Mrs. Davis

Mrs. Davis is an American science fiction comedy drama television limited series 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.

Main cast

 * Betty Gilpin as Sister Simone, formerly Elizabeth Abbott, a nun battling artificial intelligence
 * Jake McDorman as Preston Wiley, an ex-boyfriend of Simone who stands against the AI with her
 * Andy McQueen as Jay, Simone's husband

Recurring cast

 * Margo Martindale as Simone's Mother Superior
 * Elizabeth Marvel as Celeste Abbott, Simone's mother
 * Chris Diamantopoulos as JQ, an ally of Wiley who also stands against the AI
 * Katja Herbers as Mathilde LaFleur
 * Tom Wlaschiha as Hans Ziegler
 * Ben Chaplin as Arthur Schrodinger
 * Mathilde Ollivier as Clara

Guest cast

 * David Arquette as Montgomery Abbott, Simone's father
 * Tim McInnerny as Apron Man
 * Roberto Mateos as The Pope
 * Shohreh Aghdashloo as The Boss
 * Ashley Romans as Joy, the creator of Mrs. Davis

Production
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. Owen Harris and Alethea Jones are executive producers and each directed multiple episodes.

Casting began in March 2022, starting with Betty Gilpin in the lead role of a nun battling artificial intelligence, and Jake McDorman starring opposite her. Margo Martindale, Andy McQueen, and Ben Chaplin were added to the main cast, while David Arquette and Elizabeth Marvel received recurring roles. After the start of filming, Chris Diamantopoulos, Ashley Romans, and Katja Herbers were added to the cast as well.

Filming was in progress in August 2022, shooting primarily on the Warner Bros. lot or in a remote desert location to maintain secrecy.

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).

Writers used AI to come up with episode titles.

Teller (half of the comedy magic duo Penn & Teller) was a magic consultant for the series.

In May 2023, it was reported that there were no plans for a second season.

Release
The series had its world premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW) on March 11, 2023. 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.

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.

Critical response
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." Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on 23 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

The series was included in several mid-year lists of the best TV shows of 2023, such as IndieWire, Rolling Stone, Variety, and TheWrap. 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." 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." 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.