Well, what can I say about this show... it's bad. I feel like some of the high reviews comes from the fact the show is extremely Christian-centered.
In reality, the show is just not very good. It's not so much the heavy, in-your-face gospel preaching (that is to expected from a show like this) nor the cheap look (I mean, a show like this wasn't going to get a big budget), but for several other reasons.
One, the writing and dialogue is cringe. Besides repeating the same words over and over again (Such as in "A Christian Practical Joke" where they repeatedly said 'practical joke' in just a few minutes), the attempt at humor fails (The beginning of "The Vanish of New Jersey" is unfunny but annoying). The characters throw around words "Christian", "God", and "Christ" way too much to a point is almost a parody. I know many evangelicals and while they use those words often, its nowhere near as much as they do on this show. The writing tries to invoke emotion, but it comes off as funny or dull. (Hallmark does it better, and that's not saying much).
The acting is either just okay (Jack Kelly who plays Rudy) to bad (so many chose from, but my vote goes to Shane Willimon as Travis).
Characters are not very well-rounded. In the end, the viewer will know that they are very Christian and seek out to convert people. What few backstories were get are usual underdeveloped. This could have been remedy if they showed the characters interacting outside the theater (likely not done due to budget) and with others who weren't Christian. The characters are judgmental and puritanical. Like one time the character of Rudy implied anyone who simply kissed a person before marriage is impure and immoral ('One Lucky Lady'). The characters at times label other people as sad, immoral, and in need of saving. Yes, at times some of the characters get called out for being judgmental... by others who are just as bad.
Who is the worse character in this show? Hugh McLean as Gates (AKA the Tolkien Black Guy, yes there's very little representation in this show). He was the most judgmental of all the characters. Example, he passionately hated Jamie's earrings because it made him look 'gay' and repeatedly said a heckler was the Devil. He also does a stereotypical Jamaican character for the theater.
I can keep going on, but you know what... I still enjoy the show. The low budget, bad acting, and bad dialogue and a lot of the other negatives makes for enjoyable viewing of bad media. The overly wholesome and unrealistic positive nature can be quite relaxing after binge watching darker shows like 'Squid Games'. Despite major flaws, some of the characters are likable (Jamie for one).
Some of the episodes pleasantly surprise me, such as "The Heckler". In that episode, a theater patron heckler calls out the theater for what he preserved as lies and falsehoods during a show. After the incident, the theater character think the man is bad, except for Jamie, who was compassionate towards the man (which was nice to see from a character on this show). You would think from this show after Jamie tells the heckler about Jesus and stuff, the man would have a change of heart and be saved. Nope! The heckler rejects him in the end. That threw off guard and its why this was the best episode in my opinion.
Okay, this was a long review. So in short, the show is so bad, that's good. Another reviewer gave a very similar review about how he liked the show for being bad, and that's truth.
In reality, the show is just not very good. It's not so much the heavy, in-your-face gospel preaching (that is to expected from a show like this) nor the cheap look (I mean, a show like this wasn't going to get a big budget), but for several other reasons.
One, the writing and dialogue is cringe. Besides repeating the same words over and over again (Such as in "A Christian Practical Joke" where they repeatedly said 'practical joke' in just a few minutes), the attempt at humor fails (The beginning of "The Vanish of New Jersey" is unfunny but annoying). The characters throw around words "Christian", "God", and "Christ" way too much to a point is almost a parody. I know many evangelicals and while they use those words often, its nowhere near as much as they do on this show. The writing tries to invoke emotion, but it comes off as funny or dull. (Hallmark does it better, and that's not saying much).
The acting is either just okay (Jack Kelly who plays Rudy) to bad (so many chose from, but my vote goes to Shane Willimon as Travis).
Characters are not very well-rounded. In the end, the viewer will know that they are very Christian and seek out to convert people. What few backstories were get are usual underdeveloped. This could have been remedy if they showed the characters interacting outside the theater (likely not done due to budget) and with others who weren't Christian. The characters are judgmental and puritanical. Like one time the character of Rudy implied anyone who simply kissed a person before marriage is impure and immoral ('One Lucky Lady'). The characters at times label other people as sad, immoral, and in need of saving. Yes, at times some of the characters get called out for being judgmental... by others who are just as bad.
Who is the worse character in this show? Hugh McLean as Gates (AKA the Tolkien Black Guy, yes there's very little representation in this show). He was the most judgmental of all the characters. Example, he passionately hated Jamie's earrings because it made him look 'gay' and repeatedly said a heckler was the Devil. He also does a stereotypical Jamaican character for the theater.
I can keep going on, but you know what... I still enjoy the show. The low budget, bad acting, and bad dialogue and a lot of the other negatives makes for enjoyable viewing of bad media. The overly wholesome and unrealistic positive nature can be quite relaxing after binge watching darker shows like 'Squid Games'. Despite major flaws, some of the characters are likable (Jamie for one).
Some of the episodes pleasantly surprise me, such as "The Heckler". In that episode, a theater patron heckler calls out the theater for what he preserved as lies and falsehoods during a show. After the incident, the theater character think the man is bad, except for Jamie, who was compassionate towards the man (which was nice to see from a character on this show). You would think from this show after Jamie tells the heckler about Jesus and stuff, the man would have a change of heart and be saved. Nope! The heckler rejects him in the end. That threw off guard and its why this was the best episode in my opinion.
Okay, this was a long review. So in short, the show is so bad, that's good. Another reviewer gave a very similar review about how he liked the show for being bad, and that's truth.