Your Next Binge: The Diplomat or Mrs. Davis

The deluge of TV doesn't stop. Today I have two great shows (one utterly bonkers, the other a bit less so) that you could add to your queue. With impressive leading ladies taking the helm, this might be just what you need if you're jonesing to see some strong, intelligent women on screen.

The Diplomat: Created by Debora Cahn, the show stars Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, a career US diplomat who thought she was about to be posted to Kabul where she could do important work, but has suddenly been sent to the United Kingdom, as their new US ambassador, a position that is largely considered to be all about pomp and circumstance without much substance. Her husband, Hal (Rufus Sewell, who is playing an American here, rather than his usual British self), is a former ambassador who misses the limelight and is struggling to take a backseat as Kate gets mired in an extremely complex international crisis. The only thing more complex might be their marriage, which is decidedly on the rocks, but is limping along due to external forces that we will get to as the season progresses.

I want to be very clear that while this show deals in very serious subject matter and political intrigue, it is also EXTREMELY funny. It is sharply written and witty, and Russell and Sewell are having a grand time leaning into this Tracy-Hepburn dynamic of a couple that shouldn't be together but simply can't be apart either. And the supporting cast is tremendous, with folks like Ato Essandoh who plays her Deputy Chief of Mission, Stuart, and Ali Ahn as Eidra, the CIA station chief. And of course, we've got good ol' Rory Kinnear playing the British Prime Minister and doing it with a blustery blowhard energy that is always entertaining. 

Over the course of eight episodes, Keri Russell is a whirlwind, trying to keep nuclear powers from detonating the planet and using diplomacy and tact and her incredible intelligence to avert catastrophes while she is constantly thwarted by men who want to blow things up. The show takes many twists and turns and always keeps you on your toes. It is shot in great locations, the actors offer up effervescent performances, the writing is crisp, and overall, it's simply a stellar watch. It's an easy and compelling binge, and I am ready for Season 2.

Mrs. Davis: Hmm. What does one say about this show? It was created by Tara Hernandez and...Damon Lindelof. Lindelof makes objectively weird TV shows (he was responsible for Lost and The Leftovers), so it should come as no surprise that this show is quite possibly the most insane thing you will watch in 2023. 

Betty Gilpin stars as Sister Simone (before she became a nun, she was Elizabeth), a nun who gets roped into a quest to battle Mrs. Davis, a Siri-like algorithm that has taken over most of humanity. Mrs. Davis purports to be a compassionate AI that is only interested in helping humans, but Simone has never been a fan, claiming that the algorithm was responsible for the death of her magician father (played by David Arquette in some flashbacks!). However, when Mrs. Davis makes a deal with her, she embarks on an epic quest that takes her around the world to find the...holy grail. 

Man, I don't know what to tell you. The show is nuts, and it's very funny, and it's so inventive and pretty to look at, but also utterly incomprehensible. When I was a few episodes in, I was trying to describe it to my fiance, and I had to say the sentence, "I'm not sure yet if she is literally or metaphorically married to Jesus Christ." The show has much to say about technology and the dangers of artificial intelligence taking over our lives, but it also has much to say about a thousand other topics and you get this hodgepodge of science, philosophy, religion, comedy, and drama. Gilpin is a fantastic lead, gamely going for whatever the writers demand of her, and she is surrounded by a supporting cast who all seem to be equally entertained by the ridiculous things they are being asked to say and do. Like with all Lindelof joints, it is so full of ideas and ropes you in at the beginning, but by the end, I didn't feel like it stuck the landing. Thankfully this is just a miniseries, so you get eight episodes that will take you on a self-contained journey. You may not love the destination, but the ride is worth it. I think?