“The Chosen: Last Supper Part 2” Review: Drama offers a captivating look at the apostles

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The days leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection were tremendously important days in the history of Christianity. These were the days that precipitated the son of God’s execution and the final ones that Jesus spent with his apostles before he died and rose from the dead.

The Chosen: Last Supper chronicles those days. The three-part theatrical experience features all of the episodes of the fifth season of The Chosen, a television drama that chronicles the life of Jesus while focusing on his apostles and the surrounding community. The Chosen: Last Supper Part One, which arrived in theaters on March 28, featured the first two episodes of the season. The Chosen: Last Supper Part Two, which arrived in theaters last Friday, features episodes 3, 4, and 5. Part Three, which arrives in theaters on Friday, will feature the season’s final three episodes.

Although the middle of a show’s season can sometimes lag, Part 2 seldom does as the film explores the days preceding Jesus’ arrest. It’s here where the seriousness of what is to come is laid bare. At the beginning of Part 2, Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) makes it clear that his life as a man on Earth is coming to an end. While the apostles slowly begin to accept that reality, the Pharisees plot to undermine Jesus.

To its credit, Part 2 focuses on the apostles as they try to understand God's plan. They are surprised by Jesus' frustrations boiling over with the temple merchants and confused when he talks about his end drawing near. Although we—as audience members-- know what’s to come, the apostles didn’t and the filmmakers capture that uneasiness rising up in the apostles who have pledged their lives to Jesus the Nazarene. While John (George H. Xanthis) is steadfast in his pure love for Jesus, Peter (Shahar Isaac) is hesitant and Judas (Luke Dimyan) is openly hostile, wondering about his purpose in the group when Jesus doesn’t heed his advice.    

 While it may be easy to read about Christ’s last days in the Bible, it’s more difficult to fully understand the characters involved. This feature helps capture the apostles and Jesus' followers as real, breathing individuals. Amongst the apostles, there's a focus on the personal relationships at play. There are rivalries, jokes and divisions between them but at the heart of it is great affection. That affection extends to the relationship between Jesus and Judas, which is seldom focused on in pop culture. Jesus loved Judas despite knowing what was to come and that relationship — fraught with tension — is captured in several intriguing scenes here.

Even the Pharisees -- who could be depicted as one-note villains -- are portrayed here as people who are so adamant about their way of doing things that they can't accept or even understand Jesus' teachings. The Pharisees aren't given a lot of nuance here but the show's writers do provide them with a little bit of understanding, showing that these figures were driven by more than just pure hatred.      

In addition to capturing the personal qualities of the  apostles, Part 2 also keeps a focus on the faith of the men and women around Jesus. The repeated use of Dayenu prayers around the dining tables beautifully captures the power of faith. 

The Chosen Last Supper Part 2 is admittedly only one part of a larger story. Those unfamiliar with the series might be unable to understand all of the nuances of the characters or all of the stories that came before. However, even for non-viewers of the program, Part 2 offers a beautiful reminder of what the Bible tells us about the last days of Christ’s human life on Earth. It also offers a nuanced and compelling look at the people who were around Jesus on his last days on Earth and what they might’ve gone through during those tumultuous and uneasy times.