This post contains spoilers from Smoke season 1 episode 5 from this point forward.
We’ve been teetering on the edge for a while. Dave (Taron Egerton) and Freddy (Ntare Mwine) have tried to hold it together but were nearing a breaking point. As we hit the middle of the season with this week’s episode, “Size Matters,” that breaking point is finally here. Let’s dive in.
Digging into Dave
While there is plenty going on with Dave and Freddy, we also get some big movement and some small wins for Calderone (Jurnee Smollett). Last episode, she gave Dave’s stepson, Emmett (Luke Roessler), a ride home. It was illuminating. It wasn’t long before Emmett discovered Dave’s book, which gave him his own suspicions. As we pick up in episode 5, Emmett arrives at Calderone’s house where he suspects she’s having an affair with his stepdad.
She isn’t, but soon discovers the book is the reason for the suspicion. Fortunately, she’s made a connection with Emmett, who despite turning up dry on this theory is no fan of Dave’s. He shares the book with Calderone, who listens to Dave’s recording in revulsion and horror. But she also might have found a clue.
That’s not her only piece of good luck. Captain Burk (Rafe Spall) has found out where Dave’s old partner, Ezra (John Leguizamo), is living. Calderone tracks him down and finds a broken man who has become a full-blown alcoholic. But a lot of the reason for his fall was his broken relationship with Dave. Turns out he not only suspects that Dave is an arsonist, but he also believes Dave triggered the accident that ended his career and upended his life.
Ezra doesn’t have much proof to back up his suspicions. But he provides a bit of insight into his time with Dave, which gives Calderone something to chew on. Could he be the partner that she needs to crack the case?
A powder keg erupts
As we saw last week, Freddy and Dave are on the edge. Dave found a temporary salve in a meaningless, random hookup. As he attends an arson conference, he’s again on the prowl. He connects with a woman at the bar, and they exchange names. There’s a spark with Reba (Erin Karpluk), but nothing comes of it—right away.
Dave continues to give his presentation. It’s the same, self-assured presentation we saw him give before. He again sparks some fires for effect. But this time, the audience isn’t with him. A woman (Maddy Hillis) heckles him, calling out his show and lack of genuine depth. He tries to play it off, but clearly, he’s bothered.
When he reunites with Reba, and things move to a hotel room, it turns out Dave can’t let it go. His performance is flaccid, which leads to the reveal that he and Reba weren’t strangers, but people with a long history. And she has little tolerance for his male fragility. She sends him packing and when Dave awakes, he finds that a fellow fire bug has challenged him.
That firebug is Freddy, who has his own rough time. He shows up to work and finds out that he’s been passed over for manager. Dev (Lou Ticzon) is everything he isn’t: young, confident, and a people person. He doesn’t think much of Freddy, either, burying him in the back at the fryer. That only further fuels Freddy’s rage.
That night, he grabs a few of his jugs and heads out. Along the way one breaks, leading him to grab a quick replacement. He appears to have snagged it as a store Calderone is monitoring, which could be a big mistake. But he arrives at his target: The home of the man how passed him over, Roger Tillman (Kurt Long). He uses six jugs and sets the house ablaze, burning Roger and his wife along with it.
The fire makes big news, which leads to Harvey (Greg Kinnear) calling Dave to go and help. Dave is elated. His suspect left his comfort zone and used six jugs, indicating rage and a possible mistake. Dave is literally singing as he drives to the scene but before he can get there, he’s broadsided by a drunk driver. As we leave, Dave is in a bad way, which could further expose him to his partner’s scrutiny.
I loved the juxtaposition of Dave and Freddy, and how they deal with their boiling rage. I’m curious to see whether Dave is caught or can catch Freddy first. Either way, they are both making mistakes owing to the need buried deep inside. Meanwhile, Calderone is sly and a talented investigator. She manages to make headway by turning everyone that’s been in Dave’s sphere toward her side. With Emmett and Ezra feeding her information, it’s just a matter of time before she latches on to some proof. In short, things are really heating up.
Smoke streams Fridays on Apple TV+. We recap new episodes here each week. Check back next week to see if the raging fire continues to burn for Dave and Freddy.
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