The Best Show You Aren’t Watching: Mrs. Davis

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: A nun, who lives out in a convent in the middle of nowhere, is stalked by a world-famous AI algorithm and given a quest to find and destroy the Holy Grail. In exchange, the all-powerful AI will give the nun – who, coincidentally, blames the AI for the death of her father years before – one request, even if that request happens to be that the AI destroy itself. Hell of a premise, right? And that’s even before getting into the nun’s penchant for talking to a mysterious man at a mysterious taco counter in another realm, or how when she was a kid, she and a young boy both ended up meeting while awaiting liver transplants, sparking a life-long love-hate relationship between them, or how the AI will allow users to have heightened access – and be designated as special on the app’s interface – if they pledge to accept an “expiration date” from the AI which may or may not mean that the AI will kill them on a given date and time. Seriously, it’s a weird show. But it’s also absolutely delightful in the most batshit crazy way.

If you’re familiar with Damon Lindelof’s television oeuvre – that would include Lost, The Leftovers, and Watchmen – the description of Mrs. Davis might not sound that far-fetched. After all, some of the plot points on his previous three series were out there as well (need I remind you of the lion sex cult on an Australian boat wherein a character has a conversation with God episode of The Leftovers, which if you haven’t watched yet, what are you waiting for?). But there’s something extra special about the utterly strange – yet still super earned – twists and turns in Mrs. Davis. For one, the series is impeccably cast. Handling the most complex role of her career, Betty Gilpin stars as Simone, the aforementioned nun on a quest to destroy the Holy Grail (an action that she will find brings her in direct conflict with her own deeply personal relationship with Jesus). Joining her on her quest is an ever-changing group, but the one constant is Wiley (Jake McDormand, who does far more than one might expect with a role that turns out to be so much more than you think at first glance), that boy Simone met when they were getting their liver transplants and who has come in and out of life every since. Wiley doesn’t distrust Mrs. Davis (that would be the name Americans have given to the ever-present AI, although different countries and cultures have different names for it, which you will find out), and he’s not convinced that it is the threat Simone sees it to be – one of several conflicts the pair struggle with over the course of the series.

Now, a quest to find and destroy the Holy Grail. That sounds nearly impossible. Well, it would be if there wasn’t a sect of Knights Templar ever present and tasked with keeping track of the Grail – and keeping it safe. Just who those Knights happen to be is a delightful surprise, and the lengths they will go to ensure their precious cargo remains hidden and safe is both hilarious and terrifying. And that’s really the best way I can think of to describe this pretty indescribable series: equal parts hilarious and terrifying – but still deeply emotionally moving. One of the themes that Lindelof comes back to time and again in his works is faith. Whether that is a faith in a higher power (organized religion or simply some other entity that exists beyond us) or faith in those around us, it’s a theme that unites all four of the series Lindelof has had a hand in creating. And it’s front and center here in Mrs. Davis in such a compelling and interesting way. While faith in God, religion, and others resonates throughout the series, faith in oneself is arguably the most important aspect of this story being told.

Simone is a truly exceptional protagonist not just because she goes on an epic hero’s journey over the course of the series, but because her journey is about reconciling her faith in God with her faith in herself. She can easily accept and trust that God has a plan for her – one that she is so willing to fulfill in any way possible. However, finding faith in herself – in who she wants to be and who she once was, and how those identities have made her into who she is and what she is capable of – well, that’s something that comes much harder to her. She also has a hell of a time trusting other people – something that makes absolute sense once you understand what her childhood was like (David Arquette and Elizabeth Marvel are incredible as her parents). Simone learning to trust herself and those around her is just as much the story being told as is her quest for the Grail. And seeing Gilpin take Simone on that journey – to see each of Simone’s walls start falling down as she gains a deeper understanding of her own abilities and strengths is such a beautiful thing to see. And lest you think Lindelof is making fun of religion in a story about a nun trying to destroy the Holy Grail, he absolutely isn’t. The deftness of the writing makes it clear that he and his writing staff take Simone’s religious beliefs incredibly seriously – as does Simone – and there’s no mockery to be had.

As we enter into a few months without much new television – a result of the recent WGA and SAG/AFTRA dual strikes stalling production timelines – you might be looking for something to fill your time. If that’s the case, give Mrs. Davis a look (and, if you have more time, The Leftovers and Watchmen are both absolutely sensational, if a bit heavier than Mrs. Davis). It’s fun, funny, and stirringly resonant. And it’s the best show you aren’t watching.

Mrs. Davis is available on Peacock. The entire series is streaming.