Teller has been performing magic since the 1970s, and for his vast knowledge of magic and dazzling sleight of hand, he's earned 10 Emmy nominations. It's no surprise, then, that Teller tackled the Episode 6 acid vat scene with great care. The animated sequence is mapped out, as if by a detailed technician.
For Teller, who designed the show's magic performances and okayed all the terminology, it was crucial that the scenes involving magic were given the weight and attention they deserved, considering the discipline's foundational role in the series. "[The creators are] very conscious that they're using a cheesy magic act that needs to feel real, as a sort of central metaphor, to tie all of these different themes of religion and stuff together," Teller said in his interview with Polygon. "So it seemed to them — and I agree with them totally — important to take it as a level of reality that is not customarily taken in the cinema and television."
It's safe to say that there's a lot going on in "Mrs. Davis," whether it be self-conscious cowboys, underground resistance groups, or an otherworldly falafel restaurant. The inclusion of magic is certainly playful, but it also suits the bonkers, escapism of "Mrs. Davis." "Magic is this, this very curious art form, right?" Teller continued. "It's an art form in which it's not really comfortable, in a way that this show is not exactly comfortable."
