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:
via wiki:
Jesse (Dennis Apergis), a paralytic, spends 38 years searching for a cure and stays at the Pool of Bethesda while his brother, Simon (Alaa Safi), joins the Zealots. The Zealots plot to assassinate a Roman magistrate in Jerusalem, with Simon Z. leading the plan, but Atticus Aemilius (Elijah Alexander), a Roman cohorte urbanae, discovers it. Jesus and the disciples head to Jerusalem to prepare for the Feast of Tabernacles. Assisted in Jerusalem by fellow Pharisee Yanni (Wasim No'mani), Shmuel preaches against false prophecy. The disciples discuss the scriptures as they celebrate the feast. After being informed about Shmuel, Jesus goes to the Bethesda Pool to meet someone, bringing Simon, John, and Matthew. At Bethesda, Jesus approaches Jesse, asking him if he wants to be healed. Jesus heals Jesse, and John writes down the miracle. Witnessing the healing, Yanni and other Pharisees admonish Jesse for carrying a mat on Shabbat. When the assassination plan is being executed, Simon Z. is distracted as he sees Jesse walking. The two brothers reconcile, and Atticus Aemilius is bewildered. Jesus withdraws himself, and Simon Z. searches for him.
THE EXTRA DUSTY RECAP:
The episode opens with a flashback scene of a boy falling from a tree and injuring himself. We then flash forward through scenes in his life, as a cripple, as he grows up with his healthy brother who takes care of him. As young men, traveling together through town, the healthy brother grows visibly angry in a scene wherein Roman soldiers are abusing a Jewish man.
As adults now, the paralytic brother sits at the Pool of Bethesda, hoping to get into the water to receive the miracle of a restored body. We watch as he is unable to get to the water, repeatedly. His brother, meanwhile, we see learning to fight. Years pass this way.
Eventually the only person the paralytic man has left - his brother Simon (the Zealot) - leaves him to spend his days sitting at the Pool in hope of a miracle, while Simon joins a group with plans to violently rebel against the Roman occupation. Jesse struggles for years and years to get into the pool, and is always pushed aside and trampled over by others who get there first. When we finally get to the end of the montage, the boy we met climbing the tree is a dirty, bearded, lonely man, broken both in his body and in his mind. He stares up vacantly and without hope as we cut away to the episode's intro.
When the episode comes back from the intro, Simon is training with other Zealots to conduct an assassination. From a distance, we see a Roman in disguise, watching them and commenting to himself that murder training in the open is really subtle and that he will be seeing Simon really soon.
Two leaders of the Zealots later discuss a plot to murder a Roman magistrate. Simon's trainer tells the other man that Simon is up to the task.
The disciples travel to Jerusalem to attend the Feast of the Tabernacles. Mary Magdalene tells the others that she has never been to Jerusalem before. The group discusses the nature of the Feast of the Tabernacles and how it is a required trip undertaken as an obligation, only by Jewish men. Simon and the the others are constructing a temporary tabernacle, according to a desgn of Nathanael, so Simon and Andrew go into town to purchase supplies.
Simon the Zealot meets with the man to whom his trainer recommended him. Simon is asked his name, where he was born, and what his purpose is. When asked about his purpose, he quotes from Exodus 22:20:
"Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, shall be devoted to destruction."
Simon is then given his assignment, to assassinate the Roman magistrate Rufus. Simon is told he will be met by his brother in Jerusalem, another Zealot, who has been part of a team tracking Rufus. Simon visibly pauses when "brother" is mentioned, clearly thinking of his paralytic brother. He departs with the instruction to carry out his order or to never return.
In Jerusalem, the Pharisee Shmuel is with another Pharisee, Yanni, where they preach together against false prophecy. Yanni prayers over them a prayer against life threatening situations - which Shmuel notices and becomes unnerved by. He is surprised to know tha tin Jerusalem the Pharisees are sometimes feared and disliked. Yanni assures him, unconvincingly, that he will be fine. Yanni assures him that this is a necessary step toward developing a following.
Beside the Pool, Jesse is with another man who asks him why he is still here if he has no hope. Jesse does not answer.
