The Chosen (TV Series) Sustenance (2023) User Reviews

Getting better and better

[matthewjamesfeltham · 10/10 · 9 February 2023]

As others have reviewed, i didn't expect the season to end like this but to end instead with the 5000 feeding. But then in a most beautiful and moving way, loose ends tie up and The Chosen moves you again. Brilliantly conceived and executed.

What i love about this show and episode is how imaginatively it frames the gospel stories without cliché or cheesy dialogue. The blend of realistic characters, accurate historical and cultural setting and good story writing really shows. Watching the show with my family, we are drawn back to familiar stories in a way you don't expect. So enjoyable and uplifting. I really enjoyed this last episode! Top notch.

Don't let me Go!

[xerminator-92613 · 10/10 · 9 February 2023]

Ohh my😱that WAS THE most epic finale I have ever seen in my life. Wow!! Its definitely right up there with finale episodes like Felina in breaking bad. But anyways wow, the way they captured the hearts and minds of the crowd was amazing. Although yes albeit, there was alot of arguments between the many different people of decapolis. The eden and Simon story really captured what a marriage could've been like between one of jesus's disciples and a house wife. Shmuel and his fellow pharisees were still very concerned about this whole false prophet thing. And that shmuel insists that he must find out the truth about this whole thing. All Jesus's disciples did a fantastic job relaying his message. Simon however was the one that really gets the spotlight when it comes to his story.

And lastly, yes the feeding of the 5000 was captured fantastically! Very brilliant scene. Along with a nice parable. But man! Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that there was going to be a scene that is alot more impactful, emotional and epic than the f5000k. That would be the ending part of this episode which i won't spoil to those who haven't seen it yet. Before watching season 3, i just assumed that the f5000k was going to be the best scene in season 3. But man, I was proven wrong again.

Episode 8 of this season in my opinion was just as good as episode 5 clean part 2. And Episode 3 physican heal yourself episode was just as good. All these 3 episodes were HANDS DOWN the strongest episodes of season 3. And probably the best episodes of the first three seasons. Along with that nicodemus episode of course from season 1 and the beatitudes scene in season 2. All 24 episodes of the chosen have moved, amazed me and were all great. None of them were bad because the chosen doesn't have any bad episodes.

And yes. The finale of season 3 is going to go down as one of the greatest endings of a season in a tv show in the history of television. Cannot wait for seasons 4-7!! The second half (seasons 4-7) of the chosen is going to prove to the world that there is still super high quality content left in the entertainment world.

A Masterclass in Story Telling

[atlantaredsox12 · 10/10 · 15 February 2023]

Season 3 comes to a thrilling conclusion. Dallas Jenkins has done it again. Bringing everything that has come before it to satisfying, yet heartbreaking end (for now). Even though we don't know for sure what was on Simon Peter's heart at the time of the miracles of the feeding of the thousands and walking on water the weight of the world was on him throughout the episode. When Jesus comforts him after he sinks into the water I lost it. So emotional. Jonathan Roumie, Shahar Isaac, Lara Silva, Shaan Sharma are all standouts this episode. Schmuel in particular is a fascinating character. How far he has come, it was quite unexpected when even he started to doubt himself, and then when Jesus comes into to view, he is at a standstill. Everything before this moment he thought had to be true. When the one Pharisee spit on a person who had just shared to him what had just had happened he was taken aback. He thought this Jesus of Nazareth can't be the Son of God, but after these interactions he starts to question everything he has believed in. Jesus has a short conversation with him and we as an audience we assume he will (or we hope at some point) start defending the Man he was so strongly against when the show began. I'm so excited for what comes next. Thank you to all who have contributed to this Biblically inspired masterpiece.

the frame

[Kirpianuscus · 29 March 2023]

Loaves and fish, the fierce storm, the reconciliation of Simon with himself.

Great moments define this admirable crafted episode.

But impressive, for me, remains its frame.

A king , his queen and the prepairs of Asaph to present his psalm.

It sounds familiar as intro. You suppose. Maybe to know.

But the end offers certitude. In some many, graceful, precise and beautiful manner ! No doubts, it is an episode about miracles and reconciliation . But, in same measure, it is a large mirror offered to viewer to reflect his faith and his grattitude.

