S01.E01: First Date

[AnimeMania]

Meet the Smiths, John and Jane! Strangers who have given up their identities to be paired off by a secretive organization, both in espionage and in marriage! Two peas stuck in one pod. Come along as they run, jump, and adventure, making friends and making memories! But watch out, there's something amiss for this very first mission. It's John and Jane's: FIRST DATE! Good luck, John and Jane!

Premiere Date: February 2, 2024    Prime Video 

[moonorchid]

I had zero interest in this but my friend group wanted to group watch so I gave it a shot. 
 

Im so massively hooked. By the time I’m writing this, I’ve actually watched the entire series already and am currently rewatching and am gonna comment as I finish each episode a second time. 
 

The chemistry is the first thing I took away from this show. It’s so hard to explain it but if you have it you have IT and Donald Glover and Maya Erskine have it. 
 

I know there’s a lot of confusion and misconception of what this show is supposed to be considering the movie of the same name, but what I got immediately after watching this this the first time, is this show wants me to want those to do get together. It’s a relationship study set in a spy thriller adventure type show, but the relationship comes first. The characters come first. 
 

The writing is so well done. I feel like I know exactly what they are going for. I was hooked from the beginning. 
 

Honestly, this show is make or break based off the chemistry of the two leads and they hit the jackpot. 

[Snapdragon]

So my prediction (haven't finished the season yet) is that the couple we saw get killed at the beginning of the episode will be revealed to have been killed by Donald Glover and Maya Erskine.  The second shooter looked like Erskine to me, so I'm guessing that will be how the season ends.  Also, I'm guessing that they're going to discover that the organization they're working for is evil, mainly because nothing they're doing seems on the up and up.  

[peachmangosteen]

2 hours ago, Snapdragon said:

So my prediction (haven't finished the season yet) is that the couple we saw get killed at the beginning of the episode will be revealed to have been killed by Donald Glover and Maya Erskine.  The second shooter looked like Erskine to me, so I'm guessing that will be how the season ends.

The was my first thought too, but considering those characters were named Jane and John, then I thought they're just the duo that did this job before and were maybe killed by the obviously evil corporation.

Edited February 6 by peachmangosteen

[Snapdragon]

9 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

The was my first thought too, but considering those characters were named Jane and John, then I thought they're just the duo that did this job before and were maybe killed by the obviously evil corporation.

I'm assuming that there are multiple "John and Jane" pairs out there and if they try to leave, the evil corporation kills them. 

Funnily enough, I think making their code names John and Jane would actually make them stand out instead of blend in (which is what you'd want if you were a spy).  I'd be much more likely to  remember a couple named John and Jane than a couple named Jared and Elizabeth or Jason and Amanda, since it would be more unusual in this day and age.  

Edited February 6 by Snapdragon

[janie jones]

I watched this episode days ago and one detail is still bugging me: What was the other lady doing with the bomb cake in the first place? Is she from another organization that was going to bomb someone else? Did the Smiths' organization switch out her cake with the bomb? If so, isn't that an unnecessary extra step? And that lady's cake happened to be identical to the one the bombing victims ordered? Am I the only one who cares?

On 2/5/2024 at 3:14 PM, moonorchid said:

Honestly, this show is make or break based off the chemistry of the two leads and they hit the jackpot. 

I learned the other day that Phoebe Waller-Bridge was originally supposed to be Jane. It would have been completely different. It also sounds like her version of the pilot was also completely different. That may have been good also, but I only watched this because my husband had it on, and I got sucked in by this version.

[Snapdragon]

2 hours ago, janie jones said:

I watched this episode days ago and one detail is still bugging me: What was the other lady doing with the bomb cake in the first place? Is she from another organization that was going to bomb someone else? Did the Smiths' organization switch out her cake with the bomb? If so, isn't that an unnecessary extra step? And that lady's cake happened to be identical to the one the bombing victims ordered? Am I the only one who cares?

 

I just kinda turn my brain off for those parts because honestly, most of their missions don't really make sense.  It's more about them trying to figure out how to carry out the mission, than why the mission exists in the first place.

[MrWhyt]

On 2/5/2024 at 4:14 PM, moonorchid said:

Im so massively hooked. By the time I’m writing this, I’ve actually watched the entire series already

ditto, weird to find this in comedy, cause while it does have it's funny moments i wouldn't call it a comedy.

Quote

The chemistry is the first thing I took away from this show. It’s so hard to explain it but if you have it you have IT and Donald Glover and Maya Erskine have it. 

yes their chemistry is insane.

[Pine]

The very first couple are supposed to be Brad and Angelina. 

[moonorchid]

On 2/28/2024 at 1:35 AM, Pine said:

The very first couple are supposed to be Brad and Angelina. 

They are def supposed to be the stand in for either Brad and Angelina or what audiences would expect from a show titled Mr and Mrs Smith. Killing them off within mins tells you immediately to subvert your expectations. 

[aghst]

Did Mr. HiHi warned them to do the delivery and just get out?

They casually walked out, didn’t seem to expect anything.

Did it not occur to them that they were possibly being set up to be killed in the explosion?

In any event, they don’t seem to give one second of thought for the victims, who looked like normal people.

Both were asked if they killed people.  Both were asked if they’d cut off ties with their families. So they probably expected to kill people.

Still, Jane sees the article on her way home that 9 people were killed and it doesn’t seem to faze her at all.  She goes home, ready to get some sleep and then probably more missions?

OK being mercenaries is one thing, but sociopaths, not the slightest remorse for killing people?  At one point they guess the victims were from a rival organization, not just random civilians, so there was a valid reason to kill them.

Yet they don’t know who Mr. HiHi is or the nature of the corporation.  Seems like they don’t care either.  They just want to get paid and get out.

Hard to look past that, if these two are monsters, no better than serial murders.