The Second Coming

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Did anyone see 'The Second Coming' on TV last night? I thought it was gripping stuff, very well done. For any non-UK ILXers, this was the first part of a series where the Son of God comes back as an ordinary bloke from Manchester (no, not Ian Brown), rather as he turned up as an ordinary carpenter in the Middle East two thousand years ago. And the programme charts his progress after he realises who he is, and the subsequent media and political reaction.

I'd be particularly interested to hear what any Christian ILXers thought.

― James Ball (James Ball), Monday, 10 February 2003 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm... The first half hour I found utterly forgetable, but after that I was sucked in. I think I'd go for 'interesting' rather than 'great'. I think I'll wait till after it concludes tonioght before passing further comment, but I will say now that I think Christopher Eccleston is a rubbiosh actor.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 10 February 2003 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

he looks like someone just carved his face out of cheese

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 10 February 2003 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd watch it if he was Ian Brown or Bez.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 10 February 2003 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

What's with all the "io"s in my typing? Am Io turniong Brummio?

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 10 February 2003 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, and is Judith Judas? If you get my meaning.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 10 February 2003 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I think she is, to an extent. But they've obviously not done it with exact parallels.

― James Ball (James Ball), Monday, 10 February 2003 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, DUH, she's even denied him twice already. Once more and he's a goner.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 10 February 2003 15:58 (twenty-two years ago)

But that would make him Peter.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 10 February 2003 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Is it Peter? One of the other ones, anyway.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 10 February 2003 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe she is Thomas.

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 10 February 2003 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I doubt it..

(shoot me, PLEASE !!)

― Fuzzy (Fuzzy), Monday, 10 February 2003 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)

i had judith down as thomas but then i know nothing biblewise.

enjoyed it. found the evil people / glowing eye thing really disturbing.

andy

― koogs, Monday, 10 February 2003 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I liked the evil people (the woman in the car particularly) apart from the fat bloke. His maniacal laughter was a bit crap. So is he The Devil or just a devil?

― James Ball (James Ball), Monday, 10 February 2003 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't think the parallels were quite as simple as that, but I might be wrong. I think Eccleston's good, and I think it's a compelling programme, at the halfway mark.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 10 February 2003 18:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Is this a BBC program? (that is can we Yanks expect it on BBC America?)

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 10 February 2003 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

ITV, so I've no idea if you'll see it.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 10 February 2003 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought Judith was Mary Magdalene.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 10 February 2003 19:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Is Nick Southall the Anti-Christ?

― Enid Roach (Enid Roach), Monday, 10 February 2003 20:10 (twenty-two years ago)

so...

― zemko (bob), Monday, 10 February 2003 22:50 (twenty-two years ago)

A terrific finish I thought, more than fulfilling my hopes for it. The acting got better, the meaning was powerful. A tremendous TV show, I think.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 10 February 2003 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

ailsa's right, too, I thought.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 10 February 2003 23:40 (twenty-two years ago)

did they go anywhere with the cheese thing? i wz watching deep blue sea which lived down below expectations by some way

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 10 February 2003 23:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I see what you did there Mark.

I only saw about 5 minutes of it. In what way was he Christ if he couldn't heal Pete?

― Graham (graham), Monday, 10 February 2003 23:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I think LLcoolJ was moses.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 10 February 2003 23:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, I am the anti-christ.

Interesting conclusion, although not quite as revolutionary as the pre-press had suggested; wasn't Nietschze [sic] saying that years ago? Isn't the whole 'taking responsibility for our own lives' just existentialism-via-Buddhism? I didn't think any of the conclusions were particularly clever. And the death was awful! It was an OK way to spend 3 and a half hours over two nights, but I can't see ITV being inundated with requests for the VHS/DVD next Monday. I still don't like Eccleston, with him I never get any sense of motivations behind actions, never any semblance of thought or the inner workings of a real human mind (esp. in Shallow Grave). The woman who played Judith was fine. I didn't think it was very well shot either, the mis-en-scene seemed criminally uninteresting and pedestrian most of the time, but that's par for the course with English TV dramas. I don't think it's gonna change anyone's views on God or prevent a war though. Shame. Interesting but disappointing.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 09:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Judith was Judas: 'betrayal' in one sense, ie. she led Steve to his death even though there was no literal 30 pieces of silver for motivation. Steve not healing his friend was completely in keeping with the whole Jesus thing but for the most part all recognisable Biblical archetypes were whizzed around in a blender.

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 09:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought it was quite enjoyable, but I couldn't take the devil guy seriously cos if his involvement in the Aero advert with the hula hooping mice.

As always with this sort of thing I liked the background vibe better than the actual plot, eg, Richard and Judy discussing Steve's miracles, etc...

I don't think Judith was supposed to represent Judas. In fact, I was quite glad that none of it seemed to get too bogged down in allegory - it would have been very easy to have had a "ooh, he's supposed to be Pontious Pilate!" moment every 5 minutes....

I too would be interested to hear what anyone with a strongly pro or anti religious stance made of it, cos it seemed to me that it fell bang in the middle - Christians would have been none too chuffed at the "death of God" ending, while atheists would presumably be none too pleased to learn that there *had* been a God all along...

― reclusive hero (reclusive hero), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 10:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Script had lapsed-Catholic fingerprints all over it, which was really enjoyable for me, little miss atheist.

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 10:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Christians would have been none too chuffed at the "death of God" ending, while atheists would presumably be none too pleased to learn that there *had* been a God all along...

Are you saying the programme wasn't just a story? It really happened? Gah! You're right - I am none too pleased.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't enjoy it as much as the first half, but then what I enjoyed most about the whole thing was the 'how would the modern world react if he came back?' question which was much more of a factor at the start. I agree with reclusive hero - a lot of the details (Richard & Judy etc) were spot on.

I think the 'third testament = Death of God' thing was a good way of resolving the story - I couldn't see where it was going otherwise. But I agree with Nick that his death was a bit crap. And the poor bastards had to see that replayed over and over again on TV.

did they go anywhere with the cheese thing?

Can somebody make a crap pun involving the word 'gouda' or 'edam' please? All my efforts are too lame to type in.

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, the direction was ordinary, but I can't agree that Eccleston is poor. I thought he was excellent a lot of the way, even if often outshone by his female co-star, who has been fantastic in loads of things over the last couple of years.

I note that the meaning of the third testament, and indeed the message of the whole thing, is pretty identical to the major meaning about religion in Philip Pullman's trilogy, wherein we learn that religion, even if totally true, is a bad thing that keeps humanity from realising its true worth, for better or worse. Very similar. That was especially brave for books aimed at a young audience, this was brave for mainstream TV (i.e. ITV not far from peak hours).

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 13:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Martin Skidmore you bastard! I'm 30 pages into The Subtle Knife and now it's SPOILT! You bugger! (Only joking! - I think I can still enjoy the rest of it, somehow!)

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 13:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Do you want me to tell you exactly how that theme is expressed, Nick?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 21:45 (twenty-two years ago)

NO!

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)

They are remarkably fucking good books though, aren't they?

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

The Second Coming = Pish. My boyf made me watch it and it was beyond crap. No suspension of disbelief happening with me at all folks. And I quite like Christopher Eccleston usually.

― smee (smee), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 12:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't think suspension of belief was an issue - I was never going to believe the central thing at all.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

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