A Review of the Opening Scene of Season Two, Episode One of The Chosen

Jesus, the Gospels, and the early Church have been portrayed in a multiplicity of ways throughout history. Beginning in the period of the early Church, Jesus and the stories of the Gospel were portrayed in paintings, statues, mosaics, and in a variety of different artforms. Though these methods of portrayal are still utilized today, in more modern times, Jesus has been depicted in movies, documentaries, and in various other contemporary forms of media.

One example of which is the increasingly popular Christian show called The Chosen. “As the biggest crowdfunded project in TV history, The Chosen is the first-ever multi-season show about the life of Jesus. This series allows viewers to see the life of Jesus through the eyes of those that knew Him.”¹ This show has accomplished what many Christian movies and projects have failed to do. In a book about the many different portrayals of Jesus on-screen, it says, “it would seem that most of the representations of Jesus on-screen are based on literal readings of the Gospel texts with little awareness of their Jewish background.”²

The Chosen, however, portrays Jesus and the disciples in a refreshingly authentic manner, and demonstrates what their lives would have looked like in a Jewish environment dominated by Roman authority. The writers of this show have taken artistic liberties to tell the disciples’ stories in a creative fashion. “It presents Jesus and his disciples as real… They bicker and fall in love. They struggle with insecurities and jealousies. Sometimes they are just plain rude to one another.”³ The characters and personalities of each of the disciples is unique, and often imperfect, making them widely relatable to viewers.

Though the first three seasons of the show have been set in the time before Jesus’ death, and thus, before the period of the early Church, there is one scene wherein the early Church is depicted. In the first episode of season two, a solemn scene plays out, flashing forward to when Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension have already taken place, and the disciples are older.⁴ James, the brother of John, has recently been killed, and John is seen urgently working, late into the night, to compile a written account of Jesus’ life.

One by one, John interviews the disciples and asks them to give an account of their experiences with Jesus, beginning with when they met Him. The mood is bittersweet as they recount their memories with Him. Many of the disciples smile and laugh while reminiscing about their Savior, but become silent and teary eyed as they remember His absence. Or, at least, His physical absence.

When Mary questions John about why he is trying to write everything down, he responds by saying that the disciples are getting older and that James won’t be the last to be killed. As a result, he wants to get everyone’s eyewitness accounts recorded so that their memories do not die with them.

This work of recording Jesus’ life and teachings was such an important task that the disciples carried out in the early Church. “The role of the twelve apostles cannot be emphasized enough. Christ’s words and deeds would have been ineffectual and short-lived had it not been for the witness of this small band.”⁵ Consequently, it is very impressive that The Chosen portrayed the important process that John undertook to write his gospel. Though this process of documentation may have occurred differently than how it was portrayed in The Chosen, the show ultimately helps viewers visualize how this important task of the apostles was possibly carried out in the early Church.

Overall, this opening scene from episode one of season two is a great depiction of the very beginnings of the early Church. The disciples were beginning to be persecuted and saw the importance of providing “the first interpretation of Christ’s life and message.”⁶ This is especially significant because “their first interpretive acts are the beginnings of Christian tradition.”⁷ Thus, I recommend viewing this scene regarding the early Church, as it not only demonstrates the important workings and roles of the apostles after the death of Jesus, but it captures the bittersweet emotions that the disciples experienced during this time as well, which is truly revealing, informative, and captivating.

 

¹ The Chosen About Page, at Angel Studios, at www.angel.com.

² Peter Malone, Screen Jesus: Portrayals of Christ in Television and Film, (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2012), 2.

³ Sean O’Neal, “The Greatest Story Ever Streamed: The Chosen, a hit series produced just outside Dallas, is winning converts with its Friday Night Lights spin on faith,” Texas Monthly 50, no. 2 (2022), 72.

⁴ The Chosen Watch Page, at Angel Studios, at www.angel.com.

⁵ John Vidmar, The Catholic Church Through the Ages, (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2014), 20.

⁶ Vidmar, The Catholic Church, 21.

⁷ Vidmar, The Catholic Church, 21.