And this is its basic virtue; it represents more than a profound inspired end of new season of series. It is a great exercise of honesty to himself for each of us.

"Don't let me go!" -- choked up for quite some time

[louartale · 10/10 · 1 May 2023]

Early on in Season 3, a sub theme had me a bit perplexed until the final scene in Episode 8. The sub theme involved a plausible issue in the lives of Simon and Eden and it was between Scriptural lines, so it became an unpredictable part of the story's plot - a significant achievement because of the well known storyline of the New Testament. But, that part of the plot emotionally punctuated the Scriptures in way that was masterful in script, acting, and even special effects.

The message involved faith and how it survives life's troubles as faced by many. How it's done, in my humble opinion, deserves an Emmy Award on multiple levels. Shahar Isaac's (Simon) final words in the episode kept me choked up during and after the scene. The emotion flowed off the screen. So did the tears down my cheeks. Of anything I've seen on TV of late, this deserves an Emmy. It moved me. It taught me. It made me watch the scene over again and again.

I'm frequently amazed that the entire "The Chosen" series amplifies the Scriptures rather than really adding anything to them. This episode is no exception. Watch, learn, be moved, and understand more about what you've already probably have read ... many times even.

FEEDING THE MULTITDE AND OTHER MIRACLES

[kdraughn-40264 · 10/10 · 7 September 2023]

The Chosen, this show every episode is so beautifully played out every actor gives their heart is showing us The Scriptures. This episode to me waa the best yet, I knew what was going to happen because I know what is in the Bible , but seeing it on the screens really tears to my eyes and a big lump in my throat. Thanks to Dallas Jenkins and all of those responsible for giving us a picture of what it might have looked like 2,000 years ago as over 5,000 people gathered to hear Jesus preach. The back story is so well written and exciting to see. The crowd scenes are full of fans who were the extras who heard Jesus ( Jonathan Roumie) preach. They were wonderful as the cameras scanned the crowd.

I say The Chosen is the best Biblical story ever portrayed and is in my humble opinion the best show I have ever watched. I am now waiting patiently for season 4.

Great job of telling episode

[samurph · 10/10 · 29 March 2023]

Amazing photography and believable walking on water episode. Great stories of Jesus bringing harmony amongst the great diversity of peoples. Loved Pharisees struggling amongst themselves concerning what to do about Jesus and effectiveness concerning gentiles. Wonderful story of king David and Psalms story throughout episode bringing closures needed and great cliff hangers for season 4. Looking forward to watching the livestreams about the making of this episode. Anxious to see season 4 to find out what Happened with Smuell and Jesus praying together and what did Atticus see in the storm with the boat?

Better than you think!

[mjess-21610 · 10/10 · 12 April 2023]

What Dallas Jenkins has done with The Chosen and the story of the disciples (yes, Jesus too), is so much better than what you might think going in.

Season 3 Episode 8 sets the show apart from all other Biblically based shows. The episode features the feeding of the 5000 as recorded in Matthew 14 and Mark 6. Fans following the show were invited to take part in this epic scene.

Following that scene the show moves on to another epic miracle, Jesus walking on water. On a low budget, this had to have been a difficult scene to make. But they did it in a very convincing manner. Kudos again to the FX team. The script in this scene, and throughout the past two episodes especially, show the depth and talent of the writers and the actors.

Much has been said by critics of the story line depicting Eden's miscarriage. The story is not in scripture. Dallas has said from the start that The Chosen is not just a retelling of the Bible. There are many movies already in existence that do that. The writers of The Chosen have fleshed out the backgrounds of the disciples to give them depth. The Bible is sparse on its details on the disciples. Where it does speak, The Chosen is good at including those details (we see Eden's mom healed in Season 1, for example).

Additionally, the show seeks to answer some of the most commonly debated questions in Christianity today... "Why do bad things happen to good people?" "If God is good, why is there so much bad in the world?" and "If I am a good person, why do I need a savior? Won't my good outweigh my bad?"

More than anything, the writers of The Chosen have said that it is their hope that watching the show will lead people to pick up their Bibles and read for themselves. And it has been fun to do just that... to see the way scripture records an exchange between Jesus and the disciples or the Pharisees, and then to watch it happen on screen. There is a whole lot of scripture in The Chosen. While tthe show does take some liberties in order to flesh out characters, the writers are careful to do so with the thought about what could have happened in the time of Jesus. Watch the show with that in mind and you won't be disappointed.