Later, we see two Roman soldiers discussing the man we saw earlier spying on Simon the Zealot's training. They identify the man as a ghost, cohorte urbanae, the Roman Empire's elite soldier investigators. One of the two Roman soldiers watching him says that he heard their Captain call him Atticus. The other soldiers says he has never seen one before, and the other soldier replies that he has, but he didn't know. As this is happening, Simon the Zealot enters through a gate into the city. After the soldier at the gate waves Simon inside, he is confronted by the ghost, Atticus, who informs him that the information given to him by Simon before entering the city was false.
We see Thomas and Nathanael walking through the city, with groceries and supplies, when they come across Shmuel preaching about false prophecy. They see Matthew signaling something to them at a distance, but do not know what he is trying to convey.
Thomas: This guy is so irritating to me.
Nathanael: That makes sense. You are kind of the same person, all numbers and logic. Except he can tell jokes.
They finally heed Matthew's urging and walk over to speak with him. He warns them that the Pharisee preaching knows them and does not approve of Jesus. Matthew urges them to go, and Nathanael asks to where, because their meeting place is only a block away. After Nathanael wonders aloud, 'what are the odds' he points out that they both then appear to be calculating the odds. He then tells Matthew to stay out of sight and points out that this Pharisee does not know their two faces. He promises Matthew to give the others a warning if they see them.
The Roman ghost Atticus tails Simon the Zealot to the Zealots' meeting place, where we see Simon and his cohorts discussing that they have mapped the city and every place to which the Roman magistrate Rufus walks. They decide that Rufus will best be attacked at a restaurant he regularly attends. They then make their plans.
We see the construction of the booth wherein Jesus, his disciples, and his Mother Mary all dine together. They discuss the purpose of the booths, their history and their spiritual significance. James quotes from Zechariah with a question for Jesus:
"Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths." Zech: 14:16
Big James, with just a touch of outrage in his voice, asks what would have to happen for the enemies of Israel to celebrate this Feast with them. Jesus answers that things will have to change. The group discusses it further, with Mother Mary eventually adding that she knows a thing or two about prophecies that sound impossible. This breaks the tension and causes some laughter.
Later, a couple of the disciples privately warn Jesus that Shmuel is in Jerusalem, warning crowds about him. Jesus takes this as good news and then informs them of plans to visit someone inside the city walls the following day. He says that Matthew is to come, too, as it will be good for him.
Simon the Zealot listens as a scroll is read on the streets of the city. The scroll refers to "saving the lame" and "gathering the outcasts." He departs from the reading. We see him a moment later from the city walls, looking at several criminals dying of crucifixion.
Jesus, Simon, Matthew, and John walk together to the Pool of Bethesda. Along the way, they discuss the history of the place and note its pagan origins for Matthew's benefit. John explains that every day, the pool steams and bubbles up, and that people believe it is stirred up by an angel. The superstition he says is that the first person who gets to the water can be healed of maladies. They walk past a row of crucified men, with Jesus giving them a long look, before they reach the city gate and its checkpoint.
Atticus meets with an undisguised Roman, in an alley, and warns him of the assassination plot at the restaurant. Atticus tells him not to deviate from their itinerary. When the other man is shocked and warns him to arrest the assassin instead, Atticus explains that he is after the Zealots as a group, not merely one man. He explains that arresting the Zealot, or torturing him will only further their collective cause. He says he wants to kill the man in the act, instead. He says he wants the other Zealots to be left with no story that might further their cause. He weants them to know and believe that Rome was simply better than they were.
Simon the Zealot finds his brother beside the Pool and calls out to him. Jesse laughs in disbelief, and says that he cannot be Simon because he is too old. Suddenly bleak, Jesse tells him that he has been beside the pool for twenty-five years. Jesse is angry that his brother makes the pilgrimage to Jerusalem every year and has never visited before. Simon replies that his order forbade visiting and that he was embarrassed for his brother to be at the site of a pagan cult.
Simon: Do you really believe in this?
Jesse: You try living for thirty-eight years without legs that work and then tell me you wouldn't try anything and everything!
