After the fire fizzled out in episode 3 of Smoke on Apple TV+, the sparks are starting again in Smoke episode 4. The latest episode makes strides in both arson cases while digging into the life of arson investigator Dave Gudsen (Taron Egerton).
This review contains spoilers for the first four episodes of Smoke on Apple TV+.
‘Smoke’ Episode 4 Provides a Deep Dive on Dave Gudsen
Smoke episode 3 focused a lot on Gudsen’s partner, police detective Michelle Calderone (Jurnee Smollett), so it’s only fair and logical for Gudsen to get the spotlight in an episode of his own. Plus, he’s literally one of the arsonists they’re trying to pin down.
In the first episode, Gudsen says arsonists start fires because they feel powerless in their own lives. In Smoke episode 4, titled “Strawberry,” we see what motivates the arsonist investigator to commit his crimes. We see where he seems to lack power and control and where he doesn’t. Despite going through two partners in the past couple of years and still not having solved these years-long arson cases, Gudsen’s professional life isn’t short of power. So what is? His personal life.
During a late-night drinking session in the office with Calderone, we learn that the arson investigator is on his third marriage. We witness Dave’s inconsiderate nature and poor ability to be a responsible adult figure for his stepson, Emmett (Luke Roessler), and husband to his wife, Ashley (Hannah Emily Anderson). He also gets a wake-up call from Ashley about his subpar writing skills. This is a big blow to his ego and author aspirations.
Considering Gudsen is a straight cis white man who clearly thinks highly of himself and has gotten away with being a serial arsonist, it’s weird to think he would ever feel powerless or like he’s lost control. After all, he literally handcuffs a woman to a bed and sets a brief fire to her midriff at the end of the episode. But his lack of awareness, his irresponsibility, and his inability to manage healthy personal relationships start to paint a clearer picture of Gudsen in the latest episode.
If it’s not about him or doesn’t benefit him, he doesn’t seem to care enough to remember or give it attention. Perhaps that’s his supposed lack of power. While we don’t know exactly when or why he started committing arson, Smoke episode 4 finally gave us a look at the man behind the crimes, besides the fact that Gudsen’s trying to write a novel featuring these literal fires.
Drama and Discoveries
The fourth episode of the Apple TV+ drama makes progress in both of the arson cases they’re trying to crack. There are no huge reveals like in the first two episodes of Smoke, but there are important things to note moving forward.
Calderone and Gudsen, as a pair, haven’t moved the needle much on the potato chip arsonist case, but Calderone has been trying her best since she correctly suspects Gudsen to be her guy. After Calderone ends up drinking at the same bar as fire chief Harvey Englehart (Greg Kinnear) — probably not by accident — she manages to get him to spill the tea on Gudsen’s previous partner, Ezra Esposito. Calderone and Gudsen’s former partner must have the same instincts, because Esposito suspected Gudsen to be an arsonist, too. This finally sets up the introduction of John Leguizamo‘s character and gives Calderone the momentum we’ve all been looking for.
As for the milk jug arsonist, the progress is situationally ironic. We now know Freddy Fasano (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) doesn’t just create milk jug fire starters as needed whenever he decides to commit arson. The fast food worker has a closet full of them. But Calderone and Gudsen don’t know that.
This may put a bit of a wrench into the plan the detective and investigator made in Smoke Episode 4 to find the milk jug arsonist. They’re counting on finding a milk jug fire starter in a grocery bag they recently tagged. But if Freddy doesn’t use the most recent milk jug he put together, who knows how long it could be until they find a bag tag? It’s a compelling scene that keeps us on our toes.
We’re eager to see how these clues will propel the story and characters for the rest of the nine-episode series.
The first four episodes of Smoke are now streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes will be released Fridays through Aug. 15.
