The Chosen: Season 1

  

Based on: the Biblical gospels of Jesus

Created & Directed by: Dallas Jenkins

Written by: Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson

Starring: 

Shahar Isaac (Simon), Jonathan Roumie (Jesus), Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene), Paras Patel (Matthew), Erick Avari (Nicodemus), Noah James (Andrew), Janis Dardaris (Zohara), Lara Silva (Eden), Shaan Sharma (Shmuel), Nick Shakoour (Zebedee), George H. Xanthis (John), Shayan Sobhian/Kian Kavousi (Big James), Brandon Potter (Quintus), Kirk B. R. Woller (Gaius), Giavani Cairo (Thaddeus), Jordan Walker Ross (Little James)

The Chosen season 1 trailer:

I heard all the buzz about this series, but wow. 

I don't think I could have been prepared for how good it was, especially coming off a lifetime of cheesy and cliché Christian movies. (Except Prince of Egypt and Joseph: King of Dreams, I see you.) Even more impressively and probably most importantly, the creators know why it works. In article for the Christian Broadcasting Network, series creator Dallas Jenkins notes that while most other Christian media seeks to simply adapt Biblical miracles right from the verses, he wanted to take a different approach. "I thought if we can encounter Jesus through the eyes of those who actually met Him, we could perhaps be impacted in the same way they were."

I'd say Jenkins was spot-on. At least as far as my own viewing experience! I didn't have much of an idea what to expect going in, but I was blown away as I saw the series pilot establish several principles of screenwriting (and general story writing!) that I've learned in my own classes and studies: establish several main characters, their problems, and their motivations. 

Jesus is first introduced as camping on his own in the outskirts of town, practicing wood craftsmanship in his spare time

The show spent its entire pilot hour depicting New Testament-era Capernaum, located in Israel, establishing Jewish lifestyle with its environment and traditions. It established several aspects of life in that period, such as what a typical town looks like, typical Jews at home, market, and work, Pharisee (religious elite) lifestyle, and the integrated but culturally separate Romans. We follow several key characters who will become important later such as Nicodemus the Pharisee, Matthew the Jewish tax collector, Simon the fisherman, and Mary, a demon-possessed woman. By following the lives of these characters, we're given a more in-depth view of Jewish lifestyle and tradition. We become familiar with that period and learn cultural norms and taboos through their conversations. We also learn cultural exceptions through Matthew, such as the atypical customs he has to follow to in his taboo job as tax collector to protect himself from shame and attack from his fellow Jews. Through Matthew we're also introduced to the Romans and their customs, as they employ him. 

Matthew, one of the main characters introduced in the pilot

Simon and Eden are the functional heart of the first season, as we dive into their lives and see Jesus' impact through their eyes

I was floored at how this was all woven organically into the setting and narrative. Following these characters' lives introduces us to their motivations and problems, the minutia of their everyday lives, and all of this paves the way to experience through their lives how encountering Jesus profoundly impacts them. We get to experience his holiness through the intimate lenses of their own eyes. 

For me personally, all of this was incredibly impactful on multiple levels. 

First, seeing the setting, culture, and environment brought to life helped me understand the context of the Biblical chapters I've already read. I'm a very visual person (part of the reason I tend to enjoy TV series over books), so it's hard for my mind to make words on a page more than words on a page. This has applied strongly to the Bible and it's made my personal practice of routine reading especially hard. Understanding what life was like in New Testament times and understanding Jewish tradition--especially when written to an audience that's expected to be Jewish, in some cases--has been very hard. That was part of the immediate satisfaction of even the pilot episode. I was constantly thinking to myself, "So that's what it would have looked like!" "So that's how they dressed!" "So that's how the buildings looked!" and "that's how that societal role would've been like!" Especially concerning (as I mentioned above) the tax collectors, Jewish family unit, and Roman guards, it was very exciting and revelatory for me. 

I was absolutely fascinated by the episode depicting the chapter when Jesus turns water into wine, especially seeing a traditional Jewish wedding

I was equally amazed at a scene when Jesus meets in secret with Nicodemus the Pharisee

Very similar ideas applied to the characters themselves. I'm already familiar with many of the main characters from growing up immersed in church circles. The gospel writers of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and others like John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene, were immediately familiar to me. But like I stated above, they've all always been.... black-and-white names on a page. The Bible itself is focused on Jesus and related his love for us as a message of salvation--not so much the emotional and cultural difficulties of the people around him. It's been almost a transformative experience for me to see these characters--these historical figures--come to life on the screen, to see them as real people, and to be able to sympathize with their struggles. As was Jenkins' intention, it's made Jesus' actions and miracles in their lives feel real and relatable to me in a way I could've never otherwise understood. 

... Which brings me to my final point of impact. Specifically watching this show as a person of faith, I've been able to empathize with Jesus' effect on these characters in the most personal way. Every episode has some kind of miracle or personal revelation that Jesus bestows upon a person. It's a moment when Jesus reveals his true nature to them or performs a miracle in which his godhood cannot be denied. Sometimes it involves revealing divine truths to them, sometimes it involves a physical, supernatural miracle, and sometimes it involves relating truths about their personal lives that should have been impossible to know. In these instances, the people on the receiving end experience a moment of awe and debilitating wonder. They're overwhelmed with the realization that they're standing in the presence of God. There's a rush of inadequacy: Why did you choose me? Why would God stand before me and reveal himself specifically to me? How do I deserve this? And the immediately subsequent, unspoken realization of: Because he loves me. Because he wants to be with me. Because he created me as worthy and he loves me enough to reveal himself to me. And with that, the feeling of divine love--of being loved--is overwhelming. That's something I've experienced in my own life; those same kinds of realizations when God meets me in moments of immense difficulty and guides me through. Every time it's depicted in the show, I'm filled with thankfulness of my own relationship with Christ, and at how he shows up for those in the show. 

Jesus reveals himself to a skeptical Simon after a very unsuccessful and frustrating night of fishing

I love that The Chosen gets that personal and manages to depict Jesus that personally and effectively. I'm very excited at what the next seasons will do.