Taron Egerton's 9-Episode Apple TV Series Is A Must-Watch After Netflix's Apex

Taron Egerton is a versatile Welsh actor who gained international acclaim for his starring role in the "Kingsman" movies. More recently, he proved that he can play a terrifying villain in the 2026 Netflix original thriller "Apex." Egerton possesses a talent for action, comedy, and even horror, and he's able to steal the show in all three. If you were captivated by Taron Egerton's dramatic performance in "Apex," your next watch should be the nine-episode series "Smoke" on the Apple TV platform.

"Smoke" tells the story of an arson investigator (Taron Egerton) and a police officer (Jurnee Smollett) who team up to capture a duo of serial arsonists. In this criminal pursuit drama, Egerton's character is what draws you into the narrative. It quickly becomes apparent that there is friction between the main characters and that deeper secrets and conspiracies lie beneath the surface. Taron Egerton was even nominated for a BAFTA for his role in "Smoke," so it's definitely worth watching for his performance.

"Smoke" is more than just a clever name for an arson story; it's also a perfect descriptor for the elusive nature of this series. As Alan Sepinwall said in his Rolling Stone review of "Smoke," it "starts off a hacky cop show." It's only after you hold out for a few episodes that you realize how compelling it actually is. It's as if there's a layer of proverbial smoke obscuring the main mysteries, and you have to wait for it to clear away.

Episodes six and seven of the show's single nine-episode season have the highest ratings on IMDb. It makes perfect sense: the last half of "Smoke" is where it evolves from being a typical police show into a unique story with a premise that actually stands out. And, as with any good character-driven drama, our lead character is at the center of it all. Fans of Taron Egerton will enjoy seeing how his character responds to transformative revelations as they come to light.

With the release of Netflix's "Apex," now is a great time to go back through the entire Taron Egerton catalog. If you like "Smoke," you'll also love the Apple TV series "Black Bird." These two shows are enough to justify at least one month of the service, even after last year's Apple TV subscription price increase.