The Chosen Season 4, Episodes 1 and 2 were released on February 1st and it is definitely worth the watch as it brings people in the gospel of Matthew and Luke to life. The spot-on casting of the series and meticulous construction of the biblical figures is also very notable. The first two episodes of this season is filled with joy and hope as well as misery and despair as it continues to spectacle the ministry of Jesus and the perils that are yet to be faced.

Episode 1 begins with the virtually accurate portrayal of the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth as mentioned in the gospel of Luke 1:39-45 and Mary is praised and titled by her cousin as “blessed among women.” In this scene, we witness the depiction of the cordial interaction between Mary and Elizabeth as they continue to converse with each other in an ardent manner. Elizabeth addresses Zechariah’s encounter with an angel to Mary as well.

The episode progresses into the next part where Judas and Simon the Zealot wash their clothes to remove impurities. Incorporating elements that are reflective of the time such as the menial, strenuous work of washing clothes also proves how the disciples selected were ordinary people with informalities. In this episode, Judas reasons that they should invest more time into teaching instead of doing strenuous work which suggests that he struggles to keep pace with the teachings and ways of Christ, which comes with being humble and relatable to the general public. The simplicity required to truly be a follower of Christ evokes a point of reflection within fellow Christians as we must understand the cost of following Jesus.

We are on edge as a viewer of the series when Joanna, an ally of John the Baptist, tries to visit John the Baptist in prison to potentially save him but is hindered by Chuza her husband who is the household manager of Herod Antipas. Salome is practising and perfecting her dance performance to please Herod so that she may ultimately grant her wish (basically Queen Herodias’). In the subsequent scene, Salome manages to mesmerise Herod through her hypnotic dance amidst the celebratory banquet and requests for her wish, the execution of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-9).

On the way to being executed, John reveals to Joanna, “the way of the Lord is prepared” as his demise serves as a trajectory towards the way of the Lord. Prior to John’s immediate execution, there is a symbolic scene where he takes a quick glance to see a little lamb grazing in the field reminding him of the joy associated with serving the Lamb of God. Frequent flashbacks have been wonderfully utilised emotionally and thematically in this episode to portray the circle of life and John’s martyrdom as he has fulfilled his mission of preparing the way for the Messiah. At the end of episode 1, Jesus has been portrayed as having his robes torn with ashes on his forehead during the period of lamentation for John the Baptist.

Episode 2 starts with a symbolic scene where Jesus dreams of John breaking free from his chain and proceeds to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Key moments in this episode includes Jesus and his followers standing in an ‘abominable place’ as they intend to “not avoid dark places out of fear” but rather “to be the light to them.” The well-known event occurs where Jesus asks those gathered, who they think he is, and Peter proclaims the truth that Jesus “is the living God” in accordance with Matthew 16:13-20.

Another renowned key moment in the second episode would be when Jesus replies to Peter’s question on forgiveness by stating, “no, not seventy times but seventy times seven” and that ‘endless forgiveness without limits’ is needed (Matthew 18:21-22). In a filmic way, Peter is seen embracing Matthew when he truly forgives him, reiterating Christ’s teaching on forgiveness.

Overall, episodes 1 and 2 in season 4 portrays the characters with caution and with biblical accuracy to an extent. However, some elements in the movie did seem anachronistic. It uses comic relief to elevate the seriousness of the situations and for the filmic part of it. The disciples share a similarity in being followers of Christ but have been represented with their own individuality as they are unique in their own way, and they all utilise their own abilities for themselves as well as for the spiritual needs of others. Throughout these episodes, Matthew could be seen scribing the events from his observation and by the orders of Christ in correspondence with the narration of the gospel of Matthew and formal Jewish greetings like ‘shalom’ was mentioned.

This season is by far the best one as the performances were noteworthy and every moment in episodes 1 and 2 of season 4 was worthwhile and unmissable.