Spoiler warning: This article contains light spoilers from ‘The Chosen: Last Supper’
Audiences watching the fifth season of “The Chosen” will settle into their seats with “a hindsight of 2,000 years of analysis and thought and study” of the biblical stories depicted in Season 5, Noah James, who plays Andrew, told the Deseret News ahead of the world premiere of the “The Chosen: Last Supper.”
While filming the series, director Dallas Jenkins frequently reminded the cast that their characters are not aware “Jesus is going to die” in a matter of days, George H. Xanthis, who plays John, said.
“It’s like a domino effect as all the disciples catch on to what Jesus has been saying,” Xanthis said.
As John and the other disciples attempt to understand the message Jesus has been sharing with them, their growing confusion gives way to some “tumultuous” and “fiery moments,” Xanthis added.
Watching the events of Season 5 unfold is “honestly a painful process to see,” said James.
“We now know where the story ends up, and not just at the crucifixion, but beyond,” he continued. “But as characters, you’re trying to piece it together ... we could be maybe losing the person that we’re all following at the moment. It’s really painful.”
Audiences might “forget that Jesus was with his closest friends the week that he was going to die,” Jenkins noted. “What does it mean for them when they clearly aren’t understanding what’s going to happen, but they’re still following, even though they don’t understand?”
Shahar Isaac portrays that lack of understanding in his character, Peter, with a feeling that “everything is falling apart” and “the character kind of loses a little bit of the grasp on reality.”
Mary Magdalene understands what events are to come early into Season 5 when she overhears Jesus “essentially say that he’s going to die soon,” Elizabeth Tabish said in reference to her character.
“So we see her kind of leave the group and in moments and have this mission that she’s trying to stop this from happening,” Tabish said.
She continued, “She’s getting out of her comfort zone, and she’s facing some fears and confronting some situations that would normally trigger her ... she’s really focused on what needs to be done, and that’s a very different side.”
Throughout Season 5, audiences will see Matthew “just take a back seat,” Paras Patel, who plays Matthew, said.
“(Matthew) wants to make sure he is not missing any of the details, keeping every record intact, but he’s also trying to process it all. Because Matthew is very factual. He needs evidence,” Patel said.
“He’s really just trying to understand,” Patel continued. “He’s also feeling things and wants guidance, wants reassurance, but he’s also leaning into that as a source of strength for him to kind of be his own person.”
Season 5 of the biblical drama features “big, epic moments that we all know and we’ve all heard about — but especially you’re going to get to see the intimacy and the authenticity and the relationships,” Jenkins said.
He continued, “The moments that you’ve heard about from scripture are there. They’re significant. We do them in a really cool way, but ultimately you’re going to be in the story. And you can see this from a human perspective.”
When does ‘The Chosen: Last Supper — Part 2′ come out?
Part 2 of “The Chosen: Last Supper” will be released in theaters on Friday, April 4.
Like previous seasons of “The Chosen,” all episodes of the fifth season will be released exclusively in theaters before launching on streaming platforms.
Below are the official theatrical release dates for “The Chosen” Season 5 in the United States and Canada:
- Part 1, Episodes 1-2: March 28
- Part 2, Episodes 3-5: April 4
- Part 3, Episodes 6-8: April 11
The fifth season will be available in full in theaters on Palm Sunday (April 13) and Easter weekend (April 19-20).
No official dates for the streaming release of “The Chosen” Season 5 have been announced yet.