"The thirteenth apostle": and again about the supernatural

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

"The Thirteenth Apostle" is a phrase familiar to fans of Kevin Smith's cult film about two fallen angels (played by Matt Damon and his Oscar-winning friend Ben Affleck) Dogma. According to the plot, replete with slightly blasphemous jokes, the very "13th" Rufus (played by Chris Rock) did not enter the Bible due to the fact that he was dark-skinned. But the Italians gave just such a name - "The Thirteenth Apostle" - to their new series (however, adding one more word as a kind of sub title - "The Chosen One").

Mysteries of the Vatican

Vatican clergyman Gabriel Antinori works in a special department designed to investigate and (if possible) explain various paranormal incidents. In the very first episode of the telesaga "The Thirteenth Apostle", the theologian accidentally finds an ally who can help his research in the field of the other world. This is psychologist Claudia Munari. They clashed while studying one of the strange cases (levitating children): the priest was in the house on his “detective” business, and Claudia was as a social educator about toFind out why kids don't go to school. This is how this acquaintance began, which grew into cooperation.

Another couple

An atheist and skeptic, Munari is too sober a person to believe in otherworldly powers and an afterlife. But Gabriel has had to deal with things that are inexplicable from the point of view of science more than once, and he is set up in a completely different way. Reminds me of nothing?

Yes, of course, a clear parallel with Mulder and Scully, the characters of The X-Files, a series that ran for 9 seasons and was a huge success. In that couple, too, the man was ready to believe in the supernatural origin of many things that were not amenable to logic, but Dana remained “Unbelieving Thomas” for a long time, criticizing the incredible theories of Fox and summing up everything conceivable and unthinkable scientific basis. But those who came up with the film "The Thirteenth Apostle" chose a slightly different path, after all, Gabriel is a priest, not an FBI officer. Although this adds some piquancy to their relationship with Claudia. After all, Catholic clergymen are deprived of the right to carnal manifestations of love, and, apparently, newly-made partners are subtly attracted to each other from the very day they met.

Mystery is always attractive

Gabriel and his partner are played by (what a coincidence!) namesakes: handsome Claudio Gioe with charming Claudia Pandolfi. Despite the fact that these actors are far from being stars, they do their job well. The images that they create in the series "The Thirteenth Apostle" are rather ambiguous. And it's not even aboutemerging romantic feelings. Gabriel, for example, is endowed with a certain gift that allows him to keep the dying in this world. His origin is shrouded in mystery, something that happened to him in childhood still does not allow him to sleep peacefully. Ghosts and sinister characters haunt the hero.

The film series are built according to the classical canon: one episode is equal to one riddle. However, do not rush to rejoice: not always in the final you will be able to fully understand the origin of a particular phenomenon, some puzzles will not find their solution. So, you also have the opportunity to reflect on them, for this, see "The Thirteenth Apostle", the 1st season of which started on January 4, 2012.