Netflix started this year with a release of a highly controversial original show called Messiah. What other than controversy could you possibly expect when you title your series MESSIAH in 2020?
The basic plot of the messiah is the second coming of al-Masih/the Messiah/ Jesus into the modern world. The show is capturing society’s reaction to him. Al-Masih comes out of nowhere, he’s incredibly charismatic, preaches God’s word and the masses follow him. He performs miracles with the whole world watching thanks to social media and television.
Sadly, Netflix gave up the major spoiler away in the trailer and the whole Messiah promo for this show was build up around one question.
Is hE rEaLLy wHo hE SaYs hE iS?
So from the first moment, you’re suspicious.
Messiah is portrayed by Mehdi Dehbi and even by his name you can tell he’s a middle eastern man. Every single media out there is programming you to be suspicious of a brown man. Netflix is part of the propaganda.
People all around the internet collectively agree that the Messiah Mehdi Dehbi is hot as fuck. If you try to look for an intellectual take on the messiah series you might not find one. But you sure as hell gonna find hundreds of viewers thirsting for new Jesus.
It’s an American show so naturally, you expect anti-Muslim propaganda, and yeah, you sort of get it, but not in as wide rage as I was expecting it to be.
The story is the same every time and no one buys it anymore.
White CIA agents are trying to save the world from an evil Muslim man, even though this man could be God himself.
It’s 10 episodes where al-Masih is helping people and trying to achieve world peace, while the CIA and media are trying to discredit him.
I still don’t know whether he’s a good guy or the bad guy. True messiah or antichrist. What I know for sure is that I loved the religious site of the show and the way it fucks you up.
It perfectly shows what would happen if Christ did come back in 2020 and the desperate need for him to do so.
The word about Jesus being back would spread by the speed of light because of social media.
Every other person would try to disprove his being and everyone would have a say on how a Messiah should act. If he’s not according to our expectations, he’s not the one.
There are strong arguments for him being a true savior and strong ones for him not being one as well. The show itself wants you to believe he’s an imposter and that makes you believe he’s true God’s sent.
My favorite take from the series on whether he is or isn’t true messiah is:
I’m afraid he might be.
People need someone to follow. Someone who’s gonna fixes their mess for them.
That’s why it was so easy for them to believe the first guy to claim to be the messiah, even though al-Masih never claimed to be one. Just the messenger, God’s servant.
Al-Masih brings down many mind-blowing speeches that leave you questioning everything. The one about the borders. The other about worshiping. Just superb.
He’s performing the standard miracles. You know, the resurrection or walking on water while being filmed on Instagram when the word followers get a whole new meaning. He knows everything about everyone and that’s scaring the crap out of them.
He’s human, he has a name, brother, parents, history. Al-Masih is an illusionist, magician, and a psychiatric patient associated with Russia.
It is like a game. How many villain cliches can you put into this character?
What’s new though is giving out the spoiler in the main character’s name. Al-Masih’s full name Al–Masih ad-Dajjal literally means false prophet. What an anticlimax.
What I love about the show is that they didn’t let their characters speak English all of a sudden. It was so refreshing to finally hear people speak Arabic without it being associated with anger or violence. I read many responses of people being surprised by how beautiful the Arabic language is. The rest kept bitching about reading the subtitles.
Honestly, I’ll never understand Americans’ aversion to subtitles.
There were many minor characters whose purpose I did not fully understand.
Like Rebecca, an angsty teenager whose epilepsy has a seemingly higher purpose.
Then there is Jibril who many believe might be the true messiah but his full potential has not yet been revealed to him. He’s just a kid who manages to lead the mass of people through the borders. His miracle behind mirrored with al-Masih walking on water miracle must have some deeper meaning and let me just say those two were incredibly made.
His faith is admirable and his relationship with his friend Samir is so pure. The heavy reality of kids being manipulated by ideology is so strong with Samir and he deserved better. All of the youngsters of the show are strongly influenced by the beliefs of the others and I’m just missing the bigger picture here.
Is the show trying to show the absurdity of it? The need for a leader or strong figures for kids? Need for a savior? Something to believe in? I have no idea…
The cast and the performance are spectacular though.
I’m just worried al-Masih is confirmed dajjal and creators gonna cast white Jesus to make a point.
It’s like for the first time someone finally listens and acts on true representation on Biblical figures but back out the last minutes and turns brown Jesus into an antichrist, just to play it safe and please their targeted audience.
The show might not be 100% accurate but I admire their boldness in representing Islam, Judaism, and Catholicism without calling any of them out. All of them have their own story of the second coming and the fake prophet that’s coming. It’s incredible how al-Masih represents all of them.
I was stunned when he claimed to be “walking with all man” when being asked about his religion. What a diplomat.
We end season one with the false Messiah resurrecting everyone from a crashed plane while all of the people who believed in the second coming, left everything and followed the messiah to turn their back on him when the media revealed his human self.
Netflix hasn’t confirmed season 2 yet. I have zero ideas where would season 2 go with the story but I’m so excited to fund out more. It’s a story that could never get old and has a great number of possible representations.
It’s just so weird and you can’t stop watching or thinking about it. No matter if you’re religious, what religion you believe in, or if none, this show will fuck you up.
9/10
It was a hugely thought-provoking series. I liked the President’s one-on-one with the Messiah. Disappointing that the scriptwriters had to trot out the standard nonsense about Russia somehow operating in the background. The final scenes with the crashed plane were outstanding. Would definitely watch Series 2, if it transpires. Thanks for the review.
I saw some trailers on Netflix. What people still have not understood is that the Messiah does not come to fix their problems, he comes to give them the strength to fix them themselves. I am sure that mankind will crucify Christ again, especially in God’s own country … 😉 … Christ is crucified every day over and over again …
I have not seen nether have my colleagues. We hope the film is biblically correct. ❤️
When Jesus does finally return, this coronavirus horseman of the apocalypse will become a footnote as history gives way to eternity! 🙂