Damon Lindelof’s Peacock show Mrs. Davis asks: Can an AI be magic?

“Magic is impossible to distinguish from any technology that has advanced enough.”

Arthur C. Clarke was the celebrated sci-fi novelist of Childhood’s End who is perhaps best known for his screenplay (and later novelization) for Stanley Kubrick’s epic sci-fi drama Space Odyssey, wrote those words, which appear in a republished 1973 revision of his 1962 essay “Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry into the Limits of the Possible.” Retroactively cited as the third of Clarke’s so-called “three laws,” the adage today is arguably one of Clarke’s best-known and widely cited quotes, commonly used to illustrate the gulf between exponential advances in technology and the comparatively slower understanding — let alone acceptance — of said technology by the general public.

It’s a principle you can see reiterated throughout science fiction, from the Matrix series’ Oracle to Star Trek’s replicators. This idea came back to me while I was watching Mrs. DavisThe new action sci-fi drama by Damon Lindelof.LeftoversTara HernandezThe Big Bang Theory). It’s a quote that not only taps into the strange overlap between the show’s dueling depictions of faith and technology, but leans into the series’ genre-blending premise and idiosyncratic characters. In a word, it’s magic.

[Ed. note: This post contains some spoilers for the first and second episodes of Mrs. Davis.]

Colleen Hayes/Peacock

The series is set in a not so distant future and stars Betty Gilpin.Glow() plays Simone, an eponymous nun at odds with Mrs. Davis, the hyper-advanced computer algorithm which governs human civilization. This sets up the show’s larger themes pretty cleanly: Simone, a nun, represents the concept of faith, subjectivity, and free will in the face of Mrs. Davis, an algorithm that represents technology, the presumption of attainable objectivity, and a deterministic view of life that quantifies the sum total of human knowledge, experience, interaction, and physical existence into one big web of quid pro quo measured in ones and zeroes. Naturally, the former can’t fucking stand the latter.

The concept of “science versus technology” is a common one in science fiction, apparent in films such as 1997’s You can Contact Us and 2016’s ArrivalThe latest TV shows WestworldThe following are some examples of how to get started: Outer Range. Mrs. DavisThis film offers a unique take on the recurring theme of conflict between two groups, focusing an element that can bridge the gap in a surprising way.

Photo: Christina Belle/Peacock

Simone first appears literally riding on horseback, saving a man who was being tricked by a bunch of magicians. Later on, the show reveals that Simone’s animosity for magicians stems from her own magic-related past: She was the daughter of two magicians, and as a child she served as a plant, deceiving crowds around Reno.

Her mother’s and father’s emotional manipulation of each other strained her family life as well as her faith in any outside force. Simone, after converting to nunchood and becoming one herself, made it her mission to uncover magicians that seek to undercut the trust of others. Simone is concerned about the perversion of trust and faith in Mrs. Davis. This advanced and mysterious open-source programme has unknown origins, and its intended purpose as well as material limitations. It’s just another mean-spirited trick, played at the cost of an unsuspecting audience.

Simone arrives at the old school where she attended as she is on a quest to confront Mrs. Davis. There, she interacts with a schoolteacher who, by using one of the ear-mounted receivers seen throughout the series, speaks for Mrs. Davis as her “proxy.” The schoolteacher offers Simone a box containing a weighted card — the queen of hearts, the same card her father had trained her to “catch” years ago. “How did you know?” Simone asks Mrs. Davis’ proxy, to which she replies, “A magician never reveals their secrets.” When Simone retorts that Mrs. Davis isn’t a magician, but rather a computer, Mrs. Davis’ proxy replies, “Can’t I be both?”

Colleen Hayes/Peacock

This interaction may seem heavy-handed on its face, but it’s one that strikes a powerful chord with regard to the role of computer technology in our everyday lives. You need an electronic device to read this site. Would you be able, if I asked you to tell me how this device can do that without using a searching engine? Likely not, and to be perfectly frank, neither could I, because as much as we’d like to assume otherwise, our daily interactions with technology rest more or less on an unconscious act of faith, if not in a higher power than in the reliability of manufacturers, programmers, engineers, and product testers — not mention replicability of the scientific method — in delivering consumer products that we have since grown increasingly more reliant on to the point of being nearly hopelessly inept without it.

Mrs. DavisIt is more interested in pointing out the differences between faith and dedication in these first four episodes. Where the series goes from here is anyone’s guess, as the mystery of Mrs. Davis’ exact origins and physical location seem to have taken a backseat to the unfolding drama of Simone’s past and the potential love triangle between herself, her ex-boyfriend Wiley (Jake McDorman) and her “partner” Jay (Andy McQueen).

Personally, I’m not entirely convinced Mrs. Davis is the true antagonist of the series, let alone whoever (or whatever) that created her. And to be totally frank, the question of Mrs. Davis’ allegiances and origins seems beside the point of the series’ true focus. It’s the bigger questions, like how can we live healthily alongside technology without it eroding our ability to meaningfully connect not only to other people, but to our own interests, passions, and desires, that the series so far seems more interested in — and if so, I’ll be happy to watch along just to see what answers — if any — this magic trick has to reveal in the end.