I give episode 8 ten stars because the acting and the writing are top notch. I can't wait to see what is in store for season 4. If you know scripture, you know it will be getting dark very fast now.

Food and Storms

[l-perez-dancer · 9/10 · 25 February 2024]

I've been an avid Bible student since I was 21 years old. Prior to that I lived my life without caring what my Creator thought about my choices. My Bible study has only increased in the over the 40 years since I first started reading the Gospel accounts.

I know the Bible very well and am thoroughly enjoying The Chosen series. Naturally, since I am so familiar with the Bible account, I have some opinions about this series. I believe it is important to point out that less than 10% of each episode of The Chosen is actually from the Bible accounts. Ninety percent of these episodes are embellishments; the producer's ideas of how the Bible characters may have spoken, looked and acted, beyond what is written in the Bible. I have no problem with those embellishments. As a matter of fact, I appreciate and enjoy much of the non-biblical inventions by the writers of this series.

I would like to speak about the good and the not so good embellishments created by the writers of this series. I hope you will not be offended by my critique.

Season 3, Episode 8 Jesus feeds thousands and walks on water. This is one of the best episodes yet, especially since it has a high amount of Scriptural content. The inventive embellishments of the writers are rabbi Shmuel and the issues with Eden. Simon Peter's wife is not named in the Bible and she does not have any story lines in Scripture. Also, there is no controversy in the Decapolis in Scripture. Other than that, this episode is true to Bible accounts except that the writers have depicted Simon Peter as a bit too temperamental in my opinion. In Scripture we see that Peter is brash and outspoken, but he is always zealous, never irreverent as when he pushes over the basket of food in this episode. I love the depiction of feeding the hungry masses and stopping a violent storm as this shows what Jesus as God's appointed King will do forever for mankind when God's Kingdom comes "on Earth as it is in Heaven" after the wicked are eliminated in Armageddon.

Biblical content in this episode; 50%. Matthew 14:15-34; Matthew 13:3-9; 44-46.

The Chosen only gets better that what was already over the top awesome

[jorgelazarodiaz · 10/10 · 22 April 2023]

This final episode of the seqson so beautifully strings together scripture and at the same time elegantly moves forward this beautiful story. Dallas Jenkins is an excellent storyteller and stays so true to scripture.

I remember from schooling that Decapolis on the far side of the Sea of Galilee has people from many different ethnic groups and nationality. There are Jews there living among others. The apostles preaching there causes trouble among the groups so Jesus takes the apostles over there to address the situation.

He cures a deaf mute. The people who were squabbling with Jesus and each other take notice. He begins teaching and over a days time a massive crowd collects. Could it be around 5000? Sound familiar?

The boy with the 5 loaves and 2 fish shows up giving what little he has. The apostles go the practical route seeing there is no way they can feed them. Then Jesus who had fed the crowd spiritually turns to feeding them physically. The amazement of the apostles shows you how they likely would have responded. A short narrative in the gospels is converted to a believable story that could very well have been how it happened. It showed how a miracle like that made sense and further Jesus' goal of bringing everyone to him.

That alone would have made this one of the top episodes to date and then they transition to the walking on water scene. Thomas' line, "How is this the second most incredible thing I've seen today!" Is perfect, yet Jesus and Simon's interaction is so touching.

Jenkins adds a lot of non-góspel storytelling to The Chosen. I was a bit confused by the whole Simon and Eden relationship going south post miscarriage. Simon is wandering the streets and interacting with the Roman soldier. It seemed like an unneeded distraction. Yet that is what led to the most touching interaction between Jesus and Simon. He asks in the water and then I. The boy why is he curing all these strangers and didn't step in to help him. I always wondered why Peter asks Jesus to get him walking on the water. I always saw this as an interesting magic trick. I wondered why that happened like it did.

Jenkins explained one reason why it might have happened. And the Simon repeating over and over again, "Don't let me go. Don't let me go." With Eden in the temple cleansing herself was was so well done. It had me in tears.

BTW, the walking in water special effects we masterfully done. You believe it was happening and they were in no way a distraction.

Not only is this one excellent film making, but it's uplifting scripture stories true to the gospel that enables me to grow in my faith walk.

