The Chosen (TV Series) Invitations (2019) User Reviews

Very moving..

[sandrarj-26407 · 10/10 · 30 August 2020]

I'm pretty sure there was not one episode where I did not cry.. I was very moved. Very grateful for these series.. truly God is doing something new! :D

So moving

[elizabethward-660-300611 · 10/10 · 28 May 2020]

This episode is beyond moving. The climax of it, Jesus and Nicodemus meeting by night, is handled in a way that is bold and very different from the usual portrayal.

whow !

[Kirpianuscus · 1 May 2021]

A heartbreathing episode. I expected the meeting between Jesus and Matthew. And it is reflected just great, music having not small contribution. I imaginated the meeting between The Savior and Nicodemus. And this is jeast admirable. An episode about options and faith. And about the night , on a roof , talk between The Son of God and a Pharisei and a tax collector, so precise in each word , gesture, so prudent who, after he see his mother, makes a great, fundamental choice who becomes realistic and so powerful for the absence of radical explanations. The reaction of Apostles, yes, it is is the key. Short, just a gem.

Nicodemus meets Jesus

[l-perez-dancer · 9/10 · 22 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.

Episode 7 - Nicodemus meets with Jesus. This episode is very well done. The writers' depiction of Nicodemus is very well written. Mary Magdalen did not arrange the meeting, but that's not an issue to me. Only one small detail; the writers add that Jesus tells Nicodemus "come see the Kingdom I am bringing into this world". The thing is that the Scriptures inform us over and over that this world needs to be eliminated for God's Kingdom to come "on Earth as it is in Heaven". I do love how the writers incorporated Psalm 2:12 into the account, even though that is not in the Scriptural passage of the meeting. That said, there are no embellishments in this episode which are objectionable other than the recurring ones I stated in previous episodes; the names of Christ and his Father as well as the dress and grooming.

Biblical content in this episode; 20% John 3:1-21 has the entire meeting with Nicodemus so that you can see what is Gospel and what is embellishment.

Just gets better!

[mm-39 · 9/10 · 10 August 2023]

Invitations was well directed, and acted. The disciples trying to figure and believe who Jesus is? There is the Jewish elder trying to find and meet Jesus. Matthew acts as a tax collector and measure Jesus as a tax collector would. There was the invitation with the hated tax collector house, which causes a stir. The characters, parables, and discussions are done close with the biblical teaching. There was the Jewish church scholars in the back ground asking, questions, and suspiciousness of Jesus. Invitation episode builds on the others as series progresses threw the gospels. Well done 8 or 9 stars out of 10.

Best acting in the season, and decent writing

[yavermbizi · 8/10 · 18 August 2021]

My overall rating of "The chosen"'s Season 1: 4/10.

"The chosen" hasn't given me too much to appreciate in terms of acting - it hosts some absolutely wooden actors. Perhaps this episode only appears so great because it concentrates on the best-acted characters: Gaius, Quintus, Matthew, Nicodemus, with a bit of Simon (Mary of Magdala also is present, but doesn't get to do much acting). These actors deliver performances that would be considered good even in a vacuum, but with the lacklustre acting surrounding them in this series, they shine very brightly. These characters are great.

My criticisms would lie primarily with some plotpoints/writing. The majority of it was fairly strong and we witness some great scenes: Quintus' visiting Nicodemus, Jesus' meeting Matthew etc. I wasn't particularly sold on Nicodemus' being so ready to believe that Jesus was a son of God (rather than, at most, a Messiah) earlier, and in this episode it comes to the fore. Nicodemus assumed a few things about Jesus and never clarified them with him, nor really interrogated him as to the theological significance. Nicodemus seemed more swayed by Jesus' charisma (which I personally can't say I've felt that much - if nothing else, I think Nicodemus is the more charismatic of the two) than by what should be the important stuff to him - the words of the Jewish Law. Additionally, the starting scene with Moses was strange, and I had questions as to both historical and biblical aspects of it.

Finally, Jesus saying: "Get used to different" would have to count among the lowest points of the series. This phrase is so bad I'm surprised that Jesus' followers didn't immediately abandon him; and if these words had made it into the Bible, Christianity never would've taken off.