They argue over the sinful path that each says the other is on. Jesse tells Simon not to go through with whatever it is he plans to do. Simon tells his brother that he only came here to say goodbye because he did not do it properly the first time. As he begins to go, Jesse reads Simon's goodbye note, which he has at hand. Near the end of the note, Jesse reads:
"Jesse, when you stand on two feet, I will know the Messiah has come. I will fight for the freedom of Zion in order to see that day."
Simon tells his brother farewell and leaves. He meets up with his comrades as their plot is about to occur. They go to get into position.
Jesus and the others arrive at the Pool and Jesus points to Jesse, saying he has been there the longest, but does not belong. Jesus approaches Jesse and asks if he wants to be healed. Jesse misunderstands, thinking Jesus means to take him to the water. Jesus tells him no. Jesse says he is having a bad day, and Jesus replies that he has been having a bad day for a long time. They talk, with Jesse explaining how hard he has tried, until Jesse finally tells him he wants to be healed. Then Jesus heals him.
As Jesse is visibly beginning to heal, Jesus instructs him to get up, pick up his mat, and to walk. Jesus and then others then leave as we see the Pharisees begin to take notice of what has just happened, from a distance.
Simon (the disciple) has not yet followed the others and reminds Jesse to pick up his bed . When Jesse asks why that matters, Simon tells him that he is not coming back here and that his old life is over.
After Jesse picks up his mat, a Pharisee comes to him to chide him for picking up his mat on Shabbat. The Pharisee describes what just happened as a man performing a magic trick and then asking someone to commit a sin.
Pharisee: This will be reported.
Jesse: Report whatever you want! I am standing on two legs.
Jesse then leaves saying he needs to go find his brother.
That night, the assassination attempt fails. Simon does not do his part because he is stunned to see his formerly paralytic brother walking by, at a distance, carrying the mat he had just been lying on. He does not know that this failure to act has saved his life from Atticus. Simon stands in disbelief and says his brothers name. Simon follows his brother, eventually finding him a short distance down the road. Jesse joyously shows him his healed leg and they embrace.
As Jesus and the others return to their tabernacle, outside the city gate, we see a montage of the Pharisees angry over the healing of Jesse, and Atticus in deep thought over the failure to kill Simon the Zealot. Matthew asks Jesus why he healed the man on Shabbat, noting that waiting only a little longer would have meant the healing did not occur on Shabbat. Jesus replies that sometimes the water must be stirred up.
REACTION:
The montage of moments to open this episode is almost unbearably sad. We see essentially a summary of the nearly four decade long struggle Jesse has with his lower body paralysis. He starts in a loving family and community. Then we watch as we see that slowly disappearing. His parents die. His friends vanish from view. His brother abandons him. That scene was probably as bleak as I've ever felt watching this show, which made the healing at the end all the more emotional. There's nothing quite like being emotionally gutted, and then reinflated.
I haven't mentioned it in the last few episode recaps, but it's worth writing here that the music in this series is great and this episode in particular was unbelievable. This musical score has major motion picture quality composition and The Chosen is made with fan donations. Honestly, it's astounding.
On a related note, this episode is in my opinion the best cinematography of any episode in the series thus far. Nearly every shot looked fantastic to me. That's all helped, too, by extraordinary costuming and set design, on the aforementioned tight budget.
This episode was also a masterpiece of a screenplay. The way the writers wove all of these plot threads together was incredible. It leaves us on a bit of a cliffhanger with Simon, Atticus, and the angry Pharisees, too, in addition to just opening a floodgate of emotion with the reconciliation between Jesse and Simon at the episode's end. The touch of tying the healing with the scripture references in Simon's "going away" note that Jesse read was perfectly executed.
It's hard to pick a "best episode of the series" but this one might be it when you factor in everything.
The introduction of the Roman secret police was very well done. We know that Rome had these types of people and that they were certainly deployed in Judaea during the time of Jesus. I look forward to seeing how Atticus reacts to what we just witnessed.
A few episode notes:
The healing of the paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda is recorde in the Gospel of John 5:1-14. It happens largely as shown in the episode. However, the writers of the episode used "dramatic license" to tie this healing to the person of Simon the Zealot (about whom very little is known from Scripture.)
The Feast being celebrated in the episode is The Feast of Tabernacles / The Feast of Booths / Sukkot.
