February was a dry month for movie releases, and Eve and I couldn’t nail down any one thing for this month’s episode. So in honor of February’s shorter length, we are bringing you another installment of “What We Watched.” If you are a member of our online Facebook community, you can take advantage of opportunities to participate in movie suggestions and episode interaction, so be sure to check us out on Facebook!
So without any further archaic ado, let’s jump right in!
Eve’s Not Just Watching #1
Bones [12 Seasons, (2005–2017)]
Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan and cocky F.B.I. Special Agent Seeley Booth team up to investigate murders. Quite often, there isn’t more to examine than rotten flesh or mere bones. —IMDB.com
Bones stars Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan and AYJW favorite David Boreanaz as F.B.I. Special Agent Seeley Booth. Both Eve and I are familiar with Boreanaz’s work from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series and its spin-off Angel, but that almost kept Eve from watching Bones. Once you fall in love with an actor playing a role, you don’t really want to see them do anything to hurt that relationship. Luckily, he pretty much nails the role of lapsed catholic Agent Booth to the devout atheist Dr. Brennen in Bones. The show does a nice job balancing the atheist versus Christian views of the characters and other worldviews from other characters on the show. (Cyndi Lauper has a recurring role as an aura reading psychic.) They allow each character to live out their faith consistent with their individual beliefs and don’t try to show one view as “right” while casting the others off as “wrong.” It’s up to the viewer to decide, and that is refreshing. Another interesting thing they do is how the show presents stereotypes. Many of the rotating cast members appear on the surface to be stereotypical and two-dimensional. Thanks in part to Brennen’s lack of tact, she acknowledges those stereotypes and is sometimes surprised when they fail to capture a person’s character. Through her social awkwardness, the viewer can examine both the truths and fallacies of stereotypes in our society.
Two episodes, in particular, stand out.
Season 8, Episode 11, “The Archaeologist in the Cocoon”
Near & dear to Eve’s heart, though not in a good way, the episode features a young earth creationist who (in the typical Hollywood light) has primarily negative traits and seeks to further his beliefs through deceit. Even still, a careful viewing of the episode goes to highlight how even the most careful application of archaeology can result in fabricated stories. That’s just the way society needs to see these. Generating the narrative, though, requires filling in a lot of blanks with pure conjecture.
Season 5, Episode 10, “The Goop on the Girl”
The Christmas episode of season 5 features a conservative, vitriolic radio talk show host as the red-herring suspect. Based on his show’s snippets that they play throughout the episode, it’s easy to dislike the man. This episode stands out because it includes an unexpected redemptive arc for the radio host as he realizes that his angry words contributed to the death of a man. It concludes with a touching speech from the host on his show:
A man died this week. By all accounts, he was a… good man. Loved his mother. Worked hard. Shouldered his responsibilities. Man that any one of us would be proud to call a friend. I killed him with this microphone. I killed him by going on these airwaves and sharing my rage with you, spreading my rage. Now, you can say it wasn’t my fault. It was a coincidence. I thought about that. Thought about it a lot. Fact is – the fact is that if it weren’t for me, he might still be alive. I’m so sorry for that. And I remembered something that I forgot over the last few years. That God is not just a god of anger and vengeance. My religious beliefs tell me that Christ did not die in vain. That He died to redeem us all. And I intend to show that this good, simple man also did not die in vain. That he redeemed one angry, shouting man. So these are the last words I will *ever* broadcast. I hope that they’re the words you remember best. Peace on Earth.
The unexpected inclusion of the Gospel in the final words of the episode really struck home, making it one of Eve’s favorite episodes of the series.
The radio hosts story reminds us that human anger is contrary to God’s purposes:
My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. (James 1:19-20)
We should not let the foolishness of Hollywood, as it continually paints Christians in poor lights, get to us. When they do this, we should be ready to explain why we believe what we do:
but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (1 Peter 3:15)
This is good advice in all situations. As Eve reminds us, when called to explain our faith, our point should never be to win an argument but to glorify God. Remember:
Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness or you’ll be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his foolishness or he’ll become wise in his own eyes. (Proverbs 26:4-5, CSB)
Do not answer [nor pretend to agree with the frivolous comments of] a [closed-minded] fool according to his folly, Otherwise you, even you, will be like him. Answer [and correct the erroneous concepts of] a fool according to his folly, Otherwise he will be wise in his own eyes [if he thinks you agree with him]. (Proverbs 26:4-5, Amplified Study Bible)
Brennan’s character may be a brilliant genius, but she is a bigger fool than anyone in truth. When we answer objects for people like her, we need to focus on the Glory of God and the truth of the Gospel.
