Is Mrs. Davis sci-fi or magic? It’s both

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

Arthur C. Clarke, the acclaimed sci-fi author of End of childhood who is perhaps best known for his screenplay (and later novel) for Stanley Kubrick’s epic sci-fi drama 2001: A space odysseywrote 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.” Retrospectively cited as the third of Clarke’s so-called “three laws”, the adage is perhaps one of Clarke’s best-known and most-quoted quotes today, often used to illustrate the gap between exponential advances in technology and the relatively slower understanding – never mind acceptance – of said technology by the general public.

It’s a principle that can be seen in science fiction everywhere, from the Oracle of the Matrix series to the replicators of Star Trek. And it came back to me while watching Mrs. DavisDamon Lindelof’s new sci-fi action drama (The leftovers) and Tara Hernandez (The big bang theory). It’s a quote that not only taps into the odd overlap between the show’s dueling depictions of faith and technology, but also ties into the series’ genre-blending premise and quirky characters. In a word, it’s magic.

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

Set in the not-so-distant future, the series stars Betty Gilpin (Glow) as Simone, a nun who finds herself at odds with the eponymous Mrs. Davis, a hyper-advanced algorithm that pretty much controls all of human civilization as we know it. This sets up the show’s larger themes pretty neatly: Simone, a nun, represents the concept of faith, subjectivity, and free will in the face of Ms. Davis, an algorithm that represents technology, the presumption of attainable objectivity, and a deterministic outlook. of life that quantifies the sum of human knowledge, experience, interaction, and physical existence in one great web of considerations measured in ones and zeroes. Of course, the former cannot stand the latter.

The concept of “science versus technology” is prevalent in science fiction, as evidenced by movies like 1997’s Contact and that of 2016 Arrival and TV shows as recent as West world And Out of range. Mrs. Davis introduces an intriguing twist to this recurring thematic conflict, centering on an element that bridges the gap between the two in an unexpected way: magic.

Photo: Christina Belle/Pauw

We literally meet Simone on horseback for the first time to save a man from being swindled by a group of mages. Later, 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 served as a plant to trick crowds around Reno.

The emotionally manipulative nature of her relationship between her mother and father strained not only her family life, but also her belief in everything outside of herself. After converting and becoming a nun, Simone made it her personal mission to expose mages who seek to undermine the faith of others and bend their trust for their own nefarious ends. In the case of Mrs. Davis, a sophisticated, mysterious open-source program whose origin and intended purpose are as unknown as its material limitations, Simone sees just another perversion of faith and trust. Just another vile trick made at the expense of a captive audience of ignorant dorks, albeit played on a global scale of civilization.

When Simone is sent on a mission to finally confront Mrs. Davis, she arrives at her old elementary school. There she interacts with a school teacher who, by using one of the ear-mounted receivers seen in the series, speaks for Mrs. Davis as her “proxy.” The teacher presents Simone with a box containing a weighted card – the Queen of Hearts, the same card her father had taught her to “catch” years ago. “How did you know that?” Simone asks Mrs. Davis’s proxy, to which she replies, “A magician never reveals their secrets.” When Simone replies that Mrs. Davis is not a wizard, but rather a computer, Mrs. Davis’s proxy replies, “Can’t I be both?”

Photo: Colleen Hayes/Pauw

This interaction may seem heavy-handed at first glance, but it is one that strikes a powerful chord regarding the role of computer technology in our daily lives. To read this site you need some kind of electronic gadget. If I were to ask you how that device can do that, could you explain to me step by step how to do it without using a search engine? Probably not, and to be perfectly honest I couldn’t either, because as much as we’d like to assume otherwise, our day-to-day interactions with technology more or less rest on an unconscious act of belief, if not in a higher power than in the reliability of manufacturers, programmers, engineers and product testers – not to mention the reproducibility of the scientific method – in delivering consumer products that we have since become increasingly dependent on to the point that we are almost hopelessly inept without.

Mrs. Davis is interested in urging these themes, and the difference (if there is one) between these respective leaps of faith and commitment in the first four episodes. Where the series continues from here is anyone’s guess, as the mystery of Ms. Davis’s exact origin and physical location seems to have taken a backseat to the unfolding drama of Simone’s past and the potential love triangle between herself and her ex-boyfriend. Wiley (Jake McDorman) and her “partner” Jay (Andy McQueen).

Personally, I’m not entirely convinced that Ms. Davis is the true antagonist of the series, let alone who (or anything) created her. And to be completely honest, the issue of Ms. Davis’ loyalties and parentage seems irrelevant to the true focus of the series. It’s the bigger questions, like how can we live healthy lives alongside technology without it affecting our ability to connect in meaningful ways, not just with other people, but with our own interests, passions, and desires, that the series comes to. seems more interested in so far – and or so I’m happy to watch along to see what answers – if any – this magic trick should eventually reveal.