The series The Chosen hit our screens in 2017, and since then it has notched up a huge fan base of Christians and non-Christians alike. Season 3 ended with Christ -- played by Jonathan Roumie -- walking on water, and this new season has been billed as Clashing kingdoms, Rival rulers, with Christ losing support from His followers.
Dallas Jenkins, who wrote, produced and directed the series, has decided to treat fans to a full cinema experience for the latest season, with Fathom Events distributing Season 4 in movie theaters across the world from February 1, 2024, before releasing the show on the regular streaming services.
Cinemas won't show all episodes of the season in one go. Throughout the month of February Episodes 1-3 will be available in theaters in the first two weeks, from February 15 fans can watch Episodes 4-6, and finally, on February 29, Episodes 7 and 8 will be screened.
While it will be a wonderful experience to see the episodes on a big screen -- and of course, to take your kids to see something truly worthy at the cinema -- there is an argument to maybe not watch all episodes in February.
However, if you do decide to go and binge all episodes at the cinema we won't blame you at all -- because we can't promise we won't, either! But here are a few reasons why you should maybe wait, take your time, and watch the season at a slower pace.
1Understand and appreciate
The Chosen painstakingly tries to capture the life of Christ as realistically as possible. By watching the episodes we can get a real appreciation of His life, what He endured, and what He tried to teach us. That's a lot to take on board!
It would therefore be beneficial to watch each episode carefully and try to grasp exactly what was going on at that point in Christ's life.
2Practice patience
Older generations will remember the excitement of waiting for an episode of a favorite series each week. We'd often end an episode on a cliffhanger and have to spend time imagining what would come next. The wait would sometimes be agonizing, and sometimes a bit of an anti-climax, but it certainly gave us a great lesson in patience.
3Foster discussion
One of the positives about television series is the number of conversations that take place about what people think will happen in an upcoming episode. In the case of The Chosen, it's a great way to get people talking about Christ and sharing their knowledge of His life. And this leads on to the final point.
4Encourage curiosity
When you binge watch a series you might be tempted to look ahead to see what happens next. You might also google central characters in a series to learn a little more. Now imagine people watching a series about Christ and wanting to know more, straight away!
This could lead many to open a Bible to learn more about His life. It might encourage people to ask questions from those who are more knowledgeable, such as a parish priest. It basically puts Christ's life in the spotlight and will give people an opportunity to learn more about Him and Christianity.
For the curious, here is a sneak peek of what Season 4 will look like:
