The Chosen
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100RecommendedThis series
- 60–79Watch with care
- 35–59Think it through
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100RecommendedThis series
- 60–79Watch with care
- 35–59Think it through
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
Worldview score
What the story celebrates or condemns.
Why +2 for this series
The series centres on Jesus as the Son of God who heals, forgives and calls ordinary people. It consistently affirms faith, repentance and grace.
- +2Affirms faithThis seriesPresents faith in God positively and as true
- +1Positive valuesHonesty, sacrifice and family win out
- 0Mixed or neutralNo clear stance
- −1AmbivalentShows sin without judging it either way
- −2Glamorises sinMakes sin look attractive and rewarding
Age guide
How suitable this series is for each age group.
Why 10+ for this series
Demonic possession scenes, self-harm and suicidal despair, a stabbing with blood, and a mob stoning are intense for under-10s, though there is no swearing or sexual content.
- Under 8Wait
- Ages 8–12With a parent
- Ages 13–15Yes
- Ages 16–17Yes
- AdultsYes
A warm, reverent and often moving drama about the people who met Jesus, clean in language and sex. Possession scenes, grief and some restrained violence make it best for older children, ideally watched together.
Watch guide
What's in it?
LanguageNo swearing
The dialogue is free of profanity across the series. Some post-credit blooper reels include mild crude humour.
BlasphemyNone
God's name is used only in prayer, worship and sincere speech. Accusations of blasphemy against Jesus are part of the story, not misuse of the name.
Sex and nudityPast assault implied
There is no sexual content beyond warmth between married couples. Mary Magdalene's past assault by a Roman soldier is implied in a brief, non-graphic flashback (S1E1), and Salome's dance at Herod's feast is suggestive (S4E1).
RelationshipsMarriages under strain
Simon and Eden's marriage is tested by his absences and by her miscarriage (S3E5, S3E6). Chuza's unfaithfulness to Joanna is mentioned (S4E1).
ViolenceSome blood, restrained
Violence is mostly threat and menace, with a few sharper moments: a fistfight (S1E1), a woman stabbed with some blood (S4E3), a stoning mob that injures disciples (S4E6), the beheading of John handled offscreen (S4E1) and distant crucifixions.
Frightening scenesPossession, grief
Demonic possession scenes are intense, especially Mary's torment and a failed exorcism (S1E1) and a man attacking Simon the Zealot (S2E5). A child's death, a disciple's killing and Holy Week foreboding bring heavy grief later on.
Drugs and alcoholWine; Mary's drinking
Wine appears at meals, Cana and Passover. Mary Magdalene's past drinking and her relapse in a tavern (S1E1, S2E5-6) are shown as a painful escape she is rescued from.
AttitudesRivalry and plotting
Disciples quarrel, show prejudice and jostle for status, and Jesus corrects them. Zealots plan an assassination (S2E4), Judas steals and betrays (S4E5, S5E6), and leaders plot murder, all framed as wrong.
OccultNone
There is no witchcraft, fortune-telling or occult practice. Demonic possession appears, but Jesus frees people from it, which is how the Gospels portray evil spirits. Nicodemus's failed attempt at an exorcism is shown as powerless.
- To knowContent to know about
- Skip for kidsSkip for younger viewers
- DiscussWorth discussing
- Early
Implied assault and drinking
S1E1: Mary Magdalene is tormented by nightmares and a menacing voice, and a flashback implies a Roman soldier's assault on her without showing it in detail. She later reaches for drink in a tavern to numb the pain.
- Early
Possession and suicidal despairSkip if under 12
S1E1: Nicodemus tries to exorcise Mary and fails, and many voices speak through her. In despair she stands at a cliff edge and tears up a scroll of Isaiah before she is distracted and turns back.
- Early
Fighting and gambling
S1E1: Simon and his brother-in-law fight with fists in front of a crowd that bets on the outcome.
- Early
Demonic possession and self-harmSkip if under 12
S2E5: A man possessed by a demon attacks the group and nearly strangles Simon the Zealot before Jesus casts the demon out. He also shows wounds he has cut into his own arms. Mary, shaken, then drifts back to a tavern and drinks, which is picked up in S2E6.
- Mid
Execution and suggestive dance
S4E1: At Herod's feast a drunken king is pleased by Salome's suggestive dance and makes a rash vow. John the Baptist is then beheaded, handled with restraint but solemn and distressing.
- Mid
Violent deathSkip if under 12
S4E3: In the panic of an arrest, a Roman officer stabs Ramah from behind. Blood is shown and she dies in Thomas's arms.
- Mid
Mob violence
S4E6: A mob throws stones at Jesus and the disciples, and Big James and others are hurt with some blood.
- Late
Holy Week anguish and betrayal
S5E2 and S5E8: Jesus drives merchants from the Temple with a whip, and later prays in deep distress in Gethsemane before armed guards arrive and Judas betrays him with a kiss. Distant crucifixions are glimpsed in the later episodes.
How to play
- 1. Draw a cardOne person reads the question out loud.
- 2. Everyone answersThere are no wrong answers. Listen before you reply.
- 3. Pass it onThe next person draws, until the deck is done.
Episodes
Episode by episode
40 episodes analysed, scoring 80–100. The series score is that of its harder episodes, not the average.
Episodes to know about
Season 12019 · 8 episodes83–100
S1E1
I Have Called You by Name
RecommendedSuicide theme
83
S1E2
Shabbat
Recommended
96
S1E3
Jesus Loves the Little Children
Recommended
100
S1E4
The Rock on Which it is Built
Recommended
98
S1E5
The Wedding Gift
Recommended
100
S1E6
Indescribable Compassion
Recommended
99
S1E7
Invitations
Recommended
100
S1E8
I Am He
Recommended
98
Season 22021 · 8 episodes86–100
Season 32022 · 8 episodes94–100
Season 42024 · 8 episodes80–99
Season 52025 · 8 episodes95–97
Faith & story
What does it say?
What's it about?The plot, without the ending
In first-century Galilee and Judaea, Roman rule weighs heavily on ordinary people. A tormented woman, a struggling fisherman in debt, a despised tax collector and a respected religious teacher each find their lives unsettled by the arrival of a travelling rabbi from Nazareth. The Chosen follows Jesus and those who come to follow him, as well as the religious leaders and Roman officials who watch him with suspicion. Built on the Gospels, it adds imagined backstories, characters and conversations to show how faith, doubt, rivalry and loyalty play out between the miracles and teachings.
Through a faith lensHow it connects to the Bible
The Chosen retells the Gospels through the people who met Jesus, and its central claim is the one John's Gospel makes: that he is the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth. Mary Magdalene's story echoes the Gerasene man set free from torment, and Isaiah's promise that God calls each person by name. The disciples' quarrels over status mirror the Twelve arguing about who was greatest, and Jesus answers with a child and a towel. Peter stepping onto the water and sinking shows faith that wavers yet is held. Judas's theft and betrayal warn how resentment and love of money can harden a heart, while Nicodemus's night-time questions show honest seeking being met. Wrongdoing has real consequences here, and grief is not skipped, yet the series keeps pointing to mercy and restoration. Some backstories and dialogue are imagined around the Gospel accounts, so families may find it helpful to read the passages alongside.
Fruit of the SpiritWhich fruit does it show?
9 out of 9 fruits ripe in this series
Ripe grapes are shown in the series, buds are missing
Jesus lives out love and kindness as he befriends children, touches the leper and meets the Samaritan woman at the well. Joy fills the wedding at Cana, and peace marks his calm when arrested and in the storm. Patience shows in how he bears the disciples' slowness, and gentleness in how he restores Mary after her relapse. Matthew and Thomas show faithfulness in following at great cost, and Gaius's care for his sick servant is goodness. Simon Peter and Mary show self-control in a hard-won struggle against old habits. Against this, the disciples show rivalries and jealousy as they argue over who is greatest, and Simon and his brother-in-law show strife. Divisions run between Jews and Samaritans. Judas nurses envy and resentment before he betrays Jesus. The Temple leaders show hatred as they plot his death, and Jesus' own anger at the Temple's exploitation is righteous, though it is startling. Mary's drunkenness is shown as a painful escape that she is rescued from.
The charactersExamples to follow or avoid
Jesus of NazarethJonathan RoumieThe teacher and healer at the centre of the story, shown as warm, patient and authoritative. He draws in the broken and the overlooked and corrects his followers gently.
Simon PeterShahar IsaacA fisherman in debt who is impulsive, proud and quick to speak. He becomes the leading disciple, and the show follows his failures as well as his loyalty.
Mary MagdaleneElizabeth TabishA woman haunted by trauma, torment and drink who is freed by Jesus. She becomes a devoted follower, and her struggles with relapse and shame are handled with care.
MatthewParas PatelA tax collector scorned by his own people and anxious about fitting in. He becomes a disciple and is a careful recorder of what Jesus says and does.
NicodemusErick AvariA Pharisee and member of the ruling council who is drawn to Jesus but torn by his position, his marriage and his fear of the other leaders.
How Christians are portrayed
Faith is portrayed warmly and reverently, with Jesus as the Son of God and the disciples as flawed, quarrelsome people who are slowly changed by him. Prayer, scripture and Jewish worship are treated seriously rather than mocked. The religious establishment is mostly the opposition, though Nicodemus is a sympathetic seeker and not every leader is a villain.
Community
What other Christians think
What did you notice?
Strong language (the f-word or similar)?
Is this appropriate for Christians to watch?
Thinking of children? Add the youngest age you'd show it to.
Review
Helpful reviewer
The star beside a name
Given to members whose reviews 25 or more people have marked Helpful.
It rewards reviews that help other families decide, not how many someone writes. It's a sign others have found their reviews thoughtful, not a verdict on anyone's faith.
Found a review useful? Mark it Helpful: it tells the writer, and helps others find the best reviews first.
Details
Series details
- Cast
- Erick Avari, Jonathan Roumie, Shahar Isaac, Elizabeth Tabish
- Created by
- Dallas Jenkins
- Networks
- Prime Video, VidAngel, Angel
- Genre
- Action & Adventure, Family, Drama
- Episode length
- 1h
- Age rating
- US TV-PG · UK 12
How we analysed this
We analysed every episode from its summary, its reception and facts that independent sources agree on, and rated each content area against our rubric and worldview scale, using AI models calibrated on reference titles. Each content meter shows the series' typical high point across its episodes, and the score is that of its harder episodes. Not yet reviewed by our team. Confidence: high.
Series score = the score of its harder episodes, not their average: the hardest tenth of its 40 episodes (S4E3 scores 87). The content meters show the series' high points.
This is a guide to help families choose with wisdom, not a verdict on anyone's conscience ().
Updated 2026-10-14