Smoke Stars Rafe Spall and Greg Kinnear Break Down That Horrific WTF Death

Описание: The penultimate episode of Apple TV+’s critically acclaimed Smoke proves that no one escapes unscathed in the Dennis Lehane series — not from fire, not from guilt, and certainly not from the consequences of choosing silence over action. Episode 8’s “Mercy” saw anything but that, as the walls begin to close in on nearly every major character, culminating in a shocking death that redefines the show’s moral center.

Rather than rushing through the twists and turns, “Mercy” lets tension simmer until it finally erupts. What begins as a complicated emotional entanglement between Michelle Calderone (Jurnee Smollett) and Burke (Rafe Spall) ends in a brutal moment of regret and ultimate betrayal. Spall’s performance moves seamlessly between warmth and peril, while the final moments between the former lovers leave no doubt about Michelle’s choice… or its cost.

Burke’s fatal ending isn’t just about violence, though. Instead, those last scenes shared are about how Calderone’s impulse calcifies into a decision. “It goes from something instinctive that you might actually applaud… and then we see her choose not to help him,” Spall tells Collider. “Which puts our protagonist in a completely different light.” That complexity, he adds, is “one of the things that makes the show compelling.”

Meanwhile, Harvey (Greg Kinnear) quietly steps into a redemptive light, revealing his own failings with a vulnerability that makes him one of the series’ most quietly tragic figures. It’s a performance that lingers in its restraint — as Kinnear says, “I think Harvey is a decent guy… but ultimately realizing the depth of the betrayal from Dave [Taron Egerton] was a big one.”

Helping to break down that surprising end, Spall and Kinnear share with Collider what it was like constructing the season’s most emotionally charged hour, the writing’s refusal to offer clean heroes, and why even ghosts might have a future in Smoke.

The finale of Smoke streams next Friday.

#smoke #appletv #appletvplus #gregkinnear #rafespall

For interviews, movie reviews, and more visit https://collider.com

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
  / collider  
  / collider  
  / collider