I actually like the show.
Presenting the story of Jesus from the perspectives of his disciples, as well as the people who encountered and interacted with Him, was a refreshing way to present the life of Jesus, also, I do like the bold and creative decisions, such as putting Matthew on the autism spectrum and showing James the Lesser (referred to as Little James on the show) with cerebral palsy as it paints of picture of Jesus looking past people's outward apperances and seeing what is in their hearts and minds.
Their budget is limited, but they do a good job in making 1st Century Roman Judea look like a hellhole, and because they are not giving a run-of-the-mill Jesus story, they get to show things such as the plight of Jews under Roman occupation, how poorly the Romans treated them. Small details such as Jesus speaking to an Ethiopian woman in Egyptian because He spent part of His childhood in Egypt is a nice touch.
Also showing the different disciples writing various events of Jesus' life, and having that correspond to what they wrote in their gospels, was a nice touch.
While I like Jonathan Roumie's portrayal of Jesus, it still feels like white Christians are not comfortable with the idea of a Black or even dark skinned Jesus. Also, while the Ethiopian character of Tamar is prominent, there should be more Black main characters, especially since Dallas Jenkins was bold enough to have Joseph portrayed by a Black man. Apart from those two, the rest of the cast is made up of Isrealis, Indians, Eastern Europeans, and brown Latinos.
Pacing seems to be an issue as well, it seems like Jenkins wants to make some episodes feel like movies, while others feel like an episode and this can lead to some moments that drag. Sticking to a strict 60-minute format would have been better.
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