Tim’s Not Just Watching #1
All Creatures Great and Small [1 Season, (2020– )]
In 1937, newly qualified vet James Herriot travels to Yorkshire for an assistant position in Siegfried Farnon’s practice. He learns the facts of country life but has to overcome the Darrowby locals’ prejudices who are skeptical of the novice vet’s ability. In between cases, Herriot courts farmer’s daughter Helen Alderson.—Wikipedia.
James Herriot is a freshly graduated veterinary surgeon who finally lands his first job in Darrowby in England’s Yorkshire Dales region. Along the way, he learns the differences between school and actual practice while he works as a veterinary assistant to the curmudgeonly Sigfried Farnon. James and Sigfried are also joined by Sigfried’s brother, veterinary hopeful and hopeless womanizer Tristan, and the real master of Skeldale house, the impeccable and impossibly deep Ms. Hall.
Like so much of PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre, the scenery is nothing short of breathtaking. Filmed on location(s) in Yorkshire, everything has such an authentic feel; it makes it so easy to get lost in the details of the show the elements of the story. The way the townspeople all interact is equally touching and humorous, and you come away from the show wanting to go back in time and visit this fictional town. The show’s humor and attitude are much more mature and pure than what you would find in shows like the IT Crowd or Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
The show is moral and faithful without openly declaring a faith. The title is from the 1848 Cecil Frances Alexander hymn, “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” which itself is based, in part on scripture:
How countless are your works, Lord! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small. (Psalms 104:24-25)
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NKJV))
Two episodes that stood out for me were:
Season 1, Episode 3, “Andante”
In James’s first real test of his character as a vet, he has to cover the practice while Sigfried is interviewing to become the attending vet at the local racecourse. James is called out to tend a horse that appears to have colic, only to find it to be a racehorse owned by a potential romantic rival, and upon which the entire town has hopes pinned to return the race championship title to Darrowby. The trainer is convinced the malady is minor, but James discovers that the horse has developed a fatal torsion of the bowel upon examination. Keenly aware of the incredible pain the animal is in, James decides to put the horse down, against the trainer’s wishes, who wanted to wait for a second opinion. For the rest of the episode, James has to deal with second-guessing his decision while the denizens of the town take to calling him “the horse killer.”
Season 1, Episode 5, “All’s Fair”
James is honored to have Sigfried appoint him as the attending vet to Darrowby’s annual fair. What he doesn’t know is that Sigfried, Tristan, and Mrs. Hall have a bet on how long James will last before he loses his temper with the petty cheating and Napoleonic complexes. Throughout the episode, we witness as James’s patience is tried time and time again by an incredibly bossy fair manager, a series of people seeking to cheat a pony judging contest, and a group of pompous parents who all think that their child and pet should receive the “pet of the fair” award. While all of this is going on, James also has to deal with a true moral conundrum, though. Helen Alderson’s family seeks to sell their prized bull for a profit that will significantly ease their poverty. Helen asks James to certify and vouch for the bull, but he suspects that the animal has gone lame. He is unable to voice his suspicions but also unable to get any answers. He doesn’t want to jeopardize his rather slim romantic chances with Helen by needlessly scuttling the sale on which they are depending. Still, he also can’t vouch for an animal when he has reasonable suspicious of its health. Nicolas Ralph does such a good job as James Herriot, playing the conflicted emotions with youth’s naivety. When he finally does lose his temper, it is so rewarding and righteous at the same time—a wonderful reward for the viewer.
Eve’s Not Just Watching #2
Run, Hide, Fight [DailyWire, 2020]
17-year-old Zoe Hull uses her wits, survival skills, and compassion to fight for her life, and those of her classmates, against a group of live-streaming school shooters. —imdb.com
Run, Hide, Fight was suggested by the Christian Podcasting Network’s own programming manager, Andrew Rappaport. It tells Zoe Hull’s story, a 17-year-old girl who is bitter at the world after losing her mother to cancer. When shooters storm her school and start killing people, Zoe has to call on her father’s survivalist training to stay alive and outwit the shooters. Along the way, she finds closure and catharsis with her mom’s death as the lessons her father has been teaching her slide into place with their true meaning and true lifetime applications.
