The Chosen, Season Four (2024)
The controversial fourth series of The Chosen takes a follower of Jesus away from us, changes the fate of one of our favorite Romans, and breathes life into old bones with the resurrection of Jesus, while taking us closer to the inevitable events of Holy Week. It opens with preparations for King Herod's feast, in which his wife Herodais pressures her daughter to dance perfectly for her stepfather. Her goal? To get him drunk enough on wine to promise the girl anything her heart desires, and serve up John the Baptist's head on a silver platter... his punishment for calling her an adulteror. Oblivious to this terrible scheme, Jesus' disciples prepare their first shipment of oil for testing before the Sanhedrin. They hope to earn enough money from its sale to fund Jesus' ministry, since as Judas often points out, they are running low on funds.
Each of the disciples has found a new calling in the Messiah's service, but most of them can't figure out why he has made no move for power yet. Isn't the Messiah supposed to liberate them from the tyranny of Rome and build a kingdom upon this earth? Judas struggles the most, as he can't figure out to what end they are moving and sees the wastefulness of their resources as foolish. Simon (future Peter) wrestles with his position in the group, one coveted by John and James, whose mother urges them to ask to sit at Jesus' right hand once he establishes his court. Simon the Zealot has given up his sword, and isn't quite sure what to do with himself other than to protect his friends. And Matthew faces a hardship, when Jesus invites him to ask the forgiveness of Simon (Peter) for being a tax collector. Then there is Thomas and his desire to marry Ramah, but her father is against it. And last but not least, Mary Magdalene has noticed a change in Jesus, a deep sorrow that vibrates in her own soul. She feels something is coming, and that makes her sad. When she asks him what it means, he says, "It's because you actually listen to me."
When Jesus' words incite a riot outside the temple, all of their lives change forever...
There are tons of wonderful things about season four, and a couple of things I didn't like, so I'll start with my "nope" responses. There's a significant plot twist in episode three that I disagree with on a theological basis. Some people like it, some don't. I'm in the "do not like" crowd. I think the same thing could have been achieved in a different way, which still would lead to the identical outcome but without potentially painting Jesus in a bad light. It feels inconsistent to his character, in the same way his refusal to heal Little James did in a previous season. Secondly, we spend quite a lot of time with the Sanhedrin. I realize the need for foreshadowing, and the politics involved in angling to get Jesus crucified, but I find all of them insanely boring and do not want to spend more time with them than necessary. Because we have to see so much of them to keep a subplot going, we don't see much of Praetor Quintus before a significant event, and I think we should have witnessed more build-up to his eventual scenes. There are so many characters now, it doesn't feel as if we get to spend time with most of them, and I miss some of the familiar personalities from previous seasons.
Having said that, there's a lot this season does right. It has one of the best retellings of the Mary and Martha situation as I have ever seen, and deals with Martha with compassion and honor rather than have Jesus scold her for being a good hostess. The calling forth of Lazarus and that entire episode, including "Jesus wept," is moving and emotional. It deals with death, loss, resurrection, and ominous foreshadowing of things to come. It handles the execution of John the Baptist and Salome's dance with empathy, sadness, and compassion (and she is an insanely talented gymnast). One episode revolves around an eight day celebration in which we get to see the disciples laughing, playacting, and having fun. Gaius has his moment of profound faith in a tear-jerking confession before the Messiah. And at long last, Matthew and Peter reconcile and it makes all the difference. A far cry from the self-centered jerk of earlier seasons, Peter now grapples with his new identity, his new name, and his newfound unshakable faith in the Messiah. The sets and costumes are terrific, and it feels like a much larger, more expensive production now, including the various scenes with Herod and his wife, and Pilate and Claudia. It also handles practical things like where the disciples get their money and plants the seeds of Judas' corruption as he starts pilfering from the communal purse.
The Chosen is not always scripturally accurate. It's written by fallible human writers who sometimes, in my view, make narrative mistakes, but out of a desire to share the gospel and to make the series and its characters relatable. Provided you bear this in mind, it's easy to enjoy it, and it brings the New Testament alive in a way that very few other productions have ever managed, with a talented cast from all over the world. I both look forward to and dread the arrival of next season, which takes us into the events of Holy Week, but in the meantime, I get to watch this one over and over again.
Violence:
Jesus and his followers are pelted with stones; one of them gets struck in the head and they bring him back home covered in blood. A person is run through with a sword in a riot, after people shove a Roman to the ground. Romans force the disciples to carry their property for a mile, per Roman law, and mock their faith. Jesus tells them not to react. James loses his temper and has to be held back a few times.
