“The Messiah” on Netflix
The series tries to be inclusive, but it is not
“The Messiah” is a series which pokes, prods, and provokes. Instead of simply committing to one narrative, it continuously adds parts to the story making one question what’s really going on. It can be quite frustrating.
And that could be the point.
The series begins with Eva Geller of the CIA, played quite seriously by the engaging Michelle Monaghan, interviewing a job candidate who says that the truth can vary. Season 1 ends with that same sentiment — an ambiguity as to what is true.
The plane carrying Al-Masih, played perfectly by Mehdi Dehbi, and Aviram Dahan, played by Tomer Sisley, crashes. It happens to crash into a field of roses in the desert, and a boy rushes over to tell Aviram that he was dead, and Al-Masih brought him back to life after touching him.
But is that what happened?
The series sets the boy up as an exaggerator — if not, in fact, an outright liar. With this context, it’s possible that everyone survived the plane crash and Aviram was simply knocked out for a moment.
The entire season of “The Messiah” is filled with people’s perspectives while never completely filling in the gaps. It is this ambiguity that allows the series to take any direction it…