Can't wait for season 4.

Well-Intended, But...

[wilsonhickman · 2/10 · 4 August 2023]

This is not a review I ever hoped to write. As someone who thoroughly enjoyed the first two season of The Chosen, I had high hopes for the third season, and although the show delivered its usual offering of powerful emotions and creative storytelling, it took (in my mind) its first major misstep.

It was not the controversial "I am the law of Moses" line. In fact, the episode in which this line occurs was-in my opinion-the best episode of the entire series. Instead, Season 3's biggest misstep was the storyline of Simon and Eden's marriage woes, particularly Eden's miscarriage.

Up front, I must be clear that this storyline is not bad in and of itself. Quite the opposite-this plot line doubtlessly resonated with many viewers, and I am glad that a show as popular as The Chosen is serving as a platform of Christian love for those who have suffered such tragedies. And yet...from a purely biblical/historical perspective, does this storyline belong in the show? Remember that The Chosen invites us to "see Jesus through the eyes of those who knew Him," and we have strong reason to believe that the way Simon Peter sees Jesus this season is not how history truly unfolded.

Specifically, there are three reasons I believe the miscarriage storyline does the show more harm than good.

1) Eden's tragedy-which is almost certainly fictional-does not enhance the biblical scenes; it distracts from them.

From its very first episode, The Chosen has added backstories, characters, and sometimes entire story arcs that do not appear in the Bible. Yet I feel the storyline of Eden's miscarriage crosses a line that previous creative liberties did not. Specifically, the other "extra biblical details" have (in my mind) served to honor and amplify the biblical events. For example, Simon Peter may or may not have made a deal with the Romans to turn in Jewish fishermen, and Matthew may or may not have taken a personal interest in Peter's debts, as portrayed in Season 1. Yet both of these storylines help to amplify the miraculous catch of fish. Not only is Jesus demonstrating His identity through the miracle, but He is also delivering Simon from his debts and performing a sign that will eventually lead Matthew to follow Him. These storylines enrich the biblical event and make it resonate.

In contrast, Eden's miscarriage effectively steals the spotlight from the biblical two-by-two mission. Granted, the Bible says little about this mission, but The Chosen often expands single sentences from the Bible into memorable stories. It did this in its very first episode with Mary Magdalene. The Bible simply tells us that Jesus cast seven demons out of her, and The Chosen fleshed this one detail into a plausible and powerful episode. It could (and arguably should) have done the same thing with the two-by-two mission, but instead, it opted to focus on Eden's storyline.

And this brings us to the real issue-Simon Peter's wife almost certainly did not have a miscarriage in real life. It is very hard to believe Peter and the other biblical authors would never mention it, particularly since they record Peter's mother-in-law being healed. One would think Eden's miscarriage-and the lasting trauma endured by the couple-would be at least as noteworthy as Peter's mother-in-law having a fever.

And yet The Chosen not only includes this fictional storyline but elevates it as the main focus of Season 3. As a consequence, the biblical miracles it does portray are cast in a negative light. When Episode 5 opens with Eden having a miscarriage and closes with a shot of Eden looking sad and lonely, it is hard to feel joyful during the middle of the episode when Jesus heals Veronica and raises Jairus' daughter. These miracles deserve to be portrayed as the Bible presents them-as beautiful examples of Christ's love. Instead, The Chosen sets them up as a mere catalyst for the question "Why did Jesus help these people, but not Eden's baby?" And this is a question we shouldn't even be asking. The Bible raises enough hard questions about life without a TV show having to invent one.

Likewise, the much-anticipated feeding of the 5,000 has the life sucked out of it when the show forces us to see it from Peter's bitter perspective. We are encouraged not to marvel at Jesus' power but to be angry with Him for not helping Eden. The same goes for (spoilers) the climactic scene of Jesus walking on water. Here, the show's ability to make us see Jesus through the disciples' eyes backfires, and it becomes too easy to view Jesus as cold and uncaring as He stands at a distance from Peter in the heavy storm. Are we really to imagine that Peter was yelling questions to Jesus about a miscarriage when he walked on water, and the New Testament authors just edited that out?

2) Simon Peter's long-term character development is now based on a purely fictional event.

