Since the beginning, Dave (Taron Egerton) and Calderone (Jurnee Smollett) have been like oil and water. But is it possible there is more that connects them then either wants to admit? That’s a core question at the heart of this week’s penultimate episode of Smoke. In our episode, “Mercy,” the two partners square off with incredibly high stakes.
Let’s dive into this week’s Smoke. SPOILERS BELOW.
A delicate dance
As we ended last week, Dave discovered he was being investigated. He slipped his tail and, in response, set six fires. That has the team, especially Steven (Rafe Spall), fuming. Steven is partly to blame, hitting Dave at the party that sparked his rage. But what’s worse, Dave knows they don’t have anything to pin on him at this point. So, he shows up to work and calls Calderone in to get a jump on the six new scenes.
She wears a wire, hoping to trap Dave. But she gets a warning not to let him push her buttons. Early on, she makes strides, mentioning Dave’s book. But Dave isn’t going to fall for it. He’s weary of her inquiries and the reason behind them. Instead, he wants to be the aggressor. After some awkward investigative moments, they learn there was a witness to one of the new fires.
Dave and Calderone arrive for questioning. The witness (Christina Sicoli) didn’t see much. She gives a vague description of a suspect. Then quickly crumbles under the weight of Dave’s aggressive and awkward questioning. When the investigators leave, Steven takes a shot at getting something more. He asks the witness if she recognized Dave, but she says she’s never seen him before. It’s a swing and a miss, again.
But Dave’s not done working. He takes Calderone to lunch, but it’s really a thin guise to push her buttons. He’s taken her to a restaurant near the scene where her mother traumatized her. He lays out the details of the case and calls her by her given name—Mercy—which deeply impacts Calderone. She flips, admitting angrily that she thinks Dave is an arsonist. She also protests that they’re nothing alike when Dave pushes, suggesting she’s prone to violence, too. She storms off, leaving Dave only somewhat satisfied.
Not taking any chances, Dave takes a bus. But Ezra (John Leguizamo) and Dawn (Anna Chlumsky) are on the trail. Dave heads to chat with Reba (Erin Karplunk) about his troubles. They talk about his crumbled marriage. They talk about his tendency to color outside the lines when it comes to fire. Quickly Reba bares her scar, indicating the times Dave had gone too far in the past. But rather than making her weary, it’s a turn-on. These two get off on the danger and violence.
It isn’t long before they’re intertwined on the kitchen counter. It leaves Ezra and Dawn awkwardly watching, trying to pass the time. But it also provides a somewhat airtight alibi for Dave, which will come in handy.
Calderone’s meltdown
Following being called out by Dave, she turns to Steven for comfort. Her mother is set to be released and she’s melting down. The pressure of working on this case isn’t helping. But Steven is a kind sounding board. She even heads to his house for a drink to blow off steam. But we’ve long known Steven wants more. His marriage has blown up and his life is in disarray. He did it for Calderone, but she still can’t reciprocate. Things break down further when he pushes it to a romantic place.
She tries to leave, and they have a huge argument. In the process, Steven reaches to pull her back and Calderone snaps. She punches him in the throat and Steven quickly goes down. Unable to breathe, he reaches for help, but she’s frozen. Soon, he’s dead. In a panic, she quickly cleans the scene. Then, to cover her trail, she sets a fire in the fashion of Dave’s blazes. She even finds a pair of his old gloves to plant. It’s a chance to kill two birds with one stone.
Except there’s no way he could have been there, and Erza and Dawn know it. This isn’t going to end well.
We’re getting to the point of the season where they’re burning it down, literally. Steven is off the board and Calderone has proven to be about as bad as her partner. Meanwhile, we also learned Harvey (Greg Kinnear) has been embezzling from the department for years. Dave knows about it and has kept the secret, but for how much longer? We’re rapidly approaching the finale and the pressure is on for everyone. Something tells me this isn’t going to end quietly!
Smoke streams Fridays on Apple TV+. We’re here each week recapping the action of the episodes. Check back next week for a look at the finale!
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