Welcome back to another review of A.D. The Bible Continues! So let's get going.
So now that Saul has converted to Christ, people are after him in Damascus. But fortunately, Saul escapes by being lifted inside a basket over the town wall, and he flees with Barnabas back to Jerusalem.
Speaking of Jerusalem...
Caiaphas and his clan are still shocked to learn that Saul has turned against him. Leah then demands that Saul be severely punished.
-That involves killing him.
Now say, remember when Caligula took over as emperor in the previous episode? Well, our next scene is him trying to get Pilate's wife Claudia to like him. And then the deceased emperor's adviser is called upon and is given a test: to prove that he would die for Caligula (since he's the new emperor and all).
-I mean, the adviser literally kills himself in front of everyone in the room! Talk about kissing someone's ass that badly!
Anyway, the guy dies, and Caligula realizes that he's bored...
-Really? It took someone dying to make you realize that you intimidated Jerusalem long enough? As proven in the previous review, that's politics in a nutshell.
Caligula: "I am bored with Jerusalem..."
-... Whatever.
Anyway, after bitching briefly about the food and the un-hospitality, Caligula presents a parting gift: having a statue of him built and putting it in the Temple for people to see and recognize who their emperor is. But Pilate is unsure about the statue, because...
-In case you missed it in the previous episodes, Pilate and Caiaphas would butt heads when it came to what was good for the Temple. There had to be some common ground: having rule and religion work together. Well, as the series progresses, we learn that the ruling and the religious don't always go hand-in-hand. I betcha that would be Pilate's and Caiaphas' next argument...
So, as Saul returns to Jerusalem, we see Pilate in conflict once again.
-Doesn't surprise me. He's always like this.
Then Caligula's crummy sidekick Agrippa enters the bedroom, and Pilate requests that he talk Caligula out of putting his statue into the Temple, because it would cause a violent war. Reluctantly, Agrippa agrees to talk to his friend once they return home.
-I don't buy it. He's too much of a kiss-up to ask his friend Caligula the emperor for anything.
As Agrippa leaves, Pilate is still worried.
Pilate: "How do you control a madman?"
-Um... look up Wikipedia on Caligula... IDK.
Meanwhile, Caiaphas receives word that Saul is back in Jerusalem. The Caiaphas orders a search party to apprehend Saul.
Speaking of Saul, Barnabas is uncertain whether or not to tell the other disciples about Saul and his conversion. But Saul is excited and can't wait to be accepted into the brotherhood.
And, wouldn't you know it, the disciples are distrustful of Saul, because of what he has done to them. Saul tries to convince them that he's a changed man, but they don't want to hear his testimony.
But then Peter and John arrive; and Peter wants to talk to Saul privately.
-Okay, good. Maybe they can sort this out, or...
Peter: "We'll start on the road to Damascus... I want to hear it from your mouth... You are going to tell me everything from the beginning."
Saul: "But I'm your brother in Christ."
Peter: "From the beginning."
-So you can tell that this was when Peter first didn't trust Saul, because Saul had done bad to him, and Peter finds it hard to forgive. Um... I sense a focal point here.
So Saul explains his story to Peter...
-Well, after a commercial break, because this is television...
-...and we don't get all the explanation, because of the jump-cut...
...but Peter is still not trusting him.
-Just listen to Peter's ranting to emphasize that he doesn't trust Saul:
Peter:
"You wanted me dead!"
"...don't start lecturing me."
"[Jesus] was my best friend, and my teacher, and my brother, and my Lord and master. He was, he is pure life. I miss him."
-Um, keep talking about Jesus, but please listen let Saul speak already. It's like you want to punish him, instead of welcome him. This is where unconditional love is supposed to come in. Again, focal point, guys.
Meanwhile, Caligula and Agrippa leave Pilate's palace; and we learn that Joanna was sexually assaulted(?) by Caligula in one room, and Mary comforts her.
While that's going on, Caiaphas is invited into Pilate's chambers, where Pilate and Herod explain the situation with Caligula's statue. Caiaphas thinks that it's a bad idea, but Pilate shows that they have no choice. Caiaphas quotes from the Book of Daniel, which prophesies that such an act on the Temple would lead to death and destruction.
-So Pilate, what do you have to say to that?
Pilate: "Well, you have a new god, and he is Roman."
-Whoa. Pilate so doesn't care, that he's willing to reject God, in order to kiss up to the emperor Caligula. I mean, think about it. Throughout the series, we see people jeopardizing morals in order to make another person happy. That's unethical!
And wouldn't it make it better? Pilate even makes Herod and his family stay longer in Jerusalem in order to keep his alliance strong...
-Wow. Talk about throwing your most-trusted ally under the bus.
Caiaphas recalls trying to meet common ground with him before, but Pilate still stands by the emperor's parting gift to the Temple, and suggests that it's Caiaphas' problem.
Pilate: "This isn't my problem. It's yours. Deal with it."
Then we cut to a scene where the women: Claudia, Leah, and Herod's wife, are conversing on what they should do to keep the statue a secret from the public. Leah then shows her ambitious side to the other women by suggesting that since Caligula is usually bloodthirsty...
-...as proven in the first scene of him... with the adviser killing himself to prove his loyalty...
...that they need to find Saul and kill him, so that it would please Caligula. Claudia is appalled by Leah's ambition, but Leah has her think: What would she do?
-Okay, who's being devious here? So many people have guilt in them. It's sort of hard to tell who the bad guy is in this series. Or is there more than one villain? What do you guys think?
Anyway, back to Peter and Saul...
Peter still doesn't believe Saul...
Peter:
"Because of you, we've been hiding!"
"It's not that easy!"
"You went after my daughter!"
-Uh, Saul. Why not say something to...?
Saul: "Will you never let this go?"
-Okay. Well, yeah. Why doesn't Peter let this go? He's too mad at Saul because of the mistakes he made, and what he's done to hurt people. And Saul even admits to his wrongdoing. So yeah. I have to side with Saul. Why doesn't Peter let this go? (Not to be confused with Frozen's "Let It Go" song.)
Then Saul goes on to ask, basically beg, Peter for forgiveness. And Peter says...
Oh.
We cut to the guards still searching for Saul.
-So? Well, at least we know that they're still onto him.
For the next scene, we see Mary secretly listening to Herod's talk with his wife about what's to come for Jerusalem and that they can't leave, because Pilate said so.
However, Herod's wife sees opportunity: she says that Pilate can't survive such an event when Caligula's statue is put in the Temple, because of the fortelling backlash from the people. She suggests that she and Herod stay in Jerusalem, and as soon as Pilate falls, Herod would be there to take his position and claim what's "rightfully his," and then get rid of the Jesus followers permanently.
-Okay. Now we have more ambitious women in our midst. (sarcasm) Whoop-de-doo.
Meanwhile, John and another follower (Thomas, I think) are in the marketplace, as they talk about Saul and debate whether or not he has changed. But then the guards rallying up the crowd to find Saul confirms... or seems to confirm... that Saul is telling the truth.
-We can't be sure, guys.
We then cut back to Mary, as she tells Joanna the bad news, about Jerusalem being in grave danger. Joanna insists that she help the cause, and she gives Mary a box...
-I don't know if it's money or gold... Some kind of currency, or something of value... IDK.
Joanna makes it very clear to her that she wants to help, but as Mary leaves, Joanna's husband arrives.
Joanna's husband: "Joanna, did I just see that woman take money?"
-Oh. So that box was money...
So the husband confronts her about it, but Joanna insists that she had to help out.
Joanna: "I cannot be silent."
Well, as soon as the husband leaves, another woman in the room questions how she spoke to her husband the way she did, and Joanna explains herself.
Joanna: "Jesus gave me the strength."
Other woman: "Who is Jesus? Tell me about him."
And Joanna... the way she smiles at the woman... seems more than happy to tell her about Jesus.
-Now, I'm not gonna lie: Joanna really stands out right now, because she's sticking up for herself, despite having a controlling husband and being called insane by everyone else.
In the next scene, Mary has already told the other disciples about what was going to happen with the new statue and the Temple, and that it holds serious consequences for Jerusalem.
John: "The Book of Daniel foretells this moment."
-Oh great, it's that book again. It's been mentioned a few times already. Well... tell us, what does the Book of Daniel say? I mean, really. I want to know. I'm curious.
John: "At the temple, he would set up an abomination that would cause desolation..."
-Oh, you mean like the Desolation of Smaug? (pause) Oh no, sorry guys. This show isn't that kind of series. (pause) Dragons aren't in this series either. (pause) Even if dragons talked, they're still not in this series.
The disciples go on to discuss that Jesus had told them about this; and they all come to the conclusion that this "eternal war" would lead to the return of Jesus.
We then cut to Leah telling her husband Caiaphas to make a spectacle of Saul for betraying them. But Caiaphas wants to be civil when confronting Saul, because he feels that he can change Saul back to the way he was before. He also tells his wife to not seek revenge but to love one another.
Meanwhile, Peter is talking with Barnabas about the fate of Jerusalem and about Saul. Barnabas tries to persuade to trust Saul, because guards are out looking for him, and that that's prove in itself.
Barnabas: "Why don't you welcome him in?"
-Yeah, Peter. Why don't you welcome him in?
Peter: "Why him?"
-As in Why did Jesus choose Saul to be an instrument in spreading the Word? Well, you'll see when we get there. Spoiler alert: In the Bible, he'll write many letters to different nations to spread the Word... Sorry. Sorry. This is coming from my studies of the Bible.
So that night, while guards are still looking for Saul, Pilate and Claudia have a meeting with the centurion to discuss how to prepare for the worst that's to come to Jerusalem. Both men assume the worst, but Claudia insists that they-
Claudia: "...have to stop it coming!"
-I was about to say that. But anyway...
Pilate: "But how?"
Claudia: "We think. We plan."
-Okay, I feel like there's a tug-of-war between over-the-top-ambitious women and the women that are trying to stand up for themselves and make a difference. Why is that?
Pilate tells her that there's nothing they can do to stop what's to come.
Meanwhile...
Simon: "I can't believe that this could be the end of the Temple."
-Yeah, we're still on about that. Yeah, as soon as Caligula makes known that he wants a statue of himself in the Temple, it's like "Hey everyone! Check this out!" Wouldn't the news go faster if this time period had social media? Probably would, since pretty much everything is digital now. Just saying.
But Simon is unsure about this, and insists that they can't just sit and do nothing.
-And I thought Thomas was the doubter of the disciples...
But anyway, Peter comes in to make an announcement.
Peter: "Good news! We welcome Saul as our brother in Christ."
-(mimicking Peter) And it took us 3/4 of this episode to get to that conclusion.
But Simon still isn't buying it, and he leaves. Saul leaves to go after him, despite Peter and Barnabas warning him about the guards outside, but Saul goes anyway.
Then Saul makes the mistake of shouting to Simon to come back, which gets the attention of the guards. Soon, the guards capture Saul, and he is whisked away, before Barnabas can get to him.
Then we cut to Simon... who's at a bar or something... as a guy serves him with a drink. Simon is also looking to meet someone.
Simon: "I have information, and it is vital that I get it to them. The city would be destroyed otherwise."
-Okay, if you thought Judas was shady, then you haven't seen this. I mean, what is this? Simon is wanting to exchange information with the rebels now? But why?
Meanwhile in the Pilate household, Claudia meets again with the centurion. Claudia then takes the time to share her thoughts and concerns with him.
Claudia: "How do you prepare yourself for something like this?"
The centurion: "I'm sure it won't come to that."
-I don't know. I have a feeling that Claudia wants to make out with this guy. Why? Because we've already established that she's one of the ambitious women in this series, and she's always suggesting ideas to people, advising for crying out loud! So yeah. I think she would be that ambitious to where she can be lustful. It happens all the time in Lifetime movies!
We then cut back to Simon, who's still hitting the sauce. But then he gets drugged, and after he wakes up, is confronted by... Boaz's wife(?)... who tells him that she and the rebels want to help him and the disciples, on the condition that he exchange the information with them.
-Oooooookay...
So Simon agrees, and he gets to meet with the rebels' leader.
And then the show ends with Saul in prison.
Caiaphas watches as Saul recites the Lord's prayer in his cell.
And that was episode 9. So are we getting somewhere? Yes we are.
In fact, there's talk of the end. What's that going to be like for our characters? For me, if this is to indicate the end of the series, I don't think so. Why not? Because Saul just became a brother in Christ. We still need to find out what will happen to the Pilate clan, the Herod clan, the Caiaphas clan, and the disciples. There are still some unanswered questions here and there. Maybe the next few episodes would shed more light on the situation about "the end."
Whatsoever Critic
Source: A.D. The Bible Continues
Courtesy: NBC/Lightworkers Media
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