Joan's Take on The Chosen

It’s the final episode of Season 5, which means the final episode of Joan’s Take on the Chosen… for now. (maybe we’ll do something before season 6, who knows. It’s a long time - I might not be able to stay away from talking about The Chosen!) Let’s look at the Agony in the Garden (which I submit is the hardest scene of Jesus’ life to put on film) and my guess at who Atticus is… I think I nailed it...

The Son of God humbly washes feet… but allowing him to do so requires the virtue of humility as well. We do a little dive into what the washing of the feet means (the primary message in John, but also some possible allusions in the OT, too!), as well as reflect on some powerful moments - Judas getting his feet washed, his conversation with his sister, and a seemingly throw-away line by Peter about...

There’s not a lot to say about this episode. We’ll look at John 15 and what it means to “abide,” I’ll complain about some sluggish plot and unnecessary conversations, and I’ll end by reflecting on something that’s always struck me about Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Looking for Catholic commentary on the Chosen? You’ve come to the right place. This is a public episode. If you would like to di...

There are things we don’t understand about Judas - and never will. But let’s look at Scripture and see how we might be able to trace his fall. As always, we want to use The Chosen to ask ourselves the hard questions, too: “Surely it is not I, Lord?” The audience of Pope Leo that I reference is here . If you’re looking for a Catholic commentary of The Chosen, you’ve come to the right place! This is...

Some truly powerful scenes in this episode - Judas and Peter, Judas and Jesus, the “last supper” with the female disciples … so much to chew on. (and let’s face it, regardless of the fact that the Dayenu is anachronistic… it still made us weep!) With every scene, with every character, we should be asking ourselves: What would I do in this moment? What do I do in this moment? It’s my opinion that t...

This episode is FULL of Scripture…maybe more than we’ve ever heard in an episode? The drama heats up with the Jewish leadership, too. And they we get a piece of the Mount of Olives discourse, the last discourse in Matthew’s Gospel. How are we to understand it? Don’t forget to like, subscribe, share… all the things! This is a Catholic commentary on the Chosen. We even will dive into the Scriptures...

The Cleansing in the Temple has to be one of the hardest scenes in the Gospels to depict, for a number of reasons. One reason is that Jesus’s motives and message can be skewed or even lost completely. We’ll talk about that and more in this episode … and dive into a bunch of Scripture, both Old and New (like Mark 11, Luke 11:17-19, Isaiah 56: 6-7, Jeremiah 7:11, Zechariah 14:21, Isaiah 66:18-21…) W...

I postponed the return of JTOTC to allow more people to tune into the episodes first- because I love the discussion that happens in the YouTube chat when I have the live broadcasts. But now we’re back and we’re diving into Holy Week. In this episode we chat not only about the entry into Jerusalem and Jesus’ weeping over Jerusalem, but also dive into the Scriptures and the import of those scenes. I...

The last episode for awhile! And we have a lot of characters and scenes to talk about…from the Mary’s anointing to Shmuel to Pilate… every character seems to make an appearance and set the stage for Holy Week! After diving into both the Old and the New Testaments to analyze the episode, I’ll finish up by giving my thoughts about the season as a whole and my big question about next season… Stay in...

John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus and therefore … he delayed his trip to Bethany. Wait, what? Why did Jesus let his friends suffer? This episode tackles that question head on. Why does little James suffer? Why did Mary Magdalene suffer? Why does Thomas suffer? Why does God allow His own Son to suffer? As always, we’ll talk about the high points of the episode and th...

This episode felt a bit “transitional” to set up the last two episodes of the season, although we had some drama in the Temple! We have a lot to talk about, including Hanukkah (where’s that in the bible? And my theory on why they spent so much time telling the story) and Jesus’ radical claims. What did you think of the way the Temple scene played out? Did you like how closely they are following Jo...

This was a mixed episode for me. It had some great parts (don’t you want to party with Lazarus and Jesus? Can someone make some lemon mint bread for me, please?) and it had some dragging “why are we talking about this” parts. Once again, The Chosen does best what it does best: putting right in front of our eyes the lived realities of the implications of Jesus’ words (in this episode, Mt 5:41). In...

