The last episode of The Chosen’s season 1 ties different storylines nicely as well as foreshadowing new subplots for season 2.
We’re introduced to the famous woman at the well, Photina (Vanessa De Silvio). Rather than showing just the scene of her conversation with Jesus, the writers of the show give her a background story that is related and easy to connect with.
Photina is going through a midlife crisis – she is ostracized by her community, is filing for a divorce from her current husband and is in search of the meaning of her life.
Like every other character Jesus comes in contact with, we see sheer joy light up her face when He reveals Himself to her.
Nicodemus, on the other hand, is debating whether he should take up Jesus’ offer or go back to Jerusalem and continue his life as a rabbi.
It’s quite refreshing to see The Chosen depict the internal struggle Nicodemus goes through as it is the same struggle everyone goes through when they decide to leave everything to become a true disciple of Christ.
One thing you can’t miss in this episode is the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law. From episode 4, the writers had been building up to this miracle and the scene, although short, is heartwarming and above all, it shows the kindness and love of Jesus.
Have you seen The Chosen? Click here to download the app where you can watch all episodes for free.
Please read our review of The Chosen’s Ep 7, Indescribable Compassion
How would you feel if the President of a country, whom you hold in high esteem pays you a visit uninvited? Especially when he passes by other houses and decides on your unspectacular house?
Sounds unbelievable?
That is exactly how Mary must have felt in Episode 2 of The Chosen when the doctor who healed her of her infirmity without collecting a dime showed up at her doorsteps for Sabbath. More important was the fact that she did not invite him, yet, He found her.
I want such an August visitor, who wouldn’t?
But just before Sabbath, we witness the events of the day in the lives of Mary, Nicodemus, Simeon Peter and Matthew. We observe as Matthew display a matchless level of courage before the Praetor of Judea, Quintus, from whom he went to confirm if Simon Peter and his brother’s taxes had indeed been waived by the Roman Officer as alleged by Peter in exchange for a job for the officer.
Matthew learnt that their taxes had been waived for a job which required Peter to spy on his brethren and bring names of those who worked on Sabbath and were tax evaders. An act considered as betrayal and greatly disapproved by his brother, Andrew.
In the same episode, Nicodemus to his uttermost dismay got information that Mary Magdalene upon whom he had earlier performed religious rites to deliver her from demonic possession, though unsuccessful, had been miraculously healed, a task which he had earlier deemed humanly impossible. He embarks on a quest to find out how this came to be.
They all seemed to have had a busy day but what was much more interesting about these characters was how they celebrated Sabbath.
One had so much friends all around for the events. Isn’t that what we all want? Another chose money above his family, the one who wanted to spend time with his family was not wanted by them while Mary had an august visitor! From all these, what can we learn?
So what makes Sabbath so different from every other day and how did these people prepare towards it?
How should we celebrate what we consider to be the “day of rest” in our society? Episode 2 offers us the requisite answers to these.
Download The Chosen App here to watch the series for free.
Those words cut dip into her soul as it escaped his lips. It has been over two decades with only memories of those soothing words of peace from a man, her father. Lilith (Elizabeth Tabish) wakes up with no knowledge of what she had done this time. She sees blood in her hands and realizes it has happened again. It is already daylight and she hears as her victim screams outside and accuses her of a crime she couldn’t remember.
On the other side of town is an old Jewish leader (Erick Avari) entering the streets of Galilee. He is stopped by some Roman soldiers. One would not easily forget the dry sense of humor mixed with sarcasm as Roman soldiers communicated with the religious leaders in the streets of Galilee such as “What could be under the water but never drown?” Such a question from a Roman soldier would mean another rise in taxes on the Jewish citizens or “teacher of teachers” and “our fire of fires” as would be a warning of an impending danger done by these Roman soldiers.
You could see the finesse in which Dallas Jenkins portrayed the uniqueness in each character, allowing the viewers see a part of them displayed in every next scene. One would attest to the reason for the name of this series, The Chosen.
I was quite impressed at how the series’ creator opened each scene with a new character and one is left with the curiosity as to how these new characters, although known from the Scriptures, were all going to meet. I have been wary of movies that had series of episodes for a long time because of the shallow depth of some seasonal movies and the complexity with little or no message from some others.
