The CW is perhaps best known for its vampires and gossip girls. That’s why viewers may be intrigued to know the network’s new show “The Messengers,” goes beyond the halls of high school to tackle in depth questions about faith and the fight between good and evil.
“Nothing is a coincidence,” says the narrator, meaning the comet that races toward Earth in the first episode is not just a random occurrence. The object crashes to earth and its impact instantly kills five people. But the story doesn’t end there. All five people killed by the comet reawaken to find out they are chosen as Angels of the Apocalypse, gifted with special powers to fight the Devil and save humanity. Scientist Vera Buckley is working in a New Mexico desert when she experiences the life changing event. More on the main characters and their unique tasks:
Vera is not the only one affected by the blast; she is instantly and mysteriously connected to four other strangers, who also collapse only to miraculously come back to life: Erin Calder, a young mother desperate to protect her 7-year-old daughter from an abusive ex-husband; Peter Moore, a troubled high school student who finally lashes out to end the constant bullying he can no longer endure; Raul Garcia, a federal agent looking to escape his undercover assignment in a violent Mexican drug cartel; and Joshua Silburn, Jr., a charismatic second-generation televangelist following in his father’s footsteps – all awaken after the blast with extraordinary gifts, from inexplicable strength to the ability to heal others.
Executive Producer Trey Callaway, who has worked on apocalyptic-type shows in the past such as NBC’s “Revolution,” explained that “The Messengers” is based on the book of Revelation. However, he said the show is more than just religion. In fact, he told Townhall, it has a little bit of everything.
“You can watch it regardless of what you believe in, whether or not you believe in anything at all and you can feel bonded to these characters," Callaway explained. "You can relate to them and their struggles, individually and collectively and at the end of every episode, there’s a moment that yanks your heart out a little bit and makes you feel a sense of love and hope and purpose that you share with your common man, regardless of where you’re coming from. It’s sexy and it’s romantic and it’s all kinds of things that I know I look for when I watch a TV series; but in addition, it’s got some real emotion in it.”
The intriguing plot line is brought to life by a very talented cast. Perhaps the most interesting casting of all is the actor who was tapped to play The Man (Devil), Diogo Morgado. Morgado, a popular actor from Portugal, just happened to play Jesus in “The Bible” miniseries.
Jon Fletcher plays Joshua (pictured above), a preacher poised to take over a mega church in Texas. He spoke with Townhall about his immediate interest in the script.
“It’s rare that something comes along that really just grabs you," Fletcher said. "So much material during pilot season gets sent and this was one that just jumped off the page to me…Joshua, it’s such an interesting journey he goes on....The thing they preach is prosperity and when he has his reawakening and dies and comes back, it’s a very different God that speaks to him. His faith is immediately rocked and it sets him off on this path that’s going to get darker before he comes back to the light. All of that was just a lot of depth and shades to play. That was quite exciting.”
Although “The Messengers” features supernatural twists and turns, Fletcher insisted the program never strays too far from reality.
“The personal struggles each one of the characters brings to the table before they’re responsible for saving the world, we don’t shy away from any of that. Being Angels is just another thing to add to their lives. They still have to deal with family, make sure their kids are okay. That’s also what makes it relatable and keeps it real. They don’t just get these gifts and they’re off on this journey trying to save the world – their real lives keep coming back to affect and haunt them.”
Callaway added that there is one more feature that makes "The Messengers" especially appealing.
“I think what really makes ‘The Messengers’ stand out for me is this sort of overarching sense of hope that comes out of it. There’s a lot of heart and a lot of hope in it. That’s one of the things that we’re most proud of.”
“The Messengers” is produced by CBS Television Series and Warner Bros. Entertainment, in association with Thunder Road Pictures. It premieres Friday, April 17 on The CW at 9 p.m. ET.
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