Sukkot is a Torah-commanded holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelites were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Originally a harvest festival celebrating the autumn harvest, Sukkot's modern observance is characterized by festive meals in a sukkah, a temporary wood-covered hut, celebrating the Exodus from Egypt.
The names used in the Torah are "Festival of Ingathering" (or "Harvest Festival", Hebrew: חַג הָאָסִיף, romanized: ḥag hāʾāsif) and "Festival of Booths" (Hebrew: חג הסכות, romanized: Ḥag hasSukkōṯ). This corresponds to the double significance of Sukkot. The one mentioned in the Book of Exodus is agricultural in nature—"Festival of Ingathering at the year's end" (Exodus 34:22)—and marks the end of the harvest time and thus of the agricultural year in the Land of Israel. The more elaborate religious significance from the Book of Leviticus is that of commemorating the Exodus and the dependence of the Israelites on the will of God (Leviticus 23:42–43).
The holiday lasts seven days in the Land of Israel and eight in the diaspora. The first day (and second day in the diaspora) is a Shabbat-like holiday when work is forbidden. This is followed by intermediate days called Chol HaMoed, during which certain work is permitted. The festival is closed with another Shabbat-like holiday called Shemini Atzeret (one day in the Land of Israel, two days in the diaspora, where the second day is called Simchat Torah). Shemini Atzeret coincides with the eighth day of Sukkot outside the Land of Israel.
The Hebrew word sukkoṯ is the plural of sukkah ('booth' or 'tabernacle') which is a walled structure covered with s'chach (plant material, such as overgrowth or palm leaves). A sukkah is the name of the temporary dwelling in which farmers would live during harvesting, reinforcing agricultural significance of the holiday introduced in the Book of Exodus. As stated in Leviticus, it is also reminiscent of the type of fragile dwellings in which the Israelites dwelled during their 40 years of travel in the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. Throughout the holiday, meals are eaten inside the sukkah and many people sleep there as well.
On each day of the holiday it is a mitzvah, or commandment, to perform a waving ceremony with the four species, as well as to sit in the sukkah during the holiday.
The order of the Zealots, mentioned in the episode, is not a universally agreed upon organization. However, the general consensus seems to be that they were as depicted from within the episode. (via christianity.com)
The Zealots were one of the four main groups in the Second Temple period of Israelite history. They held so strongly to the belief in the Torah that they resorted to violence against their oppressors. They were a libertarian group that wanted to serve no one but God alone. And one of them played an important part in Jesus' ministry.
What is Zeal, and Is it a Biblical Idea?
Understanding the history of the Zealots requires grasping how foundational zeal is to Judaism. Zeal is a characteristic of many people throughout the Old Testament. In the mind of the Israelites of that day, zeal was the outward expression of a believer's devotion to God. One example frequently cited was Phinehas, whose story is told in Numbers 25. His zeal for God caused him to act violently against one of the Israelites sleeping with a Moabite woman. After he did this, he was rewarded with an eternal covenant with God. Psalm 106:30-31 says that Phinehas' zeal was counted to him as righteousness. Scholars have discussed what was righteous about his zeal and the extent to which we can follow his example today.
Paul highlights the downsides of zeal (at least zeal without God's direction) in some of his New Testament writings. He lists zeal as a reason for boasting in the flesh and recounts he had enough zeal to persecute the church (Philippians 3:6). Paul's words show that Jews of his days still aspired to zeal.
We will get to this more in the next episode, but it is worth keeping in mind, with respect to how we imagine Jesus, that a man from this order would become one of his disciples. The Church (especially in the West) has sometimes watered down its portrayal of the Lord, to one of a man who was merely kind to everyone - a Mr. Rogers type figure. I think Jesus must have possessed a powerful masculine charisma to attract a follower who was a Zealot. It's also worth noting that having a Zealot as a disciple probably helped to fuel the idea that Jesus was a threat to the establishment both among the Jewish religious leaders, but also to Rome.
Anyway... fantastic episode. I have embedded the emotional healing scene below - but I'd add this scene alone really needs to be understood in the context of the roughly ten minute introduction to Jesse and Simon the Zealot which started the episode.
Previous episode
No comments:
Post a Comment