Yesterday, Netflix kicked off what’s sure to be a content-filled 2020 with its ensemble drama, Messiah, a thriller the spans the globe from Syria to a small town in the American southwest. When an enigmatic figure named Al-Massih emerges in the Middle East and claims to be the eschatological second coming of Jesus, we also meet the Iguero family in rural Texas whose lives become intertwined with the miracle-worker after a disastrous tornado strikes. John Ortiz stars as Felix Iguero—a pastor whose waning faith is challenged by Al-Massih—with The Carrie Diaries’ Stefania LaVie Owen as his daughter, Rebecca, who embarks on a spiritual journey of her own. We recently sat down with Ortiz and LaVie Owen to discuss their ambitious new series, and why it’s important that Messiah looks at a global issue from all sides of the equation.

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