Here’s What You Should Know Before You Watch Netflix’s New Series, ‘Messiah’

By | January 4, 2020

Well, well, well. Now that Friends has been plucked away from Netflix, it looks like it’s time for you to find a new series to watch. The streaming service just added a thriller series called Messiah, and if you’re thinking of burning through the entire first season in a single afternoon, you might want to read up on it first. Here’s what you should know about Messiah before you binge.

So, what’s the show about?

Messiah is about a CIA officer named Eva Geller’s investigation of a man receiving attention from around the world for claiming to be a divine entity. His followers believe that he has the ability to create miracles, and his critics allege that he is a con artist.

The story is told from a few different perspectives: the CIA officer, an Israeli officer, a Palestinian refugee, a preacher from Texas and his daughter, and a journalist.

Is this a true story?

Nope! In fact, Netflix even threw a little disclaimer into the plot synopsis displayed on the app that says “a fictional story not based on true events.” They don’t do this very often…so it seems like they really want to remind viewers that yup, this is totally fake.

What are people saying about the show?

Twitter has been deep in conversation about Messiah since the trailer dropped in December.

Stream Now

Many feel that the show is controversial, which is to be expected when a fictional series takes significant liberties with sacred religious texts. A Change.org petition says “viewers will immediately be able to notice that it is based on Islamic descriptions of the coming of Dajjal,” which is Islam’s false messianic figure. The petition is urging users to boycott Netflix for its “anti-Islamic propaganda,” and has already gathered nearly 5,000 signatures.

Read More:  Retinol Eye Cream of Ages

The Twitter conversation around Messiah ranges from calling it out for being blasphemous to praising it for its bingeability. The chatter has left some users asking if they should even watch the show, which has opened up a more general debate about what topics are fair game for fiction.

Some have streamed the show to see if it’s problematic, and taken to Twitter to report back.

The creators of the show have weighed in to say that while they have been expecting there to be lots of debate around Messiah, it was never intended to be offensive.

“Yes, it’s provocative. The show is provocative,” said creator Michael Petroni. “But provocative isn’t offensive.”

So…should you watch it?

Welp, that’s up to you. Overall, the series is attempting to tackle the dangerous possibilites of a constant, often unreliable news cycle. If this is something you’d like to watch, stream away. But…if you’re not familiar with the implications of Messiah, you might want to do a little research before pressing play.

Latest Content – Cosmopolitan