Mrs. Davis feels heaven-sent. The new Peacock series starring Betty Gilpin (from GLOW) is eclectic, adventurous, humorous, and often over-the-top. Will you care that its overtly broad strokes and madcap mayhem force you to do a doubletake? Probably not. Sweet Jesus, you’ll want more.
Mrs. Davis drops with four episodes on Peacock on April 20, with other episodes streaming weekly. This bold, inspired series is the brainchild of Tara Hernandez (The Big Bang Theory) and Damon Lindelof (LOST, Watchmen). Gilpin plays Simone—that’s Sister Simone to you!—a devoted(ish) nun who finds herself on an epic battle with the world’s most powerful Artificial Intelligence, wonderfully dubbed Mrs. Davis. Everybody is tuning into to her, in fact. Through earpieces, that is. Mrs. Davis knows it all and, apparently, wants it all.
Simone feels otherwise. She’s devoted to destroying Mrs. Davis. Drop in a madcap search for the Holy Grail, a gaggle of nuns, remote factions of the Catholic Church, a mysterious charmer named Jay (a dreamy Andy McQueen from Fahrenheit 451), Simone’s befuddled ex-boyfriend(ish) (Jake McDorman as Wiley), Chris Diamantopoulos in the best role of his career playing JQ, a renegade/ally intent of bringing down Mrs. Davis and, well, yeah…. you get ALL THAT.
A Fun Nun on the Run
There’s so much to talk about here yet so much you just can’t give away. Best for everybody to experience Mrs. Davis for themselves. But let’s head to the nunnery first. Early on, we discover a conflicted Simone seeking solace in the confines in a protected enclave run by Mother Superior. That’s character actress Margo Martindale (The Americans), and she can do no wrong. She takes Simone in and over time — accelerated here for fast-paced dramatic purposes — Simone learns what it really means to be Catholic and married to Jesus Christ.
The writers play off that quite a bit in fetching ways and viewers are bound to gasp (then laugh) at the hilarious turn Simone’s personal journey takes. When she’s reunited with her brawny yet offbeat beau (McDorman) from her past, the series amps up, taking viewers on a quasi-mission-from-God adventure that splinters into two parts.
A) Overthrowing Mrs. Davis
B) Finding the Holy Grail…
Best for you to see and understand the full meaning of the latter on your own. Intense car and motorcycle chases and big explosions compete for attention with snappy dialogue and, surprisingly, one woman’s achy soul search to find justice in her heart and the world.
With Lindelof, who dove deep in shows like LOST, Watchmen, and HBO’s incredibly underrated The Leftovers and Hernandez, who comes from a comedy background, Mrs. Davis surprisingly mixes its dramatic and comedic moments exceptionally well, even if things tend to so broadly delivered at every turn. The show finds some calmer footing midway through to give viewers a chance to breathe, but it doesn’t really last for along. Sister Simone has work to do!
One of the Best Ensemble Casts Around
Peacock
Tara Hernandez and Damon Lindelof have lured in a remarkable cast here. Gilpin has always been a crowd pleaser but here, she’s on fire. She’s believable in the role, and you understand what’s at stake for her personally along the way. The actor manages to effectively create a desperate character who will stop at nothing to restore balance. Simone may be devoted to the Big Guy, but she’s also human. It’s refreshing to experience all aspects of Simone’s humanity here.
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Equally appealing is Gilpin’s main counterparts, Jake McDorman’s Wiley, and Andy McQueen’s Jay. There’s a bit of love triangle there, and it’s wickedly fun if not delightfully offbeat to watch it all play out. Memorable to say the least.
The superb Elizabeth Marvel (The Dropout) stars as Celeste, Simone’s savage mother. Heading a hi-tech security enterprise, Celeste has plenty of secrets. She’s also sporting a major resentment toward Simone’s father, who’s been missing for some time, and Simone herself. Mommy issues run deep here folks. Mathilde Ollivier stands out as Clara, too, but it’s best not to reveal who she really is and how she relates to the action taking place.
The series takes liberty with floating back and forth through time, apparently for context, but it certainly helps move the story along. There are some far-fetch shenanigans happening at every turn here but, somehow, by the grace of God, Gilpin manages to maintain a grounded performance. She isn’t the only thing saving this show from spinning wildly into the abyss, but she certainly stands in front of the line. Bless her, and bless this deliciously wacky mess. More, please.
Mrs. Peacock streams on Peacock beginning April 20.
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