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The Book of Daniel Season 1 Episode 1

Temptation

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8.8

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 1/6/06

Reverend Daniel Webster's problems begin when his daughter is arrested for possession of drugs and his brother-in-law goes missing, along with a substantial amount of the church funds.

Fan Episode Reviews (4)

Gay, drugs and churches

9.0

By SleepTight, Jul 29, 2006

A pretty fun first episode of the short lived ’Book Of Daniel’, most of the characters and fun and fresh and there is really nothing negative about it.

The most creative about this show is Jesus talking to Daniel, both characters are very interesting and share the best scenes.

Daniel has three kids,

Peter; who is a homosexual young man. He came out and his parents are very supportive and loving, unlike most Christian parents who wouldn’t accept a homosexual son. The character has a lot of potential and is loving and interesting.

Adam; is an adopted Chinese who is bordering irritating ness but is also the one who brings the humor into the show. He’s mostly funny but sometimes takes it a little to far.

and Grace; she is a teenager and doesn’t know how to get money and to that she sells drugs. She is a great comic book writer and puts her entire family in the computer, a very beautiful and fun young girl.

The teaser is very misleading, it shows the characters in a different way, angry and irritating. It looked like some bad drama but when you get into the episode you see how good it actually can be, good drama together with comedy and mystery.

The storyline of the episode was about Daniel’s brother in law who stole money and was found dead, or at least it looked like he did. He was married to the sister of Daniel’s wife who is caught by Daniel enjoying her drink with some other woman they thought had killed Charlie.

a pretty good but at times slow pilot that takes off towards the end to a what looks like, a very good show.

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This is the first part of what was shown as a two-parter pilot episode. Character personalities and conflicts are introduced, as well as the first plot line, the disappearance of St Barnabus's school construction money.moreless

9.0

By mleafrose, Jan 11, 2006

'Temptation' is a very strong start to what I hope will be a long and succesful show. In this episode we are introduced the main characters and given a glimpse of what makes them tick, and what troubles them.

At the core of it are the Websters - Daniel, father; Judith, mother; