Mrs. Davis | |
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Genre | |
Created by |
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Starring | |
Composer | Jeff Russo |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Running time | 48–60 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Peacock |
Release | April 20 – May 18, 2023 |
Mrs. Davis is an American science fiction comedy drama television limited series [1] [2] created by Tara Hernandez and Damon Lindelof for Peacock. The series stars Betty Gilpin as a nun using her faith to take on technology, and a supporting cast including Jake McDorman, Margo Martindale, David Arquette and Elizabeth Marvel. It premiered at SXSW on March 11, 2023, before its debut on Peacock on April 20.
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |||
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1 | "Mother of Mercy: The Call of the Horse" | Owen Harris | Tara Hernandez & Damon Lindelof | April 20, 2023 | |||
In 1307 Paris, the Knights Templar are burned at the stake, purportedly for heresy. A convent in Paris is attacked by knights looking for the Holy Grail; it's revealed that the nuns are also Templars, and after a violent melee, all are killed, except for one of the Templars; the sole surviving Templar nun escapes with the Holy Grail. In 2023, an artificial intelligence, Mrs. Davis, is used by almost everyone, which has prevented war and famine. Simone, a nun who debunks magicians, works in a convent. Simone is repeatedly contacted by Mrs. Davis, but she refuses to speak with her, claiming that Mrs. Davis killed her father. Her convent is sold and all of the nuns are relocated; Simone is captured by German henchmen claiming to be at the direction of Mrs. Davis, but escapes when an old acquaintance, Wiley, arrives. Simone decides to confront Mrs. Davis, and goes to an elementary school, where she meets with a teacher who speaks on behalf of Mrs. Davis. Mrs. Davis requests that Simone find the Holy Grail and destroy it; in exchange, Mrs. Davis will delete herself. | |||||||
2 | "Zwei Sie Piel mit Seitung Sie Wirtschaftung" | Owen Harris | Tara Hernandez & Jason Lew | April 20, 2023 | |||
As a child, Simone, (born Elizabeth), served as an audience plant for her parents' magic show. At home, her mother has been working on a secret project that causes tension between her parents. Simone breaks into the office one day to see what’s inside, only to be shot by a crossbow and taken to the hospital, where she meets Wiley. Presently, Simone reunites with Wiley, who leads a group fighting against Mrs. Davis. They claim people do tasks for Mrs. Davis to earn "wings", which are visual awards for recipients, while some even volunteer to be killed at a certain date to earn wings. They encourage Simone to work with Mrs. Davis to find the Holy Grail to learn more about what she wants. They confront the German attackers who chased Simone, and apparently kill one of them when they throw him off a building. Simone meets with Jay, her husband, who reveals that he has the location of the last woman, Clara, who may have known where the Holy Grail is. Simone and Wiley prepare to try and find her in London. It is revealed that the fight between Wiley's team and the Germans was all staged. | |||||||
3 | "A Baby with Wings, a Sad Boy with Wings and a Great Helmet" | Alethea Jones | Alberto Roldán & Damon Lindelof | April 20, 2023 | |||
7 years ago, Wiley and Simone planned to give away their family fortune and move to Alaska. However, Wiley discovers his life-saving liver transplant was staged, prompting him to enter a rodeo to prove himself. Elizabeth (Simone) prays for his safety and meets Jay in a restaurant. Wiley backs out of the rodeo. In the present, Simone and Wiley follow a man they called on a train to Scotland. Mrs. Davis reveals that Celeste, Simone's mother, is on the train,she thinks Simone is helping her dad hide his death. In Scotland, Wiley joins a contest to hold a giant Excalibur prop. Simone follows a woman she believes to be Clara but accidentally knocks out a banker named Mathilde during a ritual. Simone discovers Wiley has wings, leading to a fight. Wiley reveals he got the wings in exchange for his life. During the fight, Wiley curses the Jesus Simone's lover, and lightning strikes the Excalibur, injuring him. The priest from the train kidnaps Wiley in an ambulance. | |||||||
4 | "Beautiful Things That Come with Madness" | Alethea Jones | Story by : Noelle Viñas Teleplay by : Jonny Sun | April 20, 2023 | |||
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5 | "A Great Place to Drink to Gain Control of Your Drink" | Owen Harris | Nadra Widatalla & Jason Ning | April 27, 2023 | |||
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6 | "Allison Treasures: A Southern California Story" | Alethea Jones | Noelle Viñas & Alberto Roldán | May 4, 2023 | |||
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7 | "Great Gatsby 2001: A Space Odyssey" | Frederick E.O. Toye | Jason Ning & Jonny Sun | May 11, 2023 | |||
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8 | "The Final Intercut: So I'm Your Horse" | Owen Harris | Story by : Nadra Widatalla & Chikira Bennett Teleplay by : Tara Hernandez & Damon Lindelof | May 18, 2023 | |||
