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The crime drama miniseries Smoke season 1, starring Taron Egerton, is set to release its third episode on July 4, 2025, on Apple TV+ in the United States at 12 am ET. The upcoming episode, titled Weird Milk, is directed by Joe Chappelle and written by Molly Miller.
The story is inspired by Firebug, a podcast episode about a former firefighter turned arsonist, John Leonard Orr, who was responsible for setting off around 2,000 fires over the course of 30 years.
The synopsis for the series, as per Apple TV+, reads:
When an arson investigator begrudgingly teams up with a police detective, their race to stop two arsonists ignites a twisted game of secrets and suspicions.
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In Smoke season 1, Taron Egerton portrays the character of Dave Gudsen. Dave used to be a firefighter in Umberland before becoming an arson investigator. The article further discusses in detail the character's arc and the actor's career prior to the miniseries.
Disclaimer: Reader's discretion advised. Spoilers ahead.
Who is Dave Gudsen? A glance at the character's arc in Smoke season 1
As previously stated, Taron Egerton plays arson investigator Dave Gudsen in the crime drama Smoke season 1. Dave, who also aspires to be a novelist, was once a firefighter in Umberland.
Detective Michelle Calderon is tasked with Dave to help investigate the arson attacks occurring in Umberland. It turns out that Freddy, a fry cook at a chicken business, is one of the two criminals responsible for these attacks. However, viewers may find it unexpected when Dave himself is revealed as the other perp at the end of the second episode of Smoke.
Dave's alter ego, Smoke, emerges following a distressing altercation with his stepson and wife, Ashley. He pretends to limp while wearing sunglasses and a hood as he makes his way to a shop to demolish it.
The character played by Taron Egerton in Smoke season 1 is modelled after John Leonard Orr, a former firefighter who turned arsonist in real life, as reported by Deadline. Dave continues to be involved in the investigation into the attacks he set on his own, just like his real-life counterpart John.
John's book, titled Points of Origin (2001), is about a former firefighter who was convicted of a series of arson fires across California between 1984 and 1991, as described on Amazon. The author has shared details about most of his actual attacks.
Although Dave is depicted as a budding novelist as well, it remains to be seen if his writing will lead to his involvement in the miniseries—a fate that is comparable to that of his real-life counterpart.
Taron Egerton's career explored
Taron Egerton, a Welsh actor who started his career in stage productions, became well-known for his role as Gary "Eggsy" Unwin in the Kingsman movie series. Since making his big-screen debut, Taron has also acted in a number of biographical films, including Eddie the Eagle, Testament of Youth, and Rocketman. For his performance as musician Elton John in Rocketman, he was also awarded a Golden Globe for Best Actor.
Based on the autobiographical book of former FBI agent John Keene, Taron Egerton and Dennis Lehane previously worked together on the true crime drama series Black Bird. Other noteworthy productions that Taron has worked on include Carry-On, Tetris, Robin Hood, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
Stay tuned with us for further updates.
