Intensity in Tent City

> *"He is not what we thought, Brothers. I have bet my life on it."*
> - Simon Z. to the Zealots.
>
>

"Intensity in Tent City" is the sixth episode of the third season of The Chosen.

## Synopsis

While the Baptizer sends a message to Jesus, Simon Z. Finally faces his former order. Meanwhile, Atticus meets with a powerful friend.

## Plot

### The Vision

Claudia, wife of Judea’s governor Pontius Pilate, has a disturbing dream where a Holy Man (Jesus) is being stalked by a serpent and crushes its head. She wakes to find three convicted Zealots being crucified right outside, which she tells Pilate is excessive. Brushing it off, he tells her he’s getting ready to meet with an old friend, and she grows uneasy when he puts on an armband decorated with a serpent.

### In Arms

A few weeks after the healing of Veronica and Nili, Matthew comes across some of the other apostles sharpening weapons. They admit to being alarmed that a sickly woman was able to get so close to their Rabbi, and draw power from Him without His consent. Simon Z. in particular is worried for Jesus’s safety, and reveals to Little James that members of the Order have tracked him there.  Simon learns that Zebedee is no longer fishing, and acts unsettled when he finds Philip sharpening Eden’s kitchen knives because they are in sore need of it, beginning to realize how little time he’s spending at home.

### "Put out the Fires!"

A stressed Quintus summons Gaius, informing him that Atticus is meeting with Pilate and knowing the report of how he’s addressed recent problems will not go well, particularly because the pilgrims aren’t making any money to tax from them. He then tells Gaius to either arrest or turn out the pilgrims one at a time until the rest of them are motivated to leave.

### Issues in the Decapolis

That evening, a Greek man breaks into Andrew’s house, waking him, Philip, and Judas. Andrew and Philip recognize him as Leander from Naveh, who tells them their teachings reached the Decapolis and some pagan religious leaders converted, creating a domino effect of strife and power struggle within and between various people groups. He begs them to come and finish their interrupted preaching in the hopes it might help matters.

### "Are We Okay?"

The olives from Zebedee’s new grove taste unpleasant. Tamar and Mary disagree on whether they should speak with local vintners or ask Ramah for advice on working the soil, with Mary dismissing all of Tamar’s ideas. When finally asked why she’s so bothered by the other woman, Mary admits to finding Tamar pushy, entitled, and only joining the ministry for a lark without knowing the significance it has to Jews, yet always managing to say the right thing, while she herself remains terrified of relapsing again.

Tamar states Mary is holding on to shame despite Jesus forgiving her, and that she’s also known suffering, the necklace she’s refused to sell having been worn by her mother when she and the rest of the village were slaughtered, save Tamar and her brother. Mary apologizes, admitting that insecurity played a role and she misjudged Tamar. She finally agrees to Tamar’s idea of visiting a local vineyard to learn about working the soil. The two women tell Zebedee what they learned, and Mary gets some of the group’s money out of Matthew’s old office to buy supplies, but is puzzled to find a box containing tzitzit hidden in storage.

### Intelligence

During their meeting, Atticus describes to Pilate how Quintus has been handling things, and the governor points out that he has to be careful in disciplining the praetor, having been reprimanded himself for heavy handed methods. When he asks the Cohort what drew him to Capernaum in the first place, Atticus tells him about Jesus of Nazareth. Pilate is intrigued but wary, not wanting to create more issues, having come to love Judea and wishing for peace. He entrusts Atticus to keep him updated on the actions of Jesus.

### Can it Wait?

While having dinner that evening, Simon shows appreciation for Eden’s cooking and tries to cheer her up. Feeling guilty about hiding the miscarriage from him, she prepares to tell Simon before they are interrupted by Big James and John. The brothers tell Simon that two men claiming to be disciples of the Baptizer have come to ask Jesus a questions, but Philip and Andrew have gone to the Decapolis and thus can’t confirm their identity. For a change, Simon insists on finishing dinner with his wife first despite James and John wanting to see the strangers immediately, only to find she’s fled the room.

