What Is The Deal With Mrs. Davis And Simone's Mother? An Investigation
This article contains spoilers for "Mrs. Davis."
Can an algorithm have mommy issues? It certainly seems so for Mrs. Davis, the program in the eponymous Peacock show that gives Simone (Betty Gilpin) the enigmatic quest to find and destroy the holy grail.
We don't know why Mrs. Davis would want Simone to do such a thing. What motivations does the algorithm have after all, besides maximizing the satisfaction of its users? And why is Simone, a nun who shuns everything about the program, the one that Mrs. Davis seeks out for this gonzo mission? We haven't gotten answers for any of those questions yet (and who knows, frankly, if we will get a resolution on any of them, given this series is more than happy to throw conventional expectations for TV storytelling out the window).
We've gotten glimpses, however, that Mrs. Davis might be working through some issues of its own. And those issues, like many issues that flesh-and-blood human beings face, have to do with its parents.
Mommy issues
In the second and third episodes of "Mrs. Davis," the algorithm appears to blow a circuit when Simone says the word "mother."
The first time happens in episode 2, when Simone is talking to Mrs. Davis in the car via Tina, half of the faux parental unit who worked with a young Simone (then known as Lizzie) and her magician parents many years ago. Simone doesn't appreciate Mrs. Davis' initial attempt at humor, "You are not amused," Mrs. Davis says via Tina. "I'll be sure to note that you prefer dry cynicism to absurdity, and humor supported by fact and reason."
"It makes me sound like my mother," Simon responds, which sends Mrs. Davis into a minor tailspin where it says, "Redirect. 1042. Sandy Springs." The program then continues on with its conversation with Simone as if it never uttered those seemingly nonsensical words.
'Deep in my heart, I am warrior. Redirect.'
A similar moment happens in episode 3 on the train, when Simone and Mrs. Davis are once again talking, and the algorithm shares that Simone's mother, Celeste, is on the train as well.
"Did you say my mother?" Simon responds via proxy. Again the utterance of "mother" (Mrs. Davis only identified Simone's mom as Celeste) gives the program another glitch where it utters: "1042. Redirect. Sandy Springs. Redirect. Deep in my heart, I am warrior. 1042."
What the heck is Mrs. Davis talking about? Simone has no idea and neither do I, though I can't help but hope that those enigmatic words will make sense at some point in the upcoming episodes. What seems pretty clear, however, is that the word "mother" sets Mrs. Davis off. Which begs the question: who is Mrs. Davis' mommy? And does Mrs. Davis have a good relationship with her? My guess is no, but here's to hoping the algorithm will clear up those feelings, and that Simone and Celeste, who clearly have major issues in their own mother-daughter relationship, do as well.
New episodes of "Mrs. Davis" become available on Peacock on Thursdays.