With the rise in so-called world-changing sci-fi-like developments in artificial intelligence, talk of how AI will affect the working class has increased insurmountably. From replacing artists with image-mimicking programs like MidJourney to students using ChatGPT to write essays, AI is ever pervasive. With all of this talk about artificial intelligence and its ethical dilemmas, “Mrs. Davis” has clearly distilled AI and its complexities. It’s a wacky and wildly inventive show that combines spirituality, and furthermore, Arthurian legend, with those aforementioned implications brilliantly.

Unpredictably Honed

“Mrs. Davis” is co-created by both Tara Hernandez of “The Big Bang Theory” and the infamous Damon Lindelof, creator of acclaimed shows such as “Watchmen,” “Lost” and “The Leftovers.” The show carries a feeling not seen often in today’s television landscape. With more and more streaming services providing homogenous content from preexisting IPs rather than new and inventive original stories, “Mrs. Davis” is a gust of fresh air. It follows the main character Simone (Betty Gilpin), a nun who exposes seedy magicians and also makes strawberry jam with her convent. She purposefully isolates herself from society because of an all-seeing and knowing AI named Mrs. Davis. Perhaps the real standout is Simone’s husband Jay, played by Andy McQueen of “Station Eleven,” who is literally Jesus. He is dashingly handsome and makes falafel. The show operates on a level of absurdism that really gives it the momentum it needs for its lofty and mythic premise of finding and retrieving the Holy Grail itself.

Idiosyncratic and Unconventional

Everything about this show can only best be described as a randomly generated chain of events that is reminiscent of AI-generated stories that circulate online. As it turns out, all of the episode titles were actually generated using AI. Despite the apparent, almost random nature of the narrative, the show is also honed in and intentionally crafted to explore religion and spirituality in the technological age with a deft hand, something that AI will never be able to replicate.  The story is constantly engaging and the comedy is absurd to the nth degree. With so much news surrounding the WGA writer’s strike, “Mrs. Davis” is a testament to the ability of humans ability to truly groundbreaking stories — something that machines will never be able to replicate. When I say that no shows of recent memory are as inventive and idiosyncratic as “Mrs. Davis,” I mean it wholeheartedly. There is a whole episode about delivering a cake to the Pope.

As weird and wonderful as it is and for how well crafted the story is on its own, sometimes the constant twists and the unconventional story gets in the way of its attempts at philosophically exploring spirituality in a technological age. The episodes play out as a zany barrage of absurd events that don’t ever seem to slow down, which can be frustrating if you try binging the series. For audiences that are used to the typical story pacing of your typical television show, “Mrs. Davis” might come off as overwhelming at times. This show is truly for the folks that really appreciate weird and out-of-the-box ways of storytelling and honestly is a sign of hope for an industry on the brink.

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@arlo_marler