Smollett, in particular, has already lent that cynical air to several roles, including Birds Of Prey (yes, really), The Order, and Lovecraft Country. And although Lehane is widely known for setting crime drama stories in Boston, Apple TV+ hasn’t dropped any clues that this will be the case for Smoke. Maybe some BTS footage will reveal the setting soon, but for now, hang tight.
Cast
Alongside Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett, Smoke co-stars John Leguizamo, Anna Chlumsky, Greg Kinnear, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Rafe Spall, and Hannah Emily Anderson.
Release Date
Currently intended as a limited series, Smoke will debut two episodes on Friday, June 27 with weekly additions until August 8.
Trailer
No trailer has surfaced yet for Smoke, but have you watched Black Bird on Apple TV+ yet?