Taron Egerton's Smoke Has A Big Twist That Will Leave Viewers Divided

Published 6 days ago• 2 minute read

and the movie "Tetris"), and detective Michell Calderon, played by Jurnee Smollett of "Lovecraft Country" and "Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)" fame, as they investigate a string of deadly arsons across the Pacific Northwest. Created by "Shutter Island" and "Gone Baby Gone" writer Dennis Lehane, the series is a psychological portrait of two broken people who could catch fire at any moment (in a figurative sense this time).

The show earned a mixed-to-positive reception ahead of its premiere, with some critics praising the performances in "Smoke" while others feel the series flames out by the time it reaches its conclusion. Read on if you want to know more about that aforementioned twist, but don't blame us if you get burned. (Also, if you're trying to dodge spoilers ahead of time, you should probably avoid watching the show's trailer as well.)

Dave Gudsen holds a camera as he talks to Detective Michelle Calderon in the middle of an arson crime scene in Smoke

Apple TV+

By the time the second episode of "Smoke" comes to a close, we've come to learn about a dark, hidden side of Egerton's arson investigator on the show — namely, that he's secretly one of the arsonists at the center of the crime spree he's investigating.

Fans of the true crime podcast "Firebug," which the show is loosely based on, will quickly recognize both Egerton's character and "Smoke" itself were inspired by the real-life arsonist John Leonard Orr. An arson investigator in Glendale, California, Orr wound up killing several people over the course of his multi-year arson spree.

This reveal dramatically changes the structure of the show, transforming it from a fairly ordinary detective series into a cat-and-mouse thriller in which Gudsen enjoys a front row seat to the aftermath of his own crimes. But it's not the only twist the show has in store. In fact, it turns out there's another arsonist setting the countryside ablaze in "Smoke," though we'll leave it to you to discover who they are.

"Smoke" is now streaming on Apple TV+.