I finally watched Season One of “The Chosen” this spring. The historical drama portrays Jesus of Nazareth’s life. The first eight episodes highlight the beginning moments of the Lord’s public ministry.

Religious movies typically seek to balance Biblical accuracy with entertainment value. The 1997 film, “Jesus of Nazareth” came the closest to maintaining the dynamic tension in a creative way. Other works have not impressed me

Church members and staff encouraged me to watch the show. I binge-watched Season One, which inspired mixed thoughts and emotions:

• I celebrate the series introduced millions to Jesus’ story
• The core of the episodes preserves the Lord’s words and deeds.
  The writers took great dramatic license adding large amounts of non-Biblical content.
• The use of idiomatic English felt jarring.
• The show depicts Matthew with Asperger’s Syndrome, which provides an intriguing explanation for the first Gospel’s length and detail.
• The casting director appropriately chose non-white actors to portray Jesus and the disciples.
• Unlike other New Testament movies, the Roman soldiers did not speak with British accents!

“The Chosen” possesses poignant moments that touched my heart and soul; but much of the extra-Biblical material and character development fell flat for me.

Here’s my advice: if you like the series, read the Book.