Mrs Davis – Season 1 Episode 3 Recap & Review

A Baby with Wings, a Sad Boy with Wings and a Great Helmet

We have yet another flashback to start episode 3 of Mrs Davis. This time, we turn the clock back 7 years to when Simone and Wiley were a couple. The day we see is specifically Wiley’s 25^th birthday. His grandfather leaves him all his estate – valued at $712 million – which he was to inherit on this day.

Sitting opposite a sea of lawyers in a small room, Wiley makes the dramatic announcement: “I am giving it all away.” Except for around 85k that Simone and he will use to start a new life in Alaska. Before he can hand it over, someone called Bo walks into the room.

It seems like Bo was Wiley’s rodeo trainer. His parents wanted Wiley to live until his 25^th birthday so that the estate would not be locked up forever… but he could not get on the list for a liver transplant, since he was born with a damaged liver. They hired Bo to make sure he gets on the list and that is the day we saw Simone and Wiley together in 2001 during the previous episode. He shares an adult liver with Simone. “The game was rigged,” Bo tells him.

He reminds Wiley of cowboy honour. “Them boots must be earned, son,” Bo says. Wiley is shocked and heartbroken and straightaway goes to a rodeo to earn his might to ride the Jezzebull. Simone reaches the arena before Wiley can go on the bull. He wants to earn his honour and pride but we do not actually get to see what happened and jump back to the present day.

Wiley and Simone are on the train, following the old man from the last episode, who will lead them straight to Clara. Wiley gets the man’s final destination – Cone, Scotland, but does not disclose it to Simone.

From their conversation, it seems like the Resistance wants “freedom” from The Algorithm. They do not seem to have any other ulterior motives, as Simone overhears Wiley on the phone but we are not exactly sure how much she knows. Davis communicates with her through an old lady, where she gives Simone a gift and also says Celeste, Simone’s mother, is on the train also. In a bizarre turn of events, we learn that Celeste is actually a millionaire and the owner of a very successful security firm.

She is following Simone as she is travelling to a “hot zone.” This is an area where she believes Montgomery might be. Yes, Celeste thinks he is still alive and duped everyone into thinking he died. She thinks Simone is an accomplice – or else, why would she become a nun? It is clear Celeste does not approve of Wiley. Simone asks her to stay away and move on from this episode. Her mother ominously says “she moves towards” things.

They reach the Excalibur festival in Scone following the Old Man. They spot a red-haired woman with her who they think is Clara. When Wiley hears of a “contest” being announced, he decides to participate and Simone stays with the woman. The Old Man is also participating in the contest.

The first stage is the men climbing the pedestal on which the giant Excalibur sword is positioned and touching the blade. Those who do not, are eliminated. The announcer entices Wiley into believing that his self-worth is tied to the contest, and just like King Arthur proved himself worthy the day the syzygy of earth, moon, and Venus aligned, they have this chance too.

Wiley looks temptingly at this chance of apparent redemption. The second phase is the last phase, where the men have only one task: always keep one hand on the blade, that is it. Simone leaves, seeing Wiley get connected to the contest.

Simone updates Wiley on the developments though, as it turns out she has found out where the red-haired woman is staying. She has checked under the name Mathilde and it looks like she is a banker. The hours keep ticking by and one by one, the contestants start dwindling. We have hit “too many hours on the damn sword” when the old man approaches Wiley and confides in him. He is invisible to the woman he loves and is doing it to get the woman back.

Wiley gets out the location of the red-haired woman from him, and in the process, the old man takes his hands off the sword. She is at Loch Drumellie. Simone invites Wiley down when they get the name but he just stands there, still jostling with unresolved fear of his emaciated masculinity. There is just one more man except him still vying.

Simone takes off to Drumellie to find the Grail, while It is the day of the syzygy. Simone finds a weird setting when she gets there; The disciples are dancing and chanting weird stuff, while Clara is there too. She cuts a pregnant woman’s stomach and retrieves the Holy Grail from it.

Mathilde is actually not Clara though. She thinks Simone is Clara and holds her at knifepoint. Simone knocks her unconscious and hides from the approaching bankers looking for Mathilde. She goes back to the festival though, and is shocked to find that Wiley now has Wings. Simone loses it and angrily climbs the rocks to confront Wiley. This means that he might have been working for Davis this entire time, but Wiley reveals he has an Expiration Date and those who have it automatically get Wings from Davis. He wanted to feel worthy after not being able to tide the Jezebull.

The past showed he never rode the bull and everyone in the crowd called him a “coward.” Even Simone lost her respect for him that day according to Wiley, but Simone has another story to tell. Before he got on, Simone started praying, asking God to “save Wiley.” As she kept saying it, she was transported to the restaurant where Jay works. That is when she saw Jay and fell in love with him.

Simone did not fall out of love with Wiley because of his perceived inadequacy. He did not get off because he is a coward; she got him off it.Wiley feels even more deflated and starts insulting the Messiah – Jesus Christ himself – thinking He stole Simone from him.

A thunderbolt strikes from the sky and Wiley ends up in the hospital, but it turns out Wiley actually won the competition! Wiley is taken to the hospital but before leaving, declares that he does not care about the Grail anymore. Simone is shocked to see the actual medics being clueless about Wiley not being there. It turns out that Wiley was taken by a fake ambulance and the Father, who has been trailing Wiley and Simone since the train, greets him, ready to ask him “where he got the shoes from.”

The Episode Review

Unless any subplot of Mrs Davis materializes, we cannot pass judgment. Irrespective of what happens at the end – whether or not all of this madness is given some meaning – this show is meant to be a pure ride of joy. As fans of cinema and its vagaries and complexities, Mrs Davis encapsulates them all. None of it in three episodes makes any sense and they might be just red herrings or the creators’ twisted sense of narrative. Whatever it is, Mrs Davis has got our undivided attention.