I don’t know about you, but I have been waiting for this scene since we met Gaius in Season 1 and we got Matthew 8:5-13 vibes. All in all, I was really pleased with it. So if you get tired of my critical commentary, just hang in there for the end! I think there are three main themes to this episode, so I discuss all three, and also touch on why I’m not happy with frustrated Jesus. Are we in the in...

The ending that shocked the world! We talk about that, of course, but we also talk about John 9 and the incarnational, sacramental aspects of this beautiful miracle. What did you think of the ending? It’s okay if you disagree with me! (Remember, opinions are like feet…) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joanmwa...

This is one of my favorite episodes of Season 4. There are lots of mysteries in life… grief, sin, weakness in the Church, the plan of God… through it all, we must “lean not on our own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5) but follow Christ. How about that depiction of Caesarea Philippi?! It’s clear that someone has been there and knew what the ruins look like. If you want to see pictures, check out this e...

We’re finally back! It’s time to discuss Season 4 of The Chosen! In this episode, we discuss the Visitation (what did you think of Elizabeth? And did you recognize Zechariah from the Geico commercial ?) and some of the scenes that are setting up future themes, including the development of Judas and the side story of Thomas and Ramah… I’ll save my comments there for future episodes. I think there w...

It’s finally time to talk about season four… almost! While I have seen the whole season, Joan’s Take on the Chosen won’t return until the episodes are available to stream. I discuss why in this super-mini-preseason episode/announcement. Don’t worry, no spoilers! When the streaming dates are announced, I’ll announce dates and times for the live YouTube chats–on the heels of which the podcast episod...

I ended this episode doubting if I had done it justice. There are so many powerful spiritual lessons and questions and reminders. Why does God allow suffering? When is faith faith? Simon says he has faith … but is faith really faith without trust? So much. There was a rousing conversation happening in the YouTube chat, so hopefully that’s not distracting on the podcast. I tried to stay on topic! F...

This episode seemed a bit disjointed to me. We start with Purim, but that seems forgotten by the middle of the episode. We have the introduction of a few new characters (one that you might recognize from a looong time ago) and plenty of scenes only intended to set other scenes in motion. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have lot of talk about! Maybe one over-arching theme is what does it mean to be...

“Intensity in Tent City” is a packed episode with so many good conversations between characters and powerful points to ponder. We talk about Claudia and her dream and the figure of Pilate. Why does Mary hold onto her wounds? Why doesn’t Shula ask healing? And so much more… Know someone who watches The Chosen and might enjoy this podcast? Share it! This is a public episode. If you would like to dis...

This second half of “Clean,” gives us two of the most-loved miracles in the Gospels. In this episode, we discuss what connected these two miracles and how what Jesus is doing transcends physical healing. We dive into a lot of Scripture, and we also discuss whether or not we’re okay with unrealistic turns of events and anachronisms for the sake of the story… We see the healing of two daughters… but...

In the first part of this two-episode story (“Clean”), the broken cistern in Capernaum sets up the need for some miracles and brings people together. We discuss a few relationships found in the episode, a few historical inaccuracies, and who Rabbi Yussif and Veronica might end up being… This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episod...

This is a packed episode. There is a lot to discuss from a Catholic point of view, including addressing the reference to James and Jude and a little salvation-justification talk. I also delve into Jesus’ athletic ability and how we continue to grapple with the great mystery of the Incarnation. Some helpful links/resources: Jerome’s letter to Helvidius: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3007.htm Mo...

Once again, this episode is setting up some future storylines. But we still find plenty to talk about: my thoughts on the depiction of Capernaum, some spiritual takeaways from Matthew’s reconciliation with his parents and the call of the disciples, and a particularly powerful scene with little James. Just like last season, if you want to join the conversation live, it all happens over at www.youtu...

We’re back for Season 3! We’ve waited a long time for this, and I think we’re about to be rewarded for that wait. For the last two seasons, I waited to record these podcasts until the season was over. But due to some peer pressure and encouragement, I’ve decided to try to record while the season is unfolding. So I’ll be weighing in not really knowing where we are headed, which is kind of different...