Smoke on Apple TV+ may have dropped two big reveals in the first two episodes, but Smoke episode 5 threw a wrench in the entire series with plot twists.
Over halfway through the series, the pacing and timing feel right where they should be. We are definitely at the climax — if not near it — at the end of Smoke episode 5.
This review contains spoilers for the first five episodes of Smoke.
The Rise and Fall of Dave Gudsen
Until Smoke episode 5, we didn’t think too much of the episode titles. They didn’t seem to have much significance. Honestly, they just felt like a random word or line from the episode. However, “Size Matters” actually applies to a couple of different elements and characters in the episode, and we appreciate that.
In episode 4 of Smoke, we learned more about Dave Gudsen. We dug into his past and got a good idea of why an arson investigator of all people would turn out to be an arsonist. “Size Matters” confirms those ideas and builds upon them. Long story short: Gudsen’s got a big ego, but things haven’t been going his way. He wants power. He wants attention. So when his ego is hurt multiple times in Smoke episode 5, the picture continues to become clearer.
Gudsen and his conference presentation get blasted by a woman colleague. But because of his massive ego, he can’t shake off the valid critiques he received. He’s so distracted and embarrassed by it that he just can’t while a woman literally is trying to go down on him. In turn, she gives up on him, calls him small (in more ways than one), and tells him to leave.
This is a stark contrast to the man we see at the end of the previous episode, where he clearly has the upper hand and is the dominant figure. As viewers, we’re starting to see Gudsen truly decline.
‘Smoke’ Episode 5 Delivers a Fiery Competition
Another aspect where someone cared about the size of something in this episode was the actual arsons. We haven’t seen milk jug arsonist Freddy Fasano (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) commit arson since Smoke episode 3. But he definitely made up for it in “Size Matters.”
Following an intriguing juxtaposition of shots, we see multiple milk jugs catch on fire and envelop an entire home in flames. But this home is bigger than any other Freddy has set fire to. It’s not a mansion, but it is larger than an average home. (It took six milk jugs to cover the home in flames!) It’s also not in Trolley Town, the area he’s normally in that’s under Gudsen’s jurisdiction. It’s in a wealthier, whiter neighborhood.
Why does this matter? One, it’s a turning point for Freddy. After he found out he didn’t get the manager job he applied and interviewed for, he’s at his lowest. He’s feeling so low that he goes big. He goes for revenge. He targets the man who interviewed him in his failed job hunt. He levels up and makes his serial arson an even bigger problem for Gudsen, his partner Michelle Calderone (Jurnee Smollett), and everyone in their respective departments.
Now that the milk jug arsons are happening out of their jurisdiction, it shows Gudsen doesn’t have this under control. He and the fire department were already getting flak for not cracking this case. Now it’s blowing up. Unlike other milk jug arsons, this one is all over the news because of its size and how this arsonist is now going after privileged white people.
While the arson investigator does leave the conference to tend to this, it also shows how messed up Gudsen really is. Because once he finds out the milk jug arsonist used six firestarters to burn down a large home, he smirks and sees it as a contest. He wants to one-up the milk jug arsonist. He wants to be on top. He wants the attention. So he starts a fire in a strip mall that creates a huge smoke cloud. We don’t see how big the fire ends up being, but it’s much bigger than a potato chip aisle.
Connections and Cliffhangers
Unlike the rest of the episodes, Gudsen and Calderone don’t spend any time together in episode 5. Gudsen’s away at the conference while Calderone tracks down Ezra Esposito (John Leguizamo), Gudsen’s previous partner.
Unfortunately for Calderone, spending almost an entire day with Esposito doesn’t give her usable proof or evidence that would allow her to pin Gudsen down as the potato chip arsonist. They do exchange valuable information, though. She’s definitely got an ally in Esposito, who wants to help her take the arson investigator down. So only time will tell how — or if — the two can do it.
It may not be intentional, but someone definitely took Gudsen down at the end of Smoke episode 5. And while we eventually sensed something big would happen, we didn’t suspect an entire plot twist.
As Gudsen drives away from his fire, with a large smoke cloud billowing in the sky, we see him jamming out to the radio and singing along, when suddenly a red SUV T-bones his car. Neither driver is conscious afterwards.
We actually saw this red SUV earlier in the episode. A woman named Joy was driving it under the influence behind Gudsen as he headed to the conference. It felt like a game of connect the dots with these characters. Joy was driving to a craft store that looked a lot like the place Gudsen set on fire after leaving the conference.
Regardless, having the protagonist and suspected arsonist seriously injured is definitely a plot twist. We already know fire commander Harvey Englehart (Greg Kinnear) has Gudsen’s back, but will this car accident cause others to pity Gudsen, ultimately hurting Calderone’s case? Because as the series — and this episode in particular — has shown, power and privilege matter. And if it’s going to be the cis white male arson investigator versus the Black woman detective in the end, we worry justice won’t be served.
New episodes of Smoke are released Fridays through Aug. 15 on Apple TV+.
