The Chosen: Three Kings Trailer Recap & Analysis
The Chosen: The Three Kings trailer just dropped. Set to release on December 14th on Fox, The Chosen: The Three Kings is the third Christmas special from The Chosen and the first episode that will premiere on television. Below, I'll recap The Chosen: The Three Kings trailer and make some observations and predictions about the upcoming Nativity special.
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What happens in The Chosen: The Three Kings trailer? (Recap)
The Chosen: The Three Kings trailer opens with a few evocative shots of the eponymous kings/magi riding their camels toward the setting sun in the West. Anyone familiar with the biblical tradition can immediately recognize the story being adapted.
Eager to hook our attention and establish itself, the trailer calls attention to the fact that it comes from The Chosen
Meet The Three Kings
Having established the general subject, the trailer now introduces us to each of the Magi/kings, Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.
As the three men examine a map, they discuss how the arrival of the Christmas star hails the coming of a divine entity, both God and man -- and King.
The Bible itself does not say that there were only three Magi, nor does it indicate their specific ethnicities. But following tradition, Balthazar as is portrayed as black and Melchior as Middle Eastern. Rahul Rai, who portrays Gaspar, is South Asian.
Herod Antipas Meets the Kings
Skipping ahead in the story, we see the Three Kings arrive in the court of Herod in Jerusalem and meet what appears to be a de-aged Herod Antipas (Peter Ben-Victor).
In voice-over, we hear the kings discuss how none of them has understood or dreamed of what true glory is.
The Kings Meet Joseph
Jumping ahead further still, we see the kings in Bethlehem, meeting Joseph (Raj Bond). They appear to dismiss him as "just a carpenter."
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in Egypt
Again, we jump ahead in the story to the Holy Family arriving at the pyramids in Egypt
Joy with Jesus
Up until this point, the trailer has mostly been progressing chronologically, but we now get a couple of shots that presumably take place earlier. First, we see Balthazar joyfully playing a recorder-like instrument for the baby Jesus and Mary
In voice over, we hear one of the kings declare, "the humility, the purity, the peace -- it's him." We then close with a shot of Joseph and Mary happily holding baby Jesus.
The Chosen: The Three Kings Trailer Analysis
There isn't anything all that surprising in The Chosen: The Three Kings Trailer, but it's worth making a few general conclusions and predictions:
The trailer has very little tension or conflict. There's not even a hint of Herod's pursuit of the King of the Jews or the Slaughter of Innocents. That doesn't mean we won't see any of that, but it doesn't seem to be the focus of the special, like it was for Zero AD or Mary. The trailer frames The Chosen: The Three Kings as a family-friendly story of wonder, joy, and worship, not a dark thriller.
The inclusion of Herod Antipas seems to be designed to connect the events of the special back to the events of The Chosen Season 6. I wouldn't be surprised if we get more explicit allusions by Herod Antipas in Season 6.
Despite the title, it's not at all clear from the trailer that the three are kings and not simply Wiseman. The title.was probably chosen primarily for name recognition, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get a play on the idea of them being kings in some metaphorical sense.
Humility appears to be a key theme. We see it not only explicitly in the description of Jesus but also implicitly in the focus on Joseph being just a carpenter.
Anything else interesting that you caught in the trailer? Feel free to share your thoughts and observations below. And don't forget to check out all of my new content on The Chosen Season 6.
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