A.D. Episode 2

Sunday night was episode two of NBC’s A.D.: The Bible Continues. I will admit that I was entertained. The episode was certainly dark at times, but it was an appropriate darkness. Overall, I was entertained. Nevertheless, if there was any doubt to the level of interpretive freedom that would, or would not, be exercised by the writers and producers of the min-series, it was laid to rest with this episode. Essentially, episode two can be described as a substantial amount of filling-in-the-narrative-gaps around selected episodes documented in the Bible.

The episode essentially began with the resurrection and ended with Jesus’ ascension. In between, the interaction of Jesus with his disciples was recounted, and the witness of John appeared to be a major source. There was the episode of Jesus calling from the shores to Peter and company to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, as well as Jesus’ three-fold command to feed his sheep (Jn 21). There was also doubting Thomas (Jn 20). Yet permeating the episode was a reconstructed blow-up between Pilate and Caiaphas. Much interpretive freedom was exercised here, and one could even say that it dominated the episode. Whether or not this will be a point of criticism remains to be seen. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.

One of the reasons why I enjoyed it was that, upon final editing, it was used to provide a structure for the episode that effectively asked the audience to ponder the different experiences caused by Jesus’ resurrection. By moving between the Jesus’ interaction with his disciples and Pilate’s fight with Caiaphas (an interchange), a contrast was created. More specifically, it was a contrast between those who enjoyed the relationship of Jesus and the peace that it brought, versus the personal turmoil of those who actively opposed Jesus. Caiaphas’ world began to crumble, including what had been portrayed as a solid marriage with his wife. Pilate became more and more ruthless, even flirting with the boundaries of sanity and control. I thought that this was a great dynamic that really drove the episode.

The portrayal of Pilate, in my mind, was excellent. For a number of reasons, the prevailing opinion of Pilate, at least among the majority of the Church, appears o be that Pilate was some sort of spineless governor that really had a hard time standing up to pressure. Perhaps this is because of the biblical testimony, which certainly paints him as one who was swayed by political strategy and political pressure. However, one must remember that Pilate was a Roman governor, and a governor of one of the more volatile regions in the Roman Empire. A spineless governor in that context would have been eaten alive and spit out in seconds. I think that this series has done a great job with the characterization of Pilate, portraying him as a governor who could really throw the hammer down when necessary. The dramatic scene of murdering the guards in front of Caiaphas—as to clearly explain who was in charge—certainly did well to communicate this historical reality. But I would say the following quote from the episode did an even better job. I am paraphrasing from memory, but Pilate said something to the effect, “When faced with the opportunity to be fair or firm, I have found that being firm is best.”

Overall, I think that the writers and producers have done a solid job in emphasizing the uncertainty that was a part of the disciples’ lives during those initial days after the death of Jesus. In the first episode, the uncertainty was related to whether or not Jesus’ death was supposed to have happened. In the second episode, the uncertainty was a political uncertainty. What was going to happen in Jerusalem given that order existed on a knife’s edge and the proclaimed resurrection threatened aspects of that shaky order? We have to remember that the Gospel was paradigm shifting, and to have that assault on the socio-religious power structures occur in such a turbulent socio-political context was a recipe for skepticism, hesitancy, doubt, and drastic measures. I am amazed how these fishermen were able to navigate it all and become the pillars of the Church.