Peter is obviously a "main character" of the New Testament and thus of The Chosen as well. The Bible admittedly tells us little about his emotional ups and downs during Christ's three-year ministry, but we know he argued with Jesus at times and eventually grew scared enough to deny Him.

The Chosen had a powerful opportunity to forge a brotherhood between Peter and Judas with the two-by-two mission. Imagine an episode of Peter and Judas doing ministry together and becoming close-so close that Peter would be shocked, even heartbroken, by Judas' eventual betrayal of Christ. Such a storyline would serve to amplify the biblical narrative.

Instead, The Chosen made Peter's biggest character-defining moment in this season (and possibly the entire show!) consist of a purely fictional event. This strikes me as problematic. Unless Peter decides to never mention the miscarriage after Season 3 (which seems unlikely), this will be a tragedy that radically affects who he is and how he behaves for the rest of the show. And yet-as mentioned above-the miscarriage is never even hinted at in the Bible. Why couldn't the show draw from actual biblical events, such as the two-by-two mission, to shape Peter's character instead of inventing a tragedy that almost certainly never happened?

3) Eden's tragedy is the main storyline of Season 3, while Seasons 1 and 2 had a biblical event as their main storyline.

Season 1 told the unfolding narrative of Jesus gradually revealing Himself as the Messiah and calling His earliest disciples in the process. We were introduced to Peter, Matthew, Mary Magdalene, and others-all in the context of signs and wonders that Jesus actually performed in the Bible. Season 1 memorably ended with Jesus talking to the woman at the well and finally revealing Himself as the Messiah. While extra-biblical details were added along the way, none of them "stole the spotlight" from this Messianic focus but rather enhanced it.

Season 2 continued the narrative of Jesus calling the apostles, simultaneously building to the famous Sermon on the Mount. Along the way, it sparked controversy with Jesus rehearsing for His sermon, being questioned about the sermon by John the Baptizer, and enlisting Matthew as His scribe. But the point remains that Season 2's central focus was a biblical event-the Sermon on the Mount. And it found clever ways to introduce biblical figures, such as Judas, as it told that overarching story.

Season 3, on the other hand, seems to have no central focus on a biblical event. This season is not about how Jesus' sermon affected people; the Sermon on the Mount is barely mentioned after Episode 2. This season is not about Jesus being rejected at Nazareth; that event takes place in Episode 3 and seemingly has no lasting impact. This season is not about the feeding of the 5,000 or Jesus walking on water; those events are a dramatic way to close the season, but one would be hard-pressed to say the season was visibly building to them.

The simple fact is that Season 3 could-and should-have been about the disciples' two-by-two mission. We should have seen (and heard) them putting the Sermon on the Mount into action, as Matthew did in Season 3's wonderful second episode. We should have seen the disciples struggling with their feelings of unworthiness and self-doubt as they acted as Christ's hands and feet. Instead, the show's creators teased the two-by-two mission as a major story arc, only to shove it aside to make room for Simon and Eden's tragedy. As a result, we ended up with a season of The Chosen that is primarily about nothing that happened in the Bible.

The above points may sound harsh, so I want to reiterate-I love The Chosen and I think the creators' hearts were in the right place as they crafted this season. They wanted to shed light on tragedies that are all too often ignored. Eden's story certainly does that. And yet...a show that is purportedly about Jesus and why He came to earth is simply the wrong place to invent such a story, especially when it distracts from biblical events and totally redefines actual figures from history.

In short, Season 3 of The Chosen told a well-intended story. But it wasn't a biblical story. And for a show that centers on biblical history, that story felt out of place. Hopefully future seasons will recapture the emphasis on bringing the Bible to life instead of using the Bible as a platform to tell fictional stories.

Incredible

[artem-nerd · 12 February 2023]

If you don't shed at least one tear in this episode, especially near the end, then you're a psychopath. The way this episode portrayed the struggle between Simon, Jesus and Eden is very well done. The heartbreaking tragedy that is Eden's miscarriage and Simon's doubts of Jesus's benevolence is told at a very appropriate pace, and the lesson that's revealed as to why we suffer and why we struggle being to strengthen us really resonated with me. The cherry on top would be Simon's actor's acting skills here. Remarkably moving and a real tear-jerker. I also absolutely love that they included several amazing miracles in this episode. This is how every season finale should be for this show. Splendid. Can't wait for season 4.