‘The Chosen: The Last Supper’ Season 5 Premiere Lives Up To The Pre-Easter Hype
(REVIEW) There’s seemingly no stopping “The Chosen.” It feels like only yesterday the series was a crowdfunded faith-based Jesus show from the director of “The Resurrection of Gavin Stone” and backed by the small, independent Angel Studios. Now, the star who plays Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) is doing guest spots on Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show,” “Good Morning America” and “The View.”
At the same time, iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz makes “The Chosen” posters that are splashed on billboards in Times Square. Showrunner Dallas Jenkins is doing interviews on “The Jordan Peterson Podcast.” His production company is launching a whole “Chosen Universe” of sequels and spinoff projects. And Amazon is officially partnering with the series in a wide-ranging exclusive deal that involves future projects.
“The Chosen” is a rare faith-based project beloved by Christians and non-Christians, Catholics and Protestants, political conservatives and liberals. It’s been praised by figures like Paul Schraeder, Bishop Robert Barron and Greg Laurie.
The evangelical-Catholic crossover appeal is certainly helped by the fact that Jenkins is an evangelical and Roumie a Catholic. It’s also a testament to the seriousness with which filmmakers take quality storytelling and fidelity to quality biblical interpretation. (Jenkins’ round tables with his Protestant, Catholic and Jewish biblical consultants are sometimes even more interesting than the show itself!)
Having written about “The Chosen” since the very beginning, there’s something particularly gratifying about the series’ success. I’ve both praised “The Chosen” and criticized it. For me, the show has been nowhere near perfect. But it’s always been good, and light years ahead of where most faith-based film industry content was. And its success was repudiation of two very common claims: It’s not true that (as non-Christians would say) it is impossible to make a quality creative work about Jesus that would satisfy Christians; and it’s also not true that (as Christians would say) non-Christians will hate a Christian thing no matter the quality simply because it’s, well, Christian.
That said, as the show’s profile rises and more people discover it, so do the stakes. Can “The Chosen” live up to the unimaginable hype?
The fifth season premiere is great, and the best opener to a “The Chosen” season yet. Everything good about the series is here, and most of the weaknesses I’ve critiqued over the past four seasons are all but absent.
Season 5 — titled “The Chosen: The Last Supper” (not to be confused with Chris Tomlin’s Jesus movie “The Last Supper,” which also premiered in theaters this month) — picks up right where last season left off, following Jesus and the disciples as he marches into Jerusalem during Holy Week, exciting his followers and forcing his enemies to act. As Jesus' disciples anticipate what this means for him and them, Jesus prepares himself for the grim fate that he knows awaits him.
Photo courtesy of “The Chosen.”
‘Actual cinema’ quality
One of the first things that stands out about this season is how much more cinematically confident it feels compared to previous years. While earlier seasons were well-made and often excitedly experimented artistically — such as with the second season’s one-shot and third season’s black-and-white silent opener — these opening episodes aren't as flashy, but they are clearly crafted by filmmakers who have honed their craft over time.
Every filmmaking choice — from when to hold a take versus when to cut, when to stay close and when to pull back, to how to pace and light everything — shows a team that has spent the last several years refining their skills. This is the first season opener where I had a “film bro” moment and thought to myself, “This might actually be cinema.”
This season also benefits from a brilliant format that makes it stand out. The entire story takes place over a single week, and each episode (that I’ve watched so far) opens with a scene from the Last Supper, incorporating pieces of Jesus’ famous words from that night.
Normally, I’m not a fan of when “The Chosen” opens its episodes with flash-forwards, as I feel it slows down the momentum. But here, it works. First, the scenes are so moody and dramatic that they effectively build tension. Second, there’s so much to cover with Jesus’ Last Supper that this was probably the only way to fit it all in.
And “slow” is definitely not a criticism that can be leveled against the premiere. From the opening scene through both episodes, the show maintains its energy. Right from Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, you feel the palpable sense of danger and excitement. Jesus is proclaiming his kingship, which sets him on a collision course with the ruling powers in Jerusalem.
When Jesus tells the Pharisees that if he stopped his followers from proclaiming “Hosanna,” the stones would cry out (Luke 19:40), and then keeps riding like a boss, you share in the disciples' pumped-up enthusiasm.
Photo courtesy of “The Chosen.”
Jesus balances goodness and authority
By far the most impressive aspect of the premiere is its portrayal of Jesus. Roumie and the writers’ treatment of Jesus has always been the show’s secret weapon. I have mentioned that this show has created the gold standard for portraying Jesus on screen, balancing the goodness and authority of his divine nature with the warmth and likability of his human side.
However, the first season focused (with some exceptions) on how Jesus appeared through the disciples' eyes, and later seasons didn’t delve much deeper into his character, to the point where he sometimes almost felt like a parody of himself. Last season, though, made progress by showing Jesus’ grief in anticipation of the cross and his anger at his disciples for not understanding.
This season, the weight of Jesus’ impending death is front and center, and both the writers and Roumie nail it. The actor brings new depth to his portrayal of Jesus, showing layers of fear, resigned gloom and growing resolve all at once, as Jesus prepares for his Passion. The writers give him ample time, both in public and in private, to explore how Jesus sees himself and how others perceive him. His interaction with the newlywed couple is a particular highlight, as are his visions of Jerusalem in the future.
The dynamics among the apostles are more fluid and fleshed out than ever before. After five seasons, the disciples truly feel like a cohesive group. I can now easily distinguish each of them — and they feel like a real family whose interactions I love watching.
The scene with Peter after he’s finished preaching made me laugh several times and made it clear that these are friends and brothers. Peter and Mary are particularly well developed in this season, with Peter balancing his growth with his tendency to mess up, and Mary’s closeness to Jesus helping her gain insights that others miss.
These two episodes also place Jesus' final antagonists front and center, giving each of them dynamic, varied personalities that play off one another. Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas and Herod each represent different factions of the ruling powers against Jesus: The Romans, the Jewish religious leaders and the Romanized Herod, respectively. They give the audience different perspectives on the forces arrayed against Jesus and offer a glimpse into humanity’s potential rejection of Him. Each antagonist is handled with deft complexity.
Framing the season as one long week allows the opening to breathe while keeping the story focused. Extended conversations can unfold without feeling rushed. At the same time, everything is tied to a clear goal and timeframe, so nothing feels lost or meandering.
Finally, the build-up to Jesus turning over the tables in the temple is a welcome one. Some versions of this event, like in films such as “The Last Temptation of Christ,” treat it almost as an impulsive outburst of rage, a break from his usual kind character. However, “The Chosen” presents it as a deliberate act by a man making a statement, one he is reluctant to make because he understands the consequences. This portrayal is not only theologically more plausible — why would we believe in a savior who loses control? — but also more narratively exciting. It allows the moment to serve as a climax in the tension that has been building for five seasons.
This latest installment of “The Chosen” is a testament to how the faith-based industry can evolve in quality and how both Christians and non-Christians will embrace it when it does. It also demonstrates how individual faith-based creators and audiences can grow when given the freedom to do so. With the Season 5 premiere, “The Chosen” is no longer just good faith-based TV — it’s simply good TV.
“The Chosen: The Last Supper, Part One” (Season 5, Episodes 1-2) will be in theaters nationwide on March 28. Part Two (Episodes 3-5) will be released April 4 and Part Three (Episodes 6-8) will follow on April 11.
Joseph Holmes is an award-nominated filmmaker and culture critic living in New York. He is co-host of the podcast “The Overthinkers” and its companion website theoverthinkersjournal.world, where he discusses art, culture and faith with his fellow overthinkers. His other work and contact info can be found at josephholmesstudios.com.