-By Nick Morrow Welcome to another edition of Tomorrow Reviews where I will look over various movies, shows, games, and anime and break them down Today the topic will be based on the Amazon Prime show The Chosen. *Disclaimer. As a Christian believer, this review will be done with a religious lens. The content will be explored using the Bible and its knowledge as a reference point.* *This will be a spoiler review* ____________________________________________________________________ In the age of the latest streaming platforms spending billions of dollars to create and promote shows like Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Marvel TV, it’s a breath of fresh air to hear about a successful show being crowdfunded for millions of dollars, the most in history. That successful show is The Chosen, a dramatic retelling of the Biblical stories presented in the New Testament Gospels. Biblical Creativity Directed by Dallas Jenkins, one of the highlights of the show stems from the opening paragraph given at the start of episode 1. “The Chosen is based on the True Stories of the Gospels of Jesus Christ. Some locations and timelines have been combined or condensed. Backstories and some characters or dialogue have been added. However, all Biblical and historical contexts and any artistic imagination are designed to support the truth and intention of the Scriptures. Viewers are encouraged to read the Gospels!” (The Chosen, disclaimer) Yet that statement alone could never truly encapsulate how well The Chosen weaves famous Biblical stories and accounts into one complete, cohesive narrative. While the Bible stands as the greatest written work ever crafted, many people can attest that it isn’t the smoothest read in the world. Chapters will gloss over years of characters’ lives, large portions are bland historical records, narrative flow didn’t exist when it was written, and the details into the personal lives of characters were shallow at best (it is barely mentioned that Peter is even married). The Bible was created as a guide for salvation and a testament to God’s glory, not as an epic fantasy to rival Tolkien’s or Lucas’ works. Yet, there are intentional blank spaces contained within the Bible that allow for it to have the potential to surpass those works in terms of entertainment. That potential is where The Chosen’s first season shines as it takes respectful, creative liberties to mold the passages of the Bible into a binge-worthy drama for Christians and non-Christians alike. Each character, even minor ones such as Nicodemus, only mentioned a handful of times in the Bible is given engaging backstories that flesh out the time that the Jews lived in when Jesus arrived. Such inclusion alongside the added dialogue to Biblical moments from the gospels creates a magical effect of bringing the Bible to life for viewers to enjoy. Just like watching a superhero movie, there is an added level of excitement when seeing the signature moments from a story come to life. Moments such as Jesus healing Mary of Magdelene, filling Peter’s boat with fish, and his various healing miracles are given added weight and awe as each situation occurs organically after minutes and hours are built into its preparation. Ultimately, the strongest point for the creative liberties taken is how tasteful it all is. There are several moments where viewers will have to check the internet or the Bible to figure out which parts are from the Gospels directly and which have been added in. On the surface, such seamless additions could run the risk of antagonizing the audience, but each addition has an organic feel to it that never feels out of place. Follow Me Two simple words “Follow Me” fully captured the powerful essence of the show as some of the most beautiful moments come from the characters and their struggles. Throughout season one, the unique angle of The Chosen focuses on a familiar theme ripped straight from the pages of the Bible: without Jesus and God, the lives of people are incomplete. Among the main cast of Simon, Andrew, Matthew, Mary, and Nicodemus each one of them is struggling with situations beyond their means. Mary is possessed by demons, Nicodemus is questioning his faith and knowledge, Peter is struggling with his morality, and Matthew is dealing with constant persecution from his job. Each character gets several episodes to flesh out their conflict before coming into contact with Jesus, and that interaction shakes them to their core in varying ways. While such an interaction could be predictable, The Chosen excels in delivering on those powerful moments. Emotion oozes out of the characters after these meetings that sell the scene. There is weight when the Apostles choose to follow Jesus. Through seeing the backstories of several of them, we see that following Jesus was not just something done without consequence. Entire lives were uprooted to follow someone that they had only spoken to for less than an hour. Once again there were creative liberties added for those moments, but those additions only reinforced the truth of the Bible and how Jesus is greater than the forces of the world that stand against people. Special credit needs to be given to Jonathan Roumie, the actor of Jesus, for his portrayal as some of the strongest moments of the show come from scenes where he can only say two words, thus displaying the visual power of Jesus. Life in Jesus’ Time Within any story, especially historical ones, context is key to understanding the subtle motivations and fears of the characters in play. Knowledge of a past period and the customs surrounding it go a long way to helping the audience immerse themselves deeper into a work. While the Bible makes many references to places, events, and customs common in the time it was written, not every reader will be able to get a grasp of life in those days without further research. The show does an excellent job hurdling over the walls born from such ignorance that could be jarring to the viewing experience. Prejudices for people of Matthew’s profession and the religious officials’ fear of Jesus are expanded upon where those negative thoughts can be more easily understood and dissected. Furthermore, the presence of Roman occupation is given the attention it deserves. Without going too deep into the political sphere, the show displays the tension between Rome and the Jewish citizens as it seeks to maintain control over a people it has complete control of. That situation is baked into the lives of all the characters in subtle ways and even acts as a force to drive the actions of others such as Simon Peter and Nicodemus forward. It’s all Connected The Biblical knowledge and care of the writers can be easily traced through every episode as the show is littered with insightful, deep, and even comical moments that foreshadow and allude to future events or personality traits of certain characters. While not numerous in number, one of the more creative inclusions come from the flashbacks to early books in the Old Testament. Each one is used as an opening to lead into or expand upon problems happening over a thousand years down the line. Such creative choices help The Chosen not just reflect the beauty and power of the Gospels but also connect them to the important events of the Old Testament. Though heavily segmented, everything in the Bible connects with an overall picture of Jesus’ sacrifice, the greatest act in the entire Bible. Verdict A masterpiece in every sense of the word, The Chosen brings some of the most pivotal stories and historical accounts to the small screen. Through stellar creative additions, acting, and respectful adaptation of Biblical material, Dallas Jenkins and his cast have struck gold with this work. Comments are closed.
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