Francesca Sloane: Writing Epic Relationships in 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'

by Jo Light on August 21, 2024

Reimagining the universe of a beloved Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie espionage romance is no easy task. But that’s exactly what Francesa Sloane, the showrunner of Prime Video’s series Mr. & Mrs. Smith, took on.

This version finds Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in Pitt and Jolie’s roles of John and Jane Smith. A new set of super-spies receives these aliases after joining a mysterious secret agency. Oh, and they now find themselves in an arranged marriage and forced partnership. The set-up alone gets a writer’s mind whirring with the possibilities. So many tropes to explore!

Sloane is a writer and producer who’s worked on some of the best TV out there, including Fargo, Atlanta, and The First, bringing to life complex characters in often unparalleled situations. ScreenCraft spoke to Sloane about her work on the show and how she pulled off the stellar story. Here’s what we learned!

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Using a Relationship as a Narrative Structure

In the writers’ room, Sloane and her team had to figure out their way into this story. They had the benefit of audiences knowing at least some of what to expect—this show was going to be about a couple who also operated as spies. But how could they put a fresh spin on that, and how could they tell this story over several episodes?

“We would talk about our own relationships,” Sloane said, “and that always felt like the stickiest point. That always felt like the moment when we would all lean in. And those were the moments that we were actually curious about.”

As writers, we should follow that instinct. What are we most excited to explore? Sloane said it felt like a natural thread to start pulling.

“And so any time we would delineate and get too far down the path of plot, or things that felt more into the spy genre, Steph [Glover] especially would always say, ‘It’s about the relationship, man, it’s about the milestones of a relationship.’ And that always felt like to me the thing that seemed the clearest,” Sloane said.

A couple hits many natural moments as their relationship progresses. It’s things like a first date, a first kiss, and meeting each other’s families. So here was the way into Mr. & Mrs. Smith—a series narrative formed around a couple’s brand-new relationship, with very unique twists on familiar beats.

What if, for example, these characters must protect a sobbing grown man in their custody—almost like two new parents with a toddler? Should they have a conversation about kids? Could they start debating parenting styles?

“When we had that idea, the whole world opened up,” Sloane said.

If you’re having trouble breaking a story, try coming at it from a different angle. Look at your story beats and see if they mirror real-life beats in any way. Then give them your own twist.

Build Your Character Arcs

In this show, the characters emerge as essential opposites. Jane is quiet, guarded, and “catlike,” Sloane pointed out, while John has more golden retriever energy.

As they fall for each other, they learn more about themselves along with the audience, which is extremely compelling in a story and allows their characters to grow.

“Falling for John is showing [Jane] sides of herself that she’s literally never experienced before, in these very high-stakes situations,” she said. “It just felt really beautiful to see her have these walls come down bit by bit, but also how much she’s scared of that.”

Having Jane be the withholding character played a bit with expectations in the spy genre, too—usually, Sloane said, it’s the man who’s all mysterious and aloof. So where could you swap roles in fun ways?

It’s also a great idea to get your characters out of their physical comfort zones and put them in new situations that will challenge and expose them. In this show’s case, the writers tossed John and Jane into the Dolomites.

“We take you to this breathtaking location, and then we make the man not know how to ski,” Sloane said. She added, “To us, that felt like a really interesting component of how you’re first getting to know somebody that you’re dating and seeing these other sides of them.”

Giving your character weaknesses, physical or otherwise, does not make them any less relatable to an audience. It actually rounds them out into fuller, more interesting people. We can all be James Bond, after all.

Michael (Donald Glover) and Alana (Maya Erskine) looking through files in 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'

'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' (2024)

Take the Relationship to a Low Point

Look, we all watch film and TV for the drama. We want to gasp in shock as a story gives us an unexpected revelation when one character betrays another, or a piece of dialogue is way too brutally honest.

If we’re enjoying a romantic espionage thriller like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, then we’re here for the ups and downs of a fledgling relationship and all the beautiful and horrible things two people can do to one another. Don’t back away from those opportunities as a writer!

Sloane told us about the big fight in Episode 6 that takes place in the woods.

“We knew that we needed John and Jane to finally get into a big fight,” she said.

It starts with an admission that John lied about reading a book when they first met, and the scene quickly devolves into a devastating and far-ranging argument about their parents, sex, and more.

Sloane attacked the scene as a writer with consideration for how these characters would jump between accusations and insults.

“We sort of turned it into almost a song,” she said. “We were like, ‘Okay, this is the lyric that then leads to the chorus, and now that we hit the chorus, we need to go back to this other moment.’”

Michael (Donald Glover) and Alana (Maya Erskine) carrying a man with a bag over his head out of a building in 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith,' Francesca Sloane: Writing Epic Relationships in 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'

'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' (2024)

Sloane says it’s her favorite scene, actually.

“To me, I think it might be one of the realest moments on the show,” she said.

This is also a great example of plant and payoff! Not only is the earlier conversation the foundation for this ugly, ugly fight but Jane is also seen watching Naked and Afraid earlier in the season—which is basically the situation the characters are in. Details matter, and nothing is insignificant when you’re writing!