### Zealots, Romans, and Holy Men

When meeting the strangers the next day, Simon tests them with questions about Andrew that they answer correctly. Their rabbi has a question for Jesus, but Simon warns them it could be a while before they know where He is. Gaius walks through the tent city, but can’t bring himself to follow Quintus’s orders, remembering Simon and Matthew, instead helping the pilgrims out.

Meanwhile, Simon Z. is also in the shantytown to face the other Zealots and finds himself surrounded by his former friends. He declares that he is unarmed, and the Messiah has come, but is not the conqueror they’d been expecting. At his urging, then men agree to see Him for themselves.

After Simon and the Sons of Thunder wait for some time with the Baptizer’s disciples, a gathering crowd alerts them to Jesus’s presence. They watch Him heal three people before Simon brings the two men to Jesus, correctly knowing He won’t be bothered with such a delicate question in front of so many people (who include Yussif, Jairus, and Gaius). The Baptizer is asking if He is the One they’ve been waiting for, or if they should wait for somebody else.

### The Signs

Jesus tells them to report what they’ve seen and heard. The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the dead arise. After they leave he tells the crowd that none are greater among men than John, and even he has doubts. The rabbi who’d been at Jairus’s house in the previous episode declares that Jesus and the Baptizer are preaching and performing miracles through the power of demons. Jesus states it doesn’t matter what is put in front of him, he will still reject it, begging everyone not to miss the evidence of lives changed by repentance.

Before the other rabbi can rebuke Him again, Jairus interrupts with the reminder that Quintus has imposed a limit of 25 people for outdoor gatherings and they risk detainment. This gives Gaius the excuse to ask everyone to go home, letting Jesus and His disciples get away before the rabbi can raise a bigger stink. One of the Zealots has been moved by what he’s heard, and convinces the others to leave, saying he will tell the Order the truth, that Simon the Sicarius is dead.

### "The Blind See... The Lame Walk"

Having seen everything, Barnaby brings Shula to Jesus so He can heal her blindness, declining His offer to heal his bad leg. While Shula insists it isn’t needed, since she didn’t need to see to know Who Jesus is after he healed Mary Magdalene, Jesus still restores her sight, and Barnaby’s leg. After the two thank Him and run off joyfully, Simon jokes that it was fun to watch even without angry Pharisees.

### Confession and Confrontation

When Simon comes home and starts to tell Eden about his day, she finally tells him about the baby, admitting she kept it secret fearing he’d regret obeying Jesus and finally realizing the pain isn’t fading. At first stunned and hurt, he then grows angry at her for keeping it secret from him and acting like it was something he did wrong, and Eden furiously points out his neglect of her emotional needs and taking her for granted when he returned while she’d tried to be strong for him. She tells him they should keep it between them, and Simon asks whose problem it is if not the Messiah’s.

Eden then tries to comfort him, while he asks why this could happen to them, to which she replies he’s asking the wrong person.

## Cast and Characters

### Main

* Jonathan Roumie as Jesus
* Shahar Isaac as Simon Peter
* Lara Silva as Eden
* George H. Xanthis as John
* Abe Martell as Big James
* Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene
* Amber Shana Williams as Tamar
* Noah James as Andrew
* Yoshi Barrigas as Philip
* Alaa Safi as Simon Z.
* Luke Dimyan as Judas Iscariot
* Jordan Walker Ross as Little James
* Paras Patel as Matthew
* Austin Alleman as Nathanael
* Giavani Cairo as Thaddeus

### Recurring

* Ivan Jasso as Yussif
* Kirk R. B. Woller as Gaius
* Nick Shakour as Zebedee
* Brandon Potter as Quintus
* Elijah Alexander as Atticus
* Alessandro Colla as Jairus
* Anne Beyer as Shula
* Aalok Mehta as Barnaby

### New

* Andrew James Allen as Governor Pontius Pilate
* Tom Connolly as Leander

## Themes

This episode is based on Matthew 11:2-19, Matthew 27: 19, and Luke 7: 18-35

### Events

* Pilate is introduced,
* Pilate's wife begins having visions about Jesus
* Simon Z. finally puts the Order behind him
* Eden tells Simon about their baby
* John the Baptizer starts having doubts about Jesus
* Simon's trust in Jesus is sorely tested