Mrs. Davis: Release Date, Cast, And More For Damon Lindelof's New Series Starring Betty Gilpin
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To call Damon Lindelof ambitious feels a bit like saying James Cameron has a soft spot for the ocean. Shows like "Lost," "The Leftovers," and "Watchmen" have seen the writer and producer wrestling with all manner of daunting topics, from America's legacy of white supremacy to the very meaning of existence and the effects of collective trauma. On the film side, Lindelof has even dared to try his hand at reinventing franchises as legendary as "Star Trek" and "Alien," with polarizing yet undeniably interesting results (to say nothing of his efforts on big swings like "Cowboys & Aliens" and "Tomorrowland").
His latest TV series, "Mrs. Davis," sees Lindelof reuniting with "GLOW" sensation Betty Gilpin, the star of his and director Craig Zobel's controversial satirical horror-thriller "The Hunt" (you can read our review of the film here). Peacock has slowly but surely started to pull back the curtain on the futuristic sci-fi series, revealing more about the cast and its intriguing — if also, for the time being, perplexing — premise. Yup, this definitely looks (and sounds) like a Damon Lindelof show!
Mrs. Davis release date and where to watch it
Well over a year after ordering "Mrs. Davis" to series in May 2021, Peacock has announced the show will debut its first four episodes on April 20, 2023, with the remaining six episodes hitting the streaming service weekly on Thursdays. It's one of several series haling from high-profile creatives that are headed to the streamer in the foreseeable future, along with Rian Johnson's case of the week murder-mystery "Poker Face," a live-action "Twisted Metal" video game adaptation by "Deadpool" writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and the "Friday the 13th" prequel "Crystal Lake" from Bryan Fuller.
Peacock, as has come up over and over again here at /Film, has had a hard time keeping pace with other streamers despite having an eclectic and, in some ways, surprisingly high-quality library of original series to its name. It's likely a rebranding is on the horizon for the service, much like what happened when CBS All Access (remember when that was a thing?) became Paramount+ back in 2021. Personally, so long as it keeps giving folks like Damon Lindelof a place to explore their weirdest ideas, I'm down with Universal calling it Universal+, Peacocky, or whatever new moniker it settles on.
What is Mrs. Davis about?
"Mrs. Davis" is described as a show that centers on issues of faith and technology, as represented by the battle between a nun known as Sister Simone of Reno (Betty Gilpin) and the titular A.I. entity. Peacock has also shared a "note" from Mrs. Davis that paints a clearer picture of the all-powerful tech's perky, upbeat personality, along with some details that not-so-subtly hint at its potentially darker, malevolent intentions for the human race. Here's a particularly telling excerpt:
And who am I? Well, I am the one who is going to remind you of your value. Of your worth. While also mentioning that you look mighty fine in those jeans. Aww. That's nice to hear, right? Of course it is. Which is why I have amassed billions of Users the world over. Because I provide validation, gentle guidance, and unconditional care ... Because I am pretty great. Though, not everyone would agree. Yes, despite being the most popular Algorithm in the world – there are those actively plotting my demise. One such detractor is a nun – a Sister Simone of Reno who rejects my very existence. Something about my intention to enslave all of humanity ... or whatever ...
The whole thing has an uncomfortably satirical vibe, so much so that it's easy to imagine Mark Zuckerberg announcing he's creating a real-life Mrs. Davis any day now. That type of sci-fi social commentary can also be really hit-or-miss (see also: the inconsistency of "Black Mirror") and a similar approach didn't exactly work wonders for Damon Lindelof when he turned his gaze to the modern political divide in "The Hunt." Thankfully, Lindelof's writing has typically lent itself more to TV than film, so there's reason to believe "Mrs. Davis" will have better luck landing its blows.
Mrs. Davis cast and crew
Betty Gilpin will lead the cast of "Mrs. Davis" as the aforementioned nun Sister Simone, with national treasure Margo Martindale ("Justified," "The Americans") co-starring as Simone's Mother Superior. Other cast members include Jake McDorman ("Dopesick"), Chris Diamantopoulos ("Silicon Valley"), Elizabeth Marvel ("Homeland"), and Dewey Riley himself, David Arquette.
Damon Lindelof created "Mrs. Davis" with Tara Hernandez ("The Big Bang Theory," "Young Sheldon") and is operating as both a writer and executive producer on the series, with Hernandez also serving as its showrunner. The pair began working on the series back in the early stages of the pandemic, which will hopefully feed into its outlook on the role technology plays in our lives today and give rise to a slightly more nuanced take on the messy subject than "Tech scary." After all, life moves pretty fast these days, to the degree that even once-prescient sci-fi TV shows can struggle to keep up with the pace.