And what to watch instead.
What happens when a nearly monopolistic digital media platform decides they want to branch out into religious mythologies posed as modern crime thrillers? You get a ton of hype, a confused show, hackneyed characters and a plotline even a three year old can see through.
Messiah, a brave attempt on Netflix’s part to package Islamic lore for Western audiences, fails at the outset because they approach the topic as alien, exotic and mystical. Their own lack of belief seeps into the show and makes for unconvincing ethos.
The series came under fire from nearly all monotheistic religions; its attempt to unite Christianity, Judaism and Islam came across as weak and heavily reliant on mysticism. Their saving grace when it comes to the titular character and the persona the showrunners aimed to create is Mehdi Dehbi, as Al-Masih as graceful, genuine and the brooding good looks definitely don’t hurt either.
And that’s not even the worst part of the show. Forget the religious aspects for a moment; the parallel plotline is almost like a page out of Homeland’s script, down to the troubled, angst ridden character of the female protagonist. There’s the formulaic all-consuming obsession with the job, plenty of tortured intelligence operatives who run on no sleep and tons of booze - makes for sound judgment, right? - And of course, the glorification of the US intelligence services.
Another thing that stood out was the absolution of Israel, they’re a lot less trigger happy in this on-screen portrayal and some pivotal scenes stand out for how graciously the Israeli military forces treat Palestinians of interest. This perhaps belies the greatest flaw of the show – they’ve chosen a topic so riddled with controversy and socio-political and religious tension that stepping on any toes wouldn’t just lead to bad negative PR. The ramifications of offending any of the religious or political groups depicted is grave, ranging from being banned to receiving a fatwa (none issued so far) or loss of business and access to a particular region (remember the YouTube ban?).
However, one must give credit where it is due. Netflix definitely showed that they’re not afraid to test the waters. Religious sentiments are a market even the most fool-hardy approach with caution. To do so on a streaming website with competition hot on your heels is a risky business strategy – if you fail you lose out on viewership at best but if you win, you bury all conversations about your competitors in the dust.
If the curiosity still strikes, knock yourself out and watch the show. However, if half-baked plots and half-hearted magical realism is not your thing, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what to watch instead:
Grace and Frankie
Our two favorite septuagenarians return to the screen this January in the now confirmed second last season of the hilarious show. A Netflix original series, it brought back 80s stars Jane Fonda and Martin Sheen to our screens alongside Lily Tomlin and Sam Waterson. Together, with their onscreen children and grandchildren, the series depicts a dysfunctional family that might be poles apart from your but you can still relate to.
Schitt’s Creek
Don’t be fooled by the name. One of the funniest modern sitcoms returning to air this year, this family-led project had a turn in its fortunes, quite dissimilar to the titular family, when it was picked up by Netflix. Though originally produced for a Canadian cable channel, the show didn’t hit peak appeal till the streaming giant moved in. Now the Rose family has a global following as they return for their final season. We can’t wait to be schooled in English by Moaira Rose for one last time.
