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Smoke Debuts on Apple TV+ to Mixed Reviews After Creator Reveals Fire Ordeal

Dennis Lehane says a near-fatal blaze inspired the series’ moody portrayal of arson to highlight the psychological toll.

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Overview

  • Apple TV+ released the first two episodes of Smoke on June 27 and will drop the remaining seven weekly through August 15.
  • Critics have commended Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett’s performances while noting uneven pacing and thin narrative depth.
  • In a July 2 interview, creator Dennis Lehane disclosed that surviving a building fire two decades ago shaped the series’ thematic focus on trauma.
  • The nine-episode drama adapts the Firebug podcast, which chronicles serial arsonist John Leonard Orr’s multi-decade spree.
  • The plot follows a haunted arson investigator and a police detective pursuing multiple fire-setters across the Pacific Northwest.