Summary
The Chosen One has its flaws, but it has merit with its themes as it finds a delicate balancing act between science and religion.
This review for Netflix series The Chosen One Season 1 does NOT contain spoilers. We have provided extensive coverage on the thriller, and you can read the recap of episode one by clicking these words.
As an atheist, I am naturally attracted to TV series that pertain to the battle between science and religion — The Chosen One season 1 goes beyond that theme, yet it is present, disguising a deeper story surrounding cults and miracles. The Netflix series holds characters that have practiced medicine all their lives, yet are amongst a group that is blindly against it, feeling like the modern-day parents who refuse to vaccinate their children.
[su_pullquote align=”right”]The Chosen One forced fond memories of the days I’d wait up late for Lost.[/su_pullquote]
The Chosen One involves three doctors; Lúcia Santeiro (Paloma Bernardi), Enzo Vergani (Gutto Szuster) and Damião Almeida (Pedro Caetano) — each individual with a dissimilar upbringing and idea about life. Each doctor holds different personality traits. The whole idea behind these characters is to test them in an abnormal medical climate, and gauge where their traits take them. They are tasked by the Brazillian Government to vaccinate remote communities for the Zika virus, and there is rhetoric thrown at them daily that if they cannot carry out their duties, their jobs will be on the line. The task at hand gets harder when they reach Village Aguazul — a community that refuses medical help, in the belief that no-one gets sick where they live, and they take orders by someone named The Chosen One.
The Chosen One forced fond memories of the days I’d wait up late for Lost; the doctors are facing a community of villagers who do not wish to be intruded on, much like the ‘Others’, and Michel Tikhomiroff‘s Netflix series creates a claustrophobic environment, making the entire experience odd and mysterious. By the time the doctors reach the elusive Chosen One, and the faithful acquaintances, the series becomes more about battling a cult for the sake of providing a government vaccine, it becomes a story of faith and science; heralding the similar days of Jack Shephard’s and John Locke’s passionate arguments on which side will win.
The character that stands out, besides The Chosen One, is Lúcia Santeiro. The performance of Paloma Bernardi helps pave the way to make her character’s story feel indispensable in comparison to the other two doctors. She loudly presents her views and takes charge to make a bold decision, while the other two characters tend to embrace the problematic experience as it comes to them. The Netflix series presents an unforgiving community, embellished in religious and cult-like practices, and has a certain Charles Manson influence surrounding it.
The Chosen One season 1 does irritate slightly by randomly inserting flashbacks into each episode so we can discover the upbringing of each character. The desired outcome is appreciated, but the Netflix series has managed to provide flashbacks in such a way that it ruins the flow and experience of the story. They usually offer the flashback after an important scene, with little relevance to what is going on in the story at the time.
But if you enjoy science versus religion themes in your fictional content, then Netflix series The Chosen One is an adequate narrative, with fantastic characters propping up an elaborate story about a remote cult in Brazil.
