WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Netflix's Messiah, available now to stream.
One question at the core of HBO's Watchmen was what a person would do if given the powers of a god. The question was further explored when Doctor Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) empowered his wife, Angela (Regina King), at the end of Season 1 in a thought-provoking finale. However, while we were left with a cliffhanger ending as to what Angela would do if imbued with such powers, Netflix's Messiah leaves no such stone unturned as it answers that question with its portrayal of the Second Coming, known as Al-Masih (Mehdi Dehbi).
In Watchmen, Manhattan struggled with his godhood, wanting that sense of mortality he lost when he got his powers, all so he could be happy. He still believes in mankind, though, and his best bet in humanity is the love of his life, Angela. Ergo why he leaves a bit of his powers in an egg so when Angela does consume it, she'll become Manhattan 2.0.
The finale sees her going out to the pool to walk on water, something her husband did, but as she goes to rest her foot on the liquid surface to test if she's a god, the show cuts to black and the credits roll. Some have deemed this unsatisfying because they wanted to see if Angela truly became Manhattan's successor, while others think the vague ending was just to stir conversation as a second season is yet to be confirmed. The story was designed to be self-contained from showrunner Damon Lindelof, after all, but even though, the white supremacists were taken down, toying with the notion of Angela as a savior left us demanding answers.
Messiah doesn't hold back on this concept or play coy at all with Al-Masih, who's actually a student from Iran known as Payam. His parents were killed during the "liberation" of Kuwait by America in the '90s, and he's bounced around the Middle East as a religious and political scholar. Payam eventually enrolled in a Boston university for a bit, taking a course on fundamentalism and extremists, and the role of terrorism in corporate America, so when it's revealed he does indeed have powers, one has to wonder if it's a trick.
In the first episode, "He That Hath an Ear," Payam prays for some Syrian refugees and apparently calms a sand storm. Still, one has to feel this could be luck and/or coincidence. When he heals a boy from a bullet wound at the Temple Mount in Israel, it's even suggested it was all a ruse, an act to bolster his standing as Payam's now being viewed by Jews and Muslims as a prophet and the true word of God. The fact he's found to have links to a Russian anarchist cell and his uncle trained him as a magician leaves the audience suspicious of his reputation and these feats. When he gets to Texas and rescues a small town, Dilley, by praying away a tornado, you do get the sense he's more than just a man.
Eventually, he's taken to Washington by the Iguero family and thousands of Christian followers believe they're embarking on a crusade to change the minds of those in the White House who are on the precipice of war. While Payam hasn't met his flock, they have blind faith as his acts in the Middle East have gone viral, not to mention what he did in Texas. The church leader, Felix (John Ortiz), who Payam is staying with, is guiding the caravan on gut instinct, but it's at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Payam shows the world what he's about. And in the process, he one-ups Angela with his miracle.
With the press and spectators circling him, Payam walks on water, strolling the full length of the pool and leaving everyone in his presence speechless. As it goes viral, the hateful Americans and doubting Thomases are more or less won over at this point, with the histrionics and outburst of his haters all but silenced. People genuinely believe they're now looking at the new incarnation of Jesus Christ, tearing up at the sight of God's new ambassador.
Now, he's a different kind of avatar as he represents a higher power, whereas Manhattan was someone born of science. Still, the way Payam embraces his destiny in public view really makes his arc much more poignant, especially as Angela wanted the Manhattan family to be kept secret. Admittedly, both scenes are super-important but Angela can be construed as somewhat of a coward, hiding in silence, whereas Payam wants to be the face of peace and change the world. Thus, his act and overall revelation has a lot more gravity to it, resonating with a bit more importance given the current climate where war and religion are sadly colliding again in the real world.
In terms of a messiah, Payam is unafraid and embraces his role in the light, while Manhattan and Angela believe hiding is for the greater good. Ultimately, while we knew Manhattan could walk on water, Angela's actions lack clarity and feel more symbolic when a definitive answer would have really cleared up her intentions. HBO didn't do that, but Netflix does for Payam, as he puts himself on full display to convince the world he's ready to save it.
Netflix's Messiah stars Mehdi Dehbi, Tomer Sisley, Michelle Monaghan, John Ortiz, Melinda Page Hamilton and Stefania LaVie Owen. Season 1 is now available to stream.