However, the playwright did a good job portraying the behaviors of the pharisees at who lived at that time leaving viewers with lively memories which when not read consistently in the Scriptures, will otherwise be forgotten or ignored.
Nico, as fondly called by his wife, when faced with a strange problem in the Red Quarter, could be seen listing out the needed tools as one who had little or no practical knowledge as to solving this particular problem. He is left embarrassed in front of his students and his journey towards seeking for answers will begin as he is faced with a miracle that only God could perform.
One would not take off eyes from Peter (Shahar Isaac) as he exhibited different bright colors of a sanguine character. Is it his cunning way of escaping Roman taxes or his poor skills in gambling with his brother-in-law? One could tell why his brother was closer to the kingdom of heaven as he tries to dissuade Peter from a plan that would ruin their career and eventually, their lives.
I’m thrilled at this scene as Lilith is stopped in her tracks when he (Jesus) called her, “Mary” as she tried to flee from his grip.
This first episode The Chosen’s Season 1 is so rich as every second captivates the hearts of its viewers wanting for more than just a movie but an encounter with God.
Download The Chosen App here to watch the series for free.
If you are a person who nitpicks your way through movies only going for those that you are sure would prove to be eternally and critically relevant, then we have something for you. This movie series is a Loaves and Fish production, co-produced and distributed by Angel Productions. In a time such as ours, when old movies and screenplays are being rewritten and reenacted using more contemporary equipment, time-honed skills and modern techniques, the great stories of the Bible are not left behind.
Meet The Chosen. The Chosen is a story of a man on a mission to tell his people about God in the face of Roman colonization. It is set in 20-30 AD Israel. The characters are familiar to those who may have read the Autoptic gospel of John or the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The slow storytelling and great acting make for a compelling story by Dallas Jenkins. The plot of The Chosen is non-fiction and based on the life of Jesus Christ. The series aims to showcase Christ “through the eyes of those who met him”.
For anyone who has seen any movie about the life of Christ while he was physically on Earth, the plot will prove enchanting and fully immersing.
The Chosen is a Vidangel adaptation of The Shepherd, a short film also created by Dallas Jenkins. The Chosen is a massively crowdfunded project. Infact, The Chosen is now the top crowdfunded filmed project, having raised over $16.2 million from 316,000 investors.
Yes, there are long moments and the progression is quite slow, but it all adds to the reverence with which Christ is portrayed in this record breaking screenplay. Dallas Jenkins has said that he wishes for the movie series to reach the eyes of a billion people, so it is safe to say that everyone is the target audience.
In a time of a full spectrum of intellectual and cultural perspectives, The Chosen appears to be the chosen Jesus’ story of our time.
Unlike other depictions of the life of Jesus, such as A.D., Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus, The Passion, Jesus: His Life; The Chosen comes away from the usual technique of following Jesus around as he delivers analogies, dissertations and life-changing miracles. The Chosen series also takes the dynamic perspective of portraying Jesus as a shared character in the lives and stories of characters like Matthew, Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, Andrew, John, James and others.
From wide shots of the choice locations, mid shots of threatening Roman soldiers and close shots of thoughtful Jews; the cinematography is quite engaging, coupled with a rural ambience and sounds that leave you “waking up” from each episode.
The Cast features Jonathan Roumie as Jesus, Paras Patel as Matthew, Shahar Isaac as Simon Peter, Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene, and Erick Avari as Nicodemus. The Cast is succinctly chosen and proves their mettle from episode to episode; and you can watch the other movies mentioned in this article for a sort of template for the characters. From December 24th 2017 till now, the Chosen has been distributed by Angel Studios.
All in all, The Chosen is a serious project and its impact is just beginning to be felt beyond the circles of cinema enthusiasts, internet explorers and critics.
With Season 2 airing its last episode in July, we are starting a new series of reviews on The Chosen’s season 1 episodes. We hope our perspective on the series’ storytelling will enjoin you to watch it and more importantly, read up The Synoptic Gospels for more understanding on the life of Jesus.
Download The Chosen App here to watch the series for free.
Christ a poet 