Netflix just released its first new original series of 2020 with "Messiah." Messiah is a geopolitical thriller about the End Times and the return of Jesus. The series focuses on how the individual would be accepted in today's world. Which type of person would believe in someone that just shows up and starts proclaiming things? Who would eventually come to see the power of this "messiah." On the other side of the spectrum, who would instantly doubt this person. What would this "messiah's" presence do to society as a whole? Through the course of the season, it's pretty disrupting and damaging.

The series was developed by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, the couple who brought us "The Bible," miniseries. The show takes an interesting spin on the "messiah," with CIA agent Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan) believing that the messiah (Mehdi Dehbi) is really just an agent of chaos, funded by a foreign entity, in the hopes of shattering America's fragile citizenry. The series comes as the world deals with "fake news," causing us to wonder what would happen if someone attempted to fake the return of Christ in order to throw the world into mass chaos.

'Messiah' leaves fans wondering what is really going on

"Messiah" never lands on that type of premise as the answer. Al-Masih appears to be the real deal.

However, he has enough skeletons in the closet, so that Geller has something to chase and theories to form. He always ends up doing something miraculous, which temporarily shuts down the people attempting to silence him.

Al-Masih becomes a character that is profound but also baffling. He never does what his followers want him to do.

He jumps from moments of divine intervention, often leaving people in the lurch, without answers. Like al-Massih says "if you've come here to understand, you will leave lost." That is the crux of the show.

Many people are drawing comparisons from this show to "Homeland." Similarly to "Homeland," this series has numerous characters that are broken.

All these characters were made to rub up against al-Masih so he could help others see themselves and hopefully recoil and/or conform.

Al-Masih is really the driving force of the show

Al-Masih is one of the trickiest characters to base a show around. He may be the actual Second Coming, but also could be one of history's greatest con-men. While Monaghan may be the lead and drive the series forward, we're stuck watching her just bury herself in her work, always having her theories and claims get tossed aside. Al-Massih is a character that the show has been unable to crack.

"Messiah's" strong points lie in its exploration of how today's world would respond to the Second Coming, or how easily people could be duped by a massive hoax on a global scale. The show ends up falling flat.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED