Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Smoke episodes 1 and 2!Taron Egerton’s Dave is writing a fictional novel inSmoke, with the events that unfold being a genius reflection of another character’s crimes. InEgerton’s latest role, he portrays Dave Gudsen, an arson investigator who teams up with a detective, Michelle Calderone, to bring to justice two arsonists on the West Coast. As theApple TV+ seriesshowcases their unfolding hunt,it also sees Dave pulling from his experiences to write a crime novel about an arsonist.The book is still a work-in-progress after the first two episodes close out.
However, it’s revealed at the end of episode 2 that Dave is one of the two arsonists he and Michelle are hunting. Despite allegedly pulling from his real experiences as an investigator, his novel can also be seen as an outpouring of his own feelings while committing his crimes. This means much of what he writes involving his villain aligns with his worldview, a subtle confession to what he’s been doing. However,anothercharacter inSmokeis more directly reflected by the arsonist in his book, with the show offering a genius parallel between the two.
Dave’s Arsonist Character Reflects Freddy’s Real-Life Crimes
Freddy Is The Second Serial Arsonist Terrorizing The Area
Dave isn’t the only arsonist in town;another is Freddy, a fast-food worker who also enjoys setting structures ablaze. However, instead of targeting public buildings and supermarkets like Egerton’s character, Freddy instead goes after normal, everyday people he sees being happy. This was shown in episode 1 when he secretly watched a couple while sitting at a bar. The end of the episode saw him follow them home, waiting until he was sure they were asleep, then setting their house on fire.
His hatred for others simply because they’re happy reflects the way Dave’s arsonist character in his novel feelsabout others. Prior to Freddy burning down the house, the show provides a glimpse at one of Dave’s passages, revealing his arsonist character hates people who are happy. While theend ofSmokeepisode 2indicates these feelings come from the author, given his own arson activities, they also directly parallel Freddy’s actions. His hatred for others' happiness is what led him to start fires, specifically because he wanted to hurt others for their joy.
How Freddy Can Continue To Parallel Dave’s Novel
Given his profession as an arson investigator,much of what Dave is writing about seems to be pulled from the cases he’s investigatedin the past. While thecrime TV seriesalso indicates he’s been inspired from his current experiences, including the crimes he’s committed, he also has a well-versed history of solving cases given his position. This makes the character in his book more personal to him, reflecting not only his own viewpoints on why someone commits arson, but also those of others he’s put away for the crime too.
There are already clear similarities between the two real characters given their affinity for fire, but the book character also becoming part of that comparison can add another layer to the story.
With just how similar Freddy is to the character in his novel,more parallels are likely to crop up as the series progresses.In episode 2, Freddy starts trying to move up the corporate ladder, getting a haircut ahead of an interview for a managerial position. While it’s unclear how his big life change is going to play out for him, the changes in his life from this pursuit could mirror the character Dave has created. Just how direct these similarities will be moving forward, though, remains unknown.
AsSmokecontinues to develop both Freddy’s story and the novel Dave is working on, the ties between both elements of the story could grow even stronger as the series continues. There are already clear similarities between the two real characters given their affinity for fire, but the book character also becoming part of that comparison can add another layer to the story. Since the show has only just started establishing these ideas,the further along Freddy’s story progresses, the more similarities he might end up havingto the arsonist in Dave’s book.
