Season 2, Episode 2 - I Saw You

This episode introduces two new characters who become Apostles, Philip and Nathaniel.  Philip is my favorite Apostle in this series (until they changed the actor later and, at least to date, focused on him a lot less). Most people I ask cite Matthew as their favorite and it's hard not to, but I'm a Philip fan when he's around. There is little about Philip in the Bible, depending on whether you believe the Philip in Acts is the Apostle or another Philip. In The Chosen, Philip seems to take Matthew under his wing and advise him as he tries to grapple with his difference to the rest of the group. I love their dynamic.

Philip's backstory is less created and more rooted in scripture. He's formerly a disciple of John the Baptist, or "Creepy John" as Simon calls him. He tells Matthew that everyone "was" something but "am" is all that matters after you've met The Messiah. Amen and amen. Maybe they don't give him much of a backstory other than his time with John the Baptist because he is meant to hone in on that point - it's about who he is now.

Nathaniel, on the other hand, is given the backstory of a failed architect who says exactly what he thinks ... like how can anything good come from Nazareth. He is totally despondent when his friend, Philip, checks in on him as Jesus and His followers pass through Caesarea. Philip introduces Nathaniel to Jesus, despite Nathaniel declaring a Nazarene is too much of a peasant to possible be The Messiah. Jesus tells him that He saw him and Nathaniel declares him the Son of God.

A side trip in this episode is Mary Magdalene and Ramah (a character for The Chosen) talking to Matthew about learning the Torah since the two ladies didn't get to go to Hebrew school and Matthew skipped over it to go to bookkeeping school. It's so hard for me to imagine having to get all of my information from my father and my husband, should they wish to impart it on me. It's true that Ted imparts a lot of his knowledge on me ... I'd like to think I understand the mysteries in the Bible a little better than the mysteries of Ted's communications and physics revelations, but I really know better!