Run, Hide, Fight is being offered by Ben Shapiro’s conservative website, The Daily Wire. A fully produced film when the DailyWire picked it up; it is intended to be the first of a long line of media offerings that focus on traditional conservative views and beliefs. It would earn a TV-MA or R rating due to its very violent content, so keep that in mind if you seek it out. It is definitely not suitable for younger viewers, and even older children and teenagers should use caution.
The movie was fully produced and looking for distribution when the Parkland high school shooting happened in Florida. Due to clear similarities between the film and the real-life events, no distribution house would pick the movie up.
Although Run, Hide, Fight has received a rating of only 13 out of 100 from Metacritic.com and 33% from RottenTomatoes.com, both websites show regular audience reviews in the 90% range. The disparity appears to be a combination of factors, including its clearly conservative/independent genesis, and its choice of content. Regardless, both Eve and Andrew liked it, and it appears they are joined by more than 9 out of 10 regular viewers.
During Run, Hide, Fight, the filmmakers replicate the true-life event of a Christian student’s execution for refusing to renounce her faith. The scene is even harder to watch when you recognize that the exact thing happened during the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. It brings to mind three verses in particular:
Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
As our American society continues to shift faster and further from the Judeo-Christian values upon which it was founded, we find ourselves facing more ostracization and greater persecution. Thanks be to God, it is not so bad as many places, but we would do well to remember these scriptures when we face our hopefully much smaller crises.
The title of the movie comes from the 3 main steps in preparedness training that almost all Active Shooter Response programs, both government and institutional, suggest.
Tim’s Not Just Watching #2
Cobra Kai [3 Seasons, Netflix (2018– )]
Decades after their 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament bout, a middle-aged Daniel LaRusso, and Johnny Lawrence find themselves martial-arts rivals again.—imdb.com
Thirty years after the first Karate Kid movie’s events with Pat Moria and Ralph Macchio, Cobra Kai picks up Johnny Lawrence’s life, a thoroughly broken man. Poisoned by the training of John Kreese and a victim of an emotionally abusive father, Johnny is a deadbeat dad who can’t hold a steady job due to a combination of anger issues and alcoholism. After having to dredge up his karate training to fend off some kids who mistake him for homeless, he ends up finding purpose again through reopening the Cobra Kai dojo and teaching karate. As he teaches the kids, he also learns some hard life lessons and realizes some serious personal growth. That’s all derailed, though, when high-school rival Danny Larusso, now a successful businessman, steps in to try and shut down Johnny and his dojo. Over the course of three seasons, the rivalry grows, and the lessons become harder and harder to bear until something breaks. Literally.
Cobra Kai is a slow-burning redemption story that mixes unbelievable action with true moral lessons. The path the viewer walks with Johnny through the series feels real. It doesn’t take long until you are invested in multiple characters. The moral gray area is so well presented that you are often unsure who you should be rooting for. Sometimes you want them all to just wake-up. Witnessing the process of falling and getting up repeatedly is rewarding because each time Johnny, or Danny, or one of their respective student, get up after a failure, there is a real lesson learned.
Perhaps not surprisingly, scripture for a karate show is a bit harder to work out (and that should say something). In fact, when it comes to self-defense, one verse jumps to many peoples mind:
But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. (Mathew 5:39)
Jesus even makes his point more clear, a bit later, after Peter strikes off the ear of a centurion:
Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and he will provide me here and now with more than twelve legions of angels? How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way? (Matthew 26:52-54)
Jesus leaves little doubt that the only sure defense is found in God:
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure. But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he takes from him all his weapons he trusted in, and divides up his plunder. (Luke 11:21-22)
Still, we are not expected—or required—to meekly accept every evil thing that happens around us.
A righteous person who yields to the wicked is like a muddied spring or a polluted well. (Proverbs 25:26)
In the end, the gospel is paramount to our witness. Nothing we do, either in submission or in resistance, should be permitted to damage our witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. No pressure, right?
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