Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Smoke episodes 1 and 2!Smokeepisode 2 ends with a major twist to the storyas Taron Egertonand Jurnee Smollett’s characters continue their arson investigation. The premiere episodes of thecrime TV showsawEgerton’s Dave and Smollett’s Michelle seeking out two suspects for serial arsonon the West Coast. One of their suspects enjoys targeting everyday people, with episode 1 seeing a happy couple fall victim to his crime. Another enjoys setting businesses ablaze, having an affinity for lighting potato chip isles on fire in supermarkets.
Episode 1 introduces Freddy as the first of these culprits, lighting a couple’s house on fire after seeing them have a good time together. As for theApple TV+ show’sother arsonist,Dave and Michelle exchange ideas on a number of possible suspectsthroughout both episodes. This ends up bringing Michelle face-to-face with Scotty in a tense confrontation, while Dave uses their investigation as inspiration for the book he’s writing. However, the final moments of episode 2 offer a shocking revelation that will define the direction of the show for the rest of its run.
What Episode 2’s Final Scene Reveals About Taron Egerton’s Dave
His Involvement In The Case Goes Deeper Than He Let On
As episode 2 approaches its end, the unknown arsonist limps into a supermarket in order to set it ablaze. As he walks, it’s shown that he has some of the incendiary devices he’s used to start fires previously in episode 1. However, the camera does a last-minute pan to his face,revealing the arsonist is none other than Dave himself.This puts the show into a new context, as it means that, despite being an arson investigator, Egerton’s character is actually the person responsible for some of the more devastating attacks the series has shown thus far.
This revelation puts the investigation into a new context. Despite telling Michelle some firefighters like Scotty didn’t make for strong suspects,he’s clearly doing what he can to save face while also keeping himself from getting found out. While thetrailer forSmokegave away that he was hiding a secret, the extent of it wasn’t clear until the end of episode 2. Now that the audience knows what he’s really up to, it adds a whole new perspective to everything he’s going to do in future episodes.
Michelle Suspects Dave Of Being Their Arson Suspect
Does She Already Know He’s The Arsonist They’re Looking For?
Despite carefully covering his tracks, though, it seems like he’s closer to being caught than he thinks. In her final scene of episode 2, Michelle talks with Steven outside a bar after having shot Scotty earlier in the episode. While speaking about the case, she explains how she knows he’s not their arsonist, believing the time he spent building a bunker in the woods will account for all the time he’s taken off. When Steven asks her aboutany additional suspects, specifically former firefighters, she says she has “just one.”
Their discussion happens right before the reveal that Dave is actually the arsonist they’ve been looking for this whole time. The way the scene is framed,it seems like Michelle suspects him of being the real culprit behind the fires.While it’s unclear how she could know this, it sounds like the arson investigator hasn’t covered his tracks as well as he thought he did. This lays the groundwork for her digging deeper into his life, potentially discovering her hunch about him was correct.
Why Michelle Shoots Scotty & What It Means For The Investigation
Scotty’s Bunker Has Nothing To Do With The Fires
While considering Scotty a suspect, Michelle ends up going to his secluded house in the woods alone, determined to uncover the truth. What she finds instead, however, is a bunker housing BDSM equipment and a whole armory of guns.When Scotty comes home, she shoots him in both legs, believing he’s the arsonist because of her hunch. However, when she realizes he wouldn’t have time to build his bunker and set fires, she calls in the shooting, lying to the ATF about how the events unfolded.
Although this means the criminal investigation in the show won’t be centered on him as a suspect anymore, the truth about what happened could hinder what Michelle does next.
What she tells the ATF makes it seem like Scotty was in the wrong, but, in reality, she went onto his property without a warrant and without knowing about all the weapons he had. Although this means thecriminal investigation in the showwon’t be centered on him as a suspect anymore, the truth about what happened could hinder what Michelle does next. There’s no proof outside of each other’s word about what happened at his house, meaning that, depending on if the case gets revisited, it could prove to be another problem for her into the future.
Freddy’s Haircut & New Job Application Explained
The Arsonist Is Trying To Move Up The Ladder
As Michelle seemingly sets her sights on Dave, Freddy starts going through some important life changes. In particular,episode 2 sees him trying to get a managerial positionafter being prompted by Brenda, a customer at his fast food restaurant who’s fond of him. Episode 1 indicated his motivation for arson was because of how unhappy he was in life, something he’s now trying to fix in a healthier, less damaging way. He ends up scoring a job interview and goes to Brenda’s salon to get a haircut.
Although it’s unclear how Freddy’s job interview is going to go,the path he’s on represents how he doesn’t want to be trapped at his current job forever.This new opportunity gives him a chance to break out of his daily routine, something that was previously only interrupted by the fires he set. What this means for his criminal actions remains unclear, especially with Dave seemingly on his trail after getting a description in episode 1. The direction of his development will likely hinge on just how well his upcoming interview goes.
Why Is There Really Tension Between Dave & His Family?
The Trio’s Intense Final Scene Together Explained
As for Dave, his final two scenes with his family indicate the rising tension happening between them. His wife, Ashley, explains how Emmett, their son, is going to be devastated when he learns his real father is moving far away. While he’ll be able to get free tuition later down the road, he’ll have to move in with Ashley and Dave full-time, something he doesn’t want because of his dislike for his stepfather. In one final scene,Emmett launches blistering words in Dave’s direction, who ends up stepping outside before losing full control.
This family conflict appears to be what instigates his arson attack at the end of the episode, using it as a way to relieve stress. However,it does nothing to solve the rising tension between him and Emmett,the pair clearly having disdain for one another. WhileSmoke’s big picture focuses on the arson attacks Dave and Freddy are committing, it’s the smaller events in their lives that act as excuses for their crimes. Given the protagonist and his stepson haven’t resolved their differences by episode 2’s end, it’s only a matter of time before their conflict is revisited.
