There are few things more dangerous than someone who lives in their world. In this distorted version of their reality, anything goes.
Rules don’t exist, and if they do, they are arbitrary and can change at a moment’s notice. It makes it hard for the rest of the world, which lives inside a shared reality, to keep up, and that’s the best-case scenario.
Dave Gudsen, like many main characters in Smoke, lives in his own world.
In this world, he’s not a loser with severe damage and trauma.
He’s a strapping sex object who is the savior in every situation. He thinks that everyone’s perception of him aligns with his own outlook, and he couldn’t be far from the truth.
Smoke Season 1 Episode 4 dives deeper into the characters as Detective Calderon grows increasingly suspicious of her new partner.
Dave Gudsen — The Loser
And what a loser this guy is. The opening scenes find him teaching a class in a fire academy, and he’s that teacher or professor no one could stand, multiplied by one hundred.
Instead of teaching, Dave takes this opportunity to self-aggrandize. He does everything in an exaggerated manner, and Calderon, who is sitting in during the show, realizes she can’t ignore everything she’s been feeling.
And this makes me wonder: if this guy has been like this all along, how come no one caught on to him? It doesn’t take a genius to see how desperate he is for accolades and praise.
We later learn that he indeed had previous partners during investigations, but for some reason, they all left without discovering he is the arsonist, apart from one.
This poses another puzzle as to who Dave is because so far, I’ve pegged him as a loser, but what if there’s more?
We know he’s a loser (yes, I’ll say that again), dangerous, and what else? How did he manage to stay off the radar for so long? What did he do to Esposito and the likes?
It will be interesting to see what is unearthed in the succeeding episodes.
Detective Calderon Gets Better Treatment
We also dive deeper into Calderon, who is almost sure that Dave is the other arsonist.
She has enough evidence to set a trap for him, but she needs him to catch the other one.
Still, one can never be too sure, and Calderon digs more.
While the past several episodes have not painted her in the best light, this one reveals why she’s a force to be reckoned with.
Michelle Calderon is patient. She pays attention and catches what everyone else would miss. And most importantly, she’s smart.
What would appear to anyone else like an after-work kickback with some alcohol is part of Calderon’s plan to dig more information from Dave.
And we all know alcohol. It makes us so loose that we admit things we would usually never admit to. For the first time, we see the real Dave. The ball of rage and frustration that hides everything behind a smile and swagger.
He does rear his head again in another scene when Ashley confronts Dave about his book, and in place of the loser, akin to a clown in a circus, the arsonist takes place.
Are These Arsonists Worth Any Sympathy?
Hurting people hurt other people.
While Freddy’s hurt is ongoing, Dave’s stems from a painful childhood memory involving his mother.
This was to be expected, but given that this is Dave, is any of that even true?
Regardless, it’s not an excuse for what he has been doing. That image of skin falling off the woman from the hardware store’s hand in Smoke Season 1 Episode 2 will forever remain implanted in my mind.
One half of me wants to give him some grace, but the other half wants him to die a slow, painful death like he’s done to many people.
Meanwhile, Freddy’s ambition runs into a wall, and the downward spiral begins.
Based on the interview in Smoke Season 1 Episode 3, we knew he would never get that job. The real problem, however, is what he will do after the disappointment sets in.
We don’t have to wonder because he has been busy making his milk jar concoction in mass quantities.
What is he planning?
I found myself wondering what society can do with people like Freddy.
He is the epitome of the male loneliness epidemic. Too much solitude, coupled with the dangers of social media, has rendered him a ticking time bomb.
If you know the solution, take it away in the comments.
“Strawberry” is a tantalizing tease of what’s to come as the show sets the stage for the story’s second act.
Several pieces are in play, but I sense a surprise is planned.
Stray Thoughts
- For this episode’s standout moment, it’s another Emmett special. He is the personification of being distressed by “the ick.” Dave rubs him the wrong way and when he says “This fuckin guy,” I could feel his disdain.
- Ashley calling Dave out for being self-obsessed was also satisfying. That’s what they call being read to filth? It’s fun.
- Has Apple TV+ been this liberal with sex scenes? I don’t remember past shows being this sexually explicit. Hey, I’m not complaining since it gives Smoke an edge.
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Watch Smoke Online
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