Taron Egerton‘s scripted true crime series Smoke just pulled off a shocking arson twist — but where does the Apple TV+ show go after that reveal?
Smoke, which premiered on Friday, June 27, introduced Us to a detective (Jurnee Smollett) who paired up with an arson investigator (Egerton) to stop two serial arsonists who were wreaking havoc on the Pacific Northwest. The show immediately introduced one of the arsonists (Ntare Mwine) but the second remained a mystery — until that twist.
For those who didn’t see it coming, Egerton’s character Dave was the other culprit. Stars John Leguizamo and Anna Chlumsky exclusively broke down to Us Weekly how that reveal pushes the story along while taking inspiration from the crimes of arsonist John Leonard Orr.
“I knew about John — or the original guy who set the fires in the ’90s. He was the preeminent arson investigator,” Leguizamo, 64, noted. “It ended up being that he was the expert only because he set the fires, killed dozens of people, burned millions of dollars worth of property and would never have stopped if he hadn’t been caught.”
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Leguizamo credited creator Dennis Lehane for elevating the story.
“It’s a fascinating story and what Dennis did, it’s even better because he used that as a springboard,” he continued. “But I think what he’s done with it is even more exciting and more interesting. He brings all these complex characters that he throws into the mix. It’s so fun.”
Inspired by the “Firebug” podcast, Smoke also stars Rafe Spall and Greg Kinnear in the show about the notorious California arsonist. Orr was a fire captain and arson investigator that was convicted of serial arson and four counts of murder. He is believed to have set nearly 2,000 fires in a 30-year arson spree, which makes him the most prolific serial arsonist in American history. He has maintained his innocence but reached a plea agreement that resulted in him being paroled in 2002.
Smoke utilized fire as a background to many scenes in the show. According to Leguizamo and Chlumsky, 44, filming the crime drama made them more aware of the dangers of fire.
“When I did a scene for the show, they had a real fire. I was scared. It was really terrifying,” Leguizamo recalled. “The heat that comes out — it burns you even if you’re like 10 feet away and it gives you respect for fire.”
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Chlumsky, meanwhile, used personal experience to help shape her role, adding, “My father was a chef. So in the restaurant, I was raised in the kitchen of a restaurant. I’ve burned plenty of times and all that. But for me, it’s the tool. It’s the tool and teaching your children about the tool.”
She continued: “But in this way — even though it’s real — it’s still special effects. We’re not harming anybody. In that way, I don’t like it. I get more cautious around it.”
The costars also developed a renewed interest in fire safety.
“I got that little blanket that they sell. I love that little blanket that helps put out fires. It did make me respect fire,” Leguizamo told Us, to which Chlumsky added, “It made me a little more aware. It also made me much more cynical in a way. Now when you see a fire on the news, right away I’m like, ‘Arson.’”
New episodes of Smoke are released Fridays on Apple TV+.
