Few shows are able to cause such a confusion in the world as the ones that strike the issues of faith and religion. The creators of the new Netflix series were well aware of this, putting on the controversial subject in robes straight from another high-profile production: Homeland .
The whole thing is based on inquiring which version of the presented events is true and constantly sowing seeds of doubt in us. And there may be many alternative proposals, because the plot of the Messiah from the first episode hits with the power of the waterfall, without playing with excessive exposure. This is because in the Middle East there appears a man reciting the words of the Koran and the Bible (phenomenal Mehdi Dehbi) around whom inexplicable things happen – a 40-day sandstorm from nowhere or miraculous healings that stops the ISIS offensive. The rapidly growing group of believers calls him the Messiah, and the disturbed geopolitical order soon means that he will soon be targeted by CIA agents, including the relentless Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan).
Source: eklecty-city.fr
Worldview puzzle
Even before the premiere, Michael Petroni’s series managed to disturb religious circles. Catholics recognized it as a dangerous thing, and Jordan wanted to ban its emission because it was incompatible with the teachings of Islam. While it is impossible not to consider such reactions to be overly paranoid, in some respects they are not surprised. The Messiah deliberately presents a unifying approach, drawing on the common points of religion, avoids openly taking sides, and yet he can be extremely blunt in pointing equally to the manipulation of society, fanaticism and ideological class divisions. Apart from that, however, the key element of the new Netflix production remains the question: who is he?
And it must be admitted that the creators do not make it easier for us to find the answer, quite the opposite. Like the heroes, we have to follow only circumstantial evidence throughout the lion’s share of the first series, in order to rely on what we want to believe in the end. There are a lot of misleading clues here, and in addition they are often completely contradicting each other – doubts arise all the time. Messiah? Antichrist? Or maybe an ordinary swagger, implementing absolute anarchy? It is extremely effective in performance and although it is difficult to judge whether at some point the creators are simply exaggerating with the multitude of questions, it effectively evokes the syndrome of “one more episode”.
Source: newsweek.com
What went wrong
This does not mean, however, that the series avoided any stumbles. , The script focuses on the other characters in the drama and their own problems as much, if not more, than the fascinating character of the Messiah himself. For example, we have a seemingly tough but struggling with the impossibility of having children, a CIA agent, a pastor who regains faith in God, or a demon-chased “special task man” of Israeli intelligence. While the very attempt to build a sufficiently deep character of the characters can be praised, the execution is a bit worse. None of the stories feel particularly original. So you get the impression that instead of evolving, the heroes follow predetermined and highly predictable tracks.
Source: thrillist.com
The first of the great?
Even so, The Messiah remains a show worth taking a look at – and not just because of the controversy. This is a textbook-based political thriller with a metaphysical plot in the background, a well-performed team of actors and a sufficiently ambiguous story for us to wonder for some time after the screening how the world would react if the story really happened. Could it be, then, a candidate for the lists of the best series in 2020?
