Apple TV+ Ignites the Summer With Taron Egerton’s Chilling Turn in True Crime Series ‘Smoke’

Apple TV+ is fanning the flames of true crime TV with “Smoke,” a tense, atmospheric new thriller that reunites Black Bird collaborators Taron Egerton and crime writer Dennis Lehane. Following the success of their Emmy-nominated 2022 series, the duo dives deeper into the psychology of criminal behavior—this time, swapping serial killers for arsonists in a twisted cat-and-mouse story that burns slow and steady before igniting with shocking revelations.

Set in the eerily gray fictional city of Umberland, a stand-in for the misty Pacific Northwest, Smoke follows Taron Egerton’s Dave Gudsen, a former firefighter turned arson investigator and part-time novelist. His partner, Detective Michelle Calderon (played with precision by Jurnee Smollett), is no-nonsense and trauma-scarred—a classic pairing in the crime drama canon, but one executed with sharp writing and nuance. Together, the two chase a pair of serial fire-starters—until one of them realizes the danger is much closer than they think.

As the first two episodes reveal, Smoke takes an early narrative turn that changes everything. Without giving too much away, viewers are let in on a disturbing secret: Taron Egerton’s Dave, the man tracking down arsonists, may be one himself. This twist transforms the story from a standard procedural into a riveting psychological chess match. It also unlocks a career-best performance from Egerton, who effortlessly flips between affable investigator and unsettling predator.

The show’s first firebug suspect, Freddy (played by Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), is a tragic figure—a fast food fry cook whose simple tools and motives hide a desperate need for connection. Mwine’s performance is haunting, balancing empathy and danger in equal measure. But Freddy isn’t the whole story. As the investigation deepens, so does Dave’s duplicity, and the line between hero and villain blurs completely.

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Smoke isn’t just character-driven; it’s also rich in atmosphere and texture. Directed with cinematic flair, the show leans into its rainy, smoke-drenched setting and features a haunting score by Thom Yorke, frontman of Radiohead. Add in a strong supporting cast, including Greg Kinnear, Anna Chlumsky, and John Leguizamo, and the series feels like a prestige HBO drama that has found a new home on Apple’s rapidly growing platform.

 

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While the back half of the nine-episode season occasionally wobbles—with some implausible plot turns and one character veering too close to magical realism—the show remains compelling thanks to its thematic richness. Smoke explores how trauma festers, how truth is manipulated, and how evil often hides in plain sight.

With buzz already building and comparisons to Mindhunter and True Detective floating around, Smoke could very well be Apple TV+’s next streaming juggernaut. For fans of gritty drama, moral ambiguity, and twisted revelations, this is one fire worth watching spread. And then there is Thom Yorke’s score.