There is in the fourth episode of ‘Mrs. Davis’, a series that we can enjoy on HBO Max (originally from Peacock), a revelation that turns something that we were told at the beginning. I’m not going to give details but just tell you that she is not the only one, nor the last time Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez offer us a crazy twist to what is already a stupendous roller coaster in itself.
Something that is already intuited from the very premise: a nun who is “harassed” by the greatest artificial intelligence in the world, which she hates. However, this nun accepts the mission that the AI that has completely changed the world entrusts to her: find the holy grail In return, it will self-destruct.
A “strange” creative mix
A priori, the couple of writers behind the series is strange, despite the fact that precisely It is beneficial for the mix of drama and comedy what we have. Tara Hernández, veteran screenwriter of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and its spin-off ‘Young Sheldon’ joins none other than the author of some of the best series of the past decade such as ‘The Leftovers’, Damon Lindelof.
However, after little thought, it is not so strange. On one hand Lindeloff continues his thesis on spirituality, religion and even Judeo-Christian iconography and symbology. This time facing the 21st century and its meaning in a society completely delivered to an apparently omnipresent algorithm. On the other, Tara Hernandez gives him the touch of comedy and fun that he wants to play with the history.
The series immerses us in its world asking us, in return, that we let ourselves be carried away by what we are going to see. And, to be honest, it quite achieves the goal of suspending the viewer’s disbelief because the first thing that ‘Mrs. Davis’ is so decidedly camp what is it. Embrace the weird and the bizarre (in the Anglo-Saxon sense of the word) to flood this world and portray the different factions and organizations that Simone (Betty Gilpin) and hers Wiley’s ex (Jake McDorman) cross paths with.
In this sense, do not be surprised to see persecutions with giant nets, zapatófonos and other elements typical of ‘Super Agent 86’… or ‘Mortadelo and Filemón’. In fact, one of the recent examples that comes to mind is the fantastic ‘Dirk Gently’, starring Elijah Wood.
A “bizarre” but wanting to delve into her topics
Here ‘Mrs. Davis’ is aware of the danger that the trees do not let us see the forest and as they unfold the mystery (which at times is more a macguffin than anything else) and offer us delicious and comical comings and goings, it makes it clear that they have something deeper on their hands in this almost impossible mix of styles and genres.
At a perhaps more obvious level, Lindelof seems to tell us about the inevitability of AI as something ubiquitous and omnipotent in our lives. Scratching a little more, we find the crux of the question: free will and to what extent it exists when we find ourselves moved by something superior… call it an algorithm, call it God.
But this is not ‘Black Mirror’ and neither does it pretend to be as proof of its lack of seriousness… or solemnity. This can cause some frustration for the searcher. with greater narrative logic or an atrocious portrait of this world. ‘Mrs. Davis’ uses more of the technological side as a metaphor, or setting, to explore the complexities of human (mother and daughter, for example) and spiritual/mystical relationships.
It may not all work out, because the series tends to pull more from the emotional level and because the viewer has a good time watching it and assuming the continuous twists than offering something cohesive in the narrative. But here I think it falls more in the assessment of each viewer. They have certainly convinced me.
And it is that, ultimately, ‘Mrs. Davis’ is one of those series tstill crazy that you hug them without remedy. Something that is possible, largely because of a wonderful Betty Gilpin carrying all the weight of the plot and she manages to come out triumphant from such an assignment and because of her desire to deal with, even in the midst of the bizarre, fascinating topics.
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