Simone finds Mrs. Davis's creator, a programmer named Joy. Joy tells Simone Mrs. Davis began as an app that eventually spiraled out of control. Meanwhile, Wiley reports for his expiration. Simone returns to her old convent with her Mother Superior. She goes to the restaurant one last time where she says a final goodbye to Jay before drinking from the Grail, which successfully destroys it. Wiley learns that the expiration date is a ruse created by Mrs. Davis to help people find the worth in their lives. Simone takes Celeste to see Montgomery; when he realized Mrs. Davis would keep giving the secret away, he worked with her instead to fake his death. He was meant to pop out of the piano being played at his funeral, but backed out when he saw how hurt Simone and Celeste were. Monty ended up accidentally dying in the piano. Simone has Celeste proxy for Mrs. Davis, through which she and Celeste are finally able to reconcile. Mrs. Davis honors her agreement and shuts herself off. Simone and Celeste watch as the world erupts into chaos. Wiley meets up with Simone and the two ride off into the sunset. |
Mrs. Davis was created by Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez at Warner Bros. Television, and the show received a 10-episode series order for Peacock. The pair would both co-write and executive produce, with Hernandez acting as showrunner. Susan Rovner had been developing the series with them at Warner Bros., and as new chair for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, she out-bid other broadcasters and streamers to buy the show. [8] Owen Harris and Alethea Jones are executive producers and each directed multiple episodes. [6]
Casting began in March 2022, starting with Betty Gilpin in the lead role of a nun battling artificial intelligence, [9] and Jake McDorman starring opposite her. [10] Margo Martindale, Andy McQueen, and Ben Chaplin were added to the main cast, [4] while David Arquette and Elizabeth Marvel received recurring roles. [6] After the start of filming, Chris Diamantopoulos, Ashley Romans, and Katja Herbers were added to the cast as well. [7]
Filming was in progress in August 2022, [11] shooting primarily on the Warner Bros. lot or in a remote desert location to maintain secrecy. [5]
The international scenes were filmed in Spain: Sa Boadella beach in Lloret de Mar (Arthur Schrodinger's island), Cathedral in Girona (the execution of the Templars), Figueres Fortress (sword contest), Valencia (Shrodinger's ship in Cadiz) and Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona (Shrodinger's university). [12] [13] [14]
Writers used AI to come up with episode titles. [15]
Teller (half of the comedy magic duo Penn & Teller) was a magic consultant for the series. [16]
In May 2023, it was reported that there were no plans for a second season. [17]
The series had its world premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW) on March 11, 2023. [18] [19] [20] The series premiered on April 20, 2023, with the first four episodes available immediately and the rest of the remaining four debuting on a weekly basis. [3]
The series premiered with the first four episodes on April 24, 2023, on HBO Max outside the US where available.
The series premiered on Prime Video in Germany on 10th November 2023.
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 92% based on 59 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Positively bonkers while undergirded by an intelligent design, Mrs. Davis makes Betty Gilpin a hero for modern times in a highly imaginative mixture of spirituality and technology." [21] Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on 23 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [22]
The series was included in several mid-year lists of the best TV shows of 2023, such as IndieWire , Rolling Stone , Variety , and TheWrap . [23] [24] [25] [26] Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote, "Mrs. Davis is made to entertain, first and foremost, and it's a highly enjoyable experience whether you engage with its deeper issues or not. Betty Gilpin is delightful. The larger ensemble matches her irresistible energy. The visuals are colorful and vast. The scripts are tight, the momentum unwavering, and the sheer joy palpable." [23] Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall said, "Mrs. Davis featured some of the crazier plot twists you will ever see, yet managed to be genuinely moving and thoughtful even in the middle of all its ridiculousness." [24] Alison Herman of Variety noted that the series "has the confidence and humor . . . to help the audience adjust to all the show throws at them, helped by a grounding performance from [Gilpin]. Whether or not you laugh at the final joke... you have to admire the show for making it, or getting made at all. [25]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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2023 | Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials | Mrs. Davis | Nominated | [27] |
Outstanding New Program | Nominated | ||||
Individual Achievement in Drama | Betty Gilpin | Nominated | |||
Astra TV Awards | Best Streaming Limited or Anthology Series | Mrs. Davis | Nominated | [28] | |
Independent Spirit Awards | Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series | Betty Gilpin | Nominated | [29] | |
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special | "Mother of Mercy: The Call of the Horse" | Nominated | [30] | |
Saturn Awards | Best Television Presentation | Mrs. Davis | Nominated | [31] | |
2024 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie | Betty Gilpin | Nominated | [32] |
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