Hi. Welcome to my recap and reaction to The Chosen, the crowd-funded, first ever multi-season TV series about the life of Jesus and his disciples. You can find my prior posts about the show HERE.
THE QUICK AND CLEAN SUMMARY:
From wiki:
In Caesarea Philippi, Nathanael (Austin Reed Alleman) fails in his project under a Roman commission. In Bashan, Philip (Yoshi Barrigas) of Bethsaida arrives from John the Baptizer and seeks to meet Jesus, but the disciples hesitate. Simon is jealous of him as Philip begins to mentor Matthew. A grieving Nathanael sits under a fig tree, reciting a Psalm and crying out if the Lord sees him. Hearing nothing, he burns his architectural drawings of a synagogue. Meeting Jesus at night, Philip is called by Jesus. At the camp, Thaddeus advises Matthew, yet tension builds between Simon and Matthew. Philip visits and comforts Nathanael, telling his downcast friend about the one they've been waiting for their whole lives. Nathanael is skeptical of the one coming from Nazareth but agrees to meet Jesus, who recognizes him as a true Israelite and tells him that he saw him under the fig tree before Philip called him. Upon hearing this, Nathanael declares Jesus as the Son of God and the King of Israel. As the group heads to a new city, John arrives with a word that Jesus's fame is growing.
THE EXTRA DUSTY RECAP:
The episode opens with Nathanael overseeing a construction project. He is arguing with another man about supplies, and complaining aloud that he may not be getting supplies as he wants due to being a Jew. While he argues with the foreman, we hear a collapse outside. They both run out and see a collapse. The foreman tells Nathanael that he is ruined.
Elsewhere, the disciples are collecting firewood because Jesus told them to leave enough for the next weary traveler. As they do this, a stranger approaches hthem with a message for Jesus. Simon tells him that they cannot let him see Jesus without knowing his business. The man, in turn, tells them that he cannot say. A few moments later, Andrew arrives and greets the man - Philip.
Sometime later, Simon - at Andrew's insistence - brings Philip some water. The newcomer, who has made a point of describing the group as new to discipleship, takes it and advises them to sleep when they can and to appreciate clean water when they get it.
Simon: Sounds like you were in a war out there with creep... John the Baptizer.
Philip: No. War has rules.
They are interrupted by Matthew returning with firewood. Simon makes fun of him for bringing wet wood, commenting that he also probably fishes in the desert, but Philip tells Matthew that he did good work. When Matthew asks who he is, Philip answers that he is the guy who dries wood.
Elsewhere, a despondent Nathanael goes to a tavern to buy a drink. The barkeeper asks him what is wrong and if someone died, and Nathanael says that someone did die. When asked about who died, Nathanael begins describing himself, though the other man does not know it. He says the man who died wanted to be an architect and to build synagogues.
Nathanael: That's what God made him for... or so he thought.
Barkeeper: He sounds like an ambitious guy. What did he die of?
Nathanael: Hubris. It's me by the way. I'm the dead man in the story.
Barkeeper: Yeah. Yeah, I got that.
Matthew and Philp walk to the wet wood pile and Philip asks him about his relationship with Simon. Philip advises Matthew that when Simon gives him a hard time again to remind him that the people out there want to define them by their pasts, their sins. They talk about Matthew's past and when Matthew explains that his father kicked him out of the house at a very early age, Philip surprises Matthew by saying he does not blame his father. Matthew is taken aback, so Philip reminds him that men act from men's standards, but Matthew is now playing a different game than everyone else. Philip tells Matthew that following John the Baptizer has had him living as an outcast for a few years too, so he can relate. He encourages Matthew that he will be fine.
We find Nathanael sitting alone beneath a tree. He looks at his architectural renderings before speaking toward the sky, to God, that this was done for Him. He begins to pray while setting fire to those renderings, asking God to hear his prayer.
"Do not hid your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me. Answer me speedily in the day when I call."
He weeps and calls out to God as the paper burns.
Elsewhere Philip teaches Matthew how to dry the wet wood. Matthew admits that he has never done manual labor before, while Philip tries to teach Matthew to learn and to be comfortable with his new life. Matthew is uncomfortable and does not understand why Jesus chose him, but Philip replies that what he thinks he knows does not matter, only that Jesus chose him.
Philip: That's where your confidence comes from now.
When we return to Nathanael, he is still sitting beneath the tree, casting the ashes of his work into the air. He finally departs.
Later, we see Philip meet Jesus for the first time, the latter remembering Philip as being present when he was baptized by John the Baptist. We learn that the message from John, on behalf of Philip, is "I will." He delivers this simultaneous to Jesus telling Philip to follow Him. They discuss recent events - including the miracle in the Red Quarter and at Cana - and immediate travel plans until Jesus dismisses Philip to bed. As he goes, Philip asks Jesus, if they have time, if he can visit an architect friend in Caesarea. Jesus tells him "of course."
The next morning Mary Magdalene wakes Ramah in her tent, as the group is packing. Mary tells her if it was exciting the day before to hear the men in their group reciting prophecy. They then discuss their need to catch up to the men, and Mary says she knows who to ask about learning to read and write.
The disciples notice the pile of wood, more than two days' worth, and Simon asks who did it. To his surprise, Philip tells him it was the young smart guy. Simon thought he meant Thomas, but Philip tells him it was Matthew. Then he launches into a story about how while he was following John the Baptist, they once realized in a moment when they were on the run that they did not know each others' names despite spending so much time together. Simon seems to take this to heart. Philip leaves them to go take a nap, but suggest to Simon that he thank Matthew if he sees him.
Later, two of the disciples find Matthew alone under a nearby tree, writing. After asking whether he is hiding, they learn Matthew is taking detailed notes of everything Jesus is saying and doing. Matthew says that this is to prevent quarreling over what Jesus said, or what he meant, something he has observed happening already. Simon sees Matthew's notes as a security risk, though. They argue about whether Jesus's words can more easily be twisted by how they are reported, or by them being recorded. Simon then reminds Matthew about the last time he saw him writing in a journal, as it was to spy on him for the Romans, over his unpaid taxes.
Simon: and to think I came over here to thank you.
Matthew stands up to Simon, for once, and repeats what Philp told him earlier, reminding Simon that people *out there* want to define all of them by their pasts. He tells Simon that they do things differently here now. Simon reiterates his belief that keeping this journal is a bad idea, but he does so less stridently than before.
In the next scene, Simon reports to Jesus that Matthew is writing down everything he says.
Jesus: Of course he is.
They then discuss the group, and Simon's concerns about how it is organized, how instructions and objectives are reaches, and how objections are voiced. When Simon says some in the group might be slowing them down, Jesus stops him and reminds him that He has called everyone for a reason. He suggests that if Simon feels as though someon eis slowing them down, perhaps Simon himself needs to slow down.
Jesus: One day, Simon, there will need to be more structure, and I see you playing a big part in it.
Simon: Out of all humility Rabbi, why not now? Why not more structure today?
Jesus: Because I am still here.
Simon: Yes, of course you're still here. Are you saying one day you won't be?
Elsewhere in the group, as they walk, Mary and Ramah approach Matthew to ask him if they can borrow a tablet. He asks if Simon put her up to this, and she replies that she wants to teach Ramah to read so that they can study Torah. He tells them both that this is what he wants to do, also. Mary points out that they (the women) are now allowed access to the scrolls, so Matthew suggests that he copy them down. They point out that the scrolls are long, so he suggests that he ask Philip which are the important ones, as a place to start. When Mary asks him why Philip, he replies that Philip is kind to him. He adds that Thaddeus is also. Mary apologizes that they are exceptions.
Matthew walks ahead, uncomfortable, and then Thomas joins the two women to ask what they had been talking about. They explain and he laughs, noting that Matthew does not know the Torah. Ramah tells him that this is the point and that they want to learn. He suggests that anything she (Ramah) wants to know, she can ask him.
Matthew walks with Philip, asking about where he should start learning. Just then, though, they come within sight of the city. Philip goes on ahead, wanting to visit his friend, but promising to Matthew that he will think on where Matthew should start learning.
Philp knocks on Nathanael's door. After getting no answer, he enters the dwelling and looks around, finally finding him in bed, looking ill. He gives Nathanael water and they talk. After getting an update from Nathanael, Philip tells him what he is up to now, and tells him about Jesus. Nathanael laughs about the idea of Jesus being from Nazareth.
Nathanael: [laughing] Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
Philip: Come and see.
Nathanael hesitates but Philip asks if he's going to be late for work. Philip promises he will not regret this. In the next scene, Philip introduces him to Jesus, who immediately calls out to Nathanael as a truth-teller.
Nathanael: How do you know me?
Jesus: I have known you long before Philip called you to come and see. [...] When you were in your lowest moment, and you were alone, I did not turn my face from you. I saw you under the fig tree.
Nathanael declares Jesus to be the Son of God and the King of Israel. Philip celebrates and Jesus notes that this did not take long. Jesus asks if he believes because he said to him that he saw him under the fig tree? Nathanael nods and Jesus promises him that he will see many greater things than that.
Just then, Simon and Andrew run up to tell them that John has sent them a mssage from Syria, and that many are gathering with afflictions to be healed. Jesus thanks them for the message. After they leave, he addresses Nathanael again, noting his desire to build things wherein people can seek God and worship.
Jesus: Can you start tomorrow?
REACTION:
This is a really excellent episode of television. The plot loosely centers around the events from the Gospel of John, Chapter 1, wherein Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael. And if you're keeping track at home, the number of disciples is now up to 10. We are still missing Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
The writers built one of the show's better episodes around this relatively scant few verses. First they came up with a reason for why Nathanael was sitting beneath the tree at the time Jesus saw him. Knowing that Philip was unique among the disciples, for having been a long time follower of John the Baptist, they imagined how he might fit among men who were new to the lifestyle. They created a compelling subplot between Philip and Matthew, which in turn tied in Simon, Mary Magdalene, Ramah, and Thomas. All of this felt very organic, even though it was largely assumed context rather than story derived from the text.
We know from the text that many of the disciples of Jesus grew up near to each other. It is likely that many of them (beyond just the two sets of brothers) interacted before their calling. The show makes educated guesses about what those interactions may have looked like, and how that history may have played out after their calling. That's the poetic license you either are willing to allow, or not, to enjoy the show. The assumed (but non-textual) tension between Matthew and Simon is a major long story arc of the show that continues to play out, including in this episode. How would you (or anyone) react to being in a small group with one of the most hated people in your local community? Probably not well. Why should the disciples feel differently about Matthew, especially early on? The reconciliation between them (Simon in particular) and Matthew will need to be earned on-screen. The first step in that is acknowledging the animosity exists - which is what the story has been doing.
The audience can see that both Simon and Matthew have well-intentioned hearts, but they need to learn to see it in each other. Simon cannot get over Matthew's past and Matthew, for his part, seems blind to why his past decisions are viewed the way that they are. He's not remorseful about it (or at least not obviously so.) Instead, he's confused about why he is the way that he is. That's where good acting and good writing come in. I thought their scenes in this episode were particularly well-acted. Shahar Isaac looked personally convicted when Philip told him what Matthew had done with the wet wood, to dry it, and then he looked triggered by the sight of Matthew's tablet (which he blurts out - almost as a reminder to the audience - that Matthew used against him, personally, as a spy for the Romans.) Matthew for his part is presented as someone with a spectrum disorder, who struggles to connect with other people, however badly he wants to. The eventual unity between these two will come, but it will take time. To the credit of the series, I'm invested in their relationship.
Aside from its usual contextual assumptions to fill in the story gaps left by the Gospels, the show veered away from textual accuracy with respect to timeline. As John's Gospel notes, Philip was called the day after Christ's baptism. In reality, that means his calling was almost simultaneous to that of Simon, James, and John. In the show, though, a few weeks (at least) seem to have passed. I suspect that the writers did not want to try to overlay all of these "follow me" scenes on top of each other, so that each of the individual stories could get an appropriate amount of attention and emotional heft. How much poetic license is acceptable when retelling the Gospel? I will defer to the individual conviction of the watchers. I largely did not mind, inasmuch as the show led me back to the text and an effort to piece out the actual timeline. Sending viewers to the source material is the purported point of the series. At least with myself, I will not punish them for succeeding.
The show also makes another assumption, though a much more common one, in identifying Nathanael as one of the Twelve. In the Synoptic Gospels, the disciple usually paired with Philip is Bartholomew. The common - but not universal consensus is that John's Nathanael and the Synoptic Gospels' Bartholomew are one and the same. (via wiki)
Nathanael is usually identified with Bartholomew the Apostle mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts 1:13. The reason for this identification is Bartholomew being a surname (Nathanael Bar-Tolmai; meaning Nathanael, son of Tolmai), and because Bartholomew and Philip are always paired together in the synoptic gospels. The earliest known example of this identification is from Ishodad of Merv (c. 850). The earliest known reference in the West is in Rupert of Deutz (d. 1129).
However, some disagree with this identification. Augustine suspected that Nathanael was not one of the twelve at all because he was so versed in the law. The earliest identification of Nathanael with one of the Twelve Disciples is found in the 2nd-century Epistula Apostolorum, where he is identified with or takes the place of James, son of Alphaeus.
As you can see, without consensus, the show needed to make some guesses.
The show attempts to answer what Mary Magdalene and Ramah are doing as women who are followers of Jesus (i.e. Mary teaching Ramah to read so that they can study Torah together.) Again, this is more guessing on the part of the writers, but this story-choice felt realistic, it will give these wonderful actresses something to do, and it gives misfit Matthew some more people to interact with, also.
The highlight of the episode was Austin Reed Alleman's performance as Nathanael. He was compelling in his despondency under the fig tree. If you have ever had a truly low moment, you can feel that scene in your soul. That makes his encounter with Jesus so much more satisfying. His look of dumbstruck awe and wonder when Jesus called him was how I hope I might react in that same situation. I loved how the actor and the screenplay brought these verses from John to life and gave them gravity that might not be obvious from the text.
This is one of the best episodes of the series. It overlays and interconnects several plot threads in a believable way. Yoshi Barrigas as Philip is a breath of fresh air to the group, providing them with experience and another kind voice to help mend strife within the group. The grief and despair of Alleman's Nathanael, followed by awe and wonder, were some of the best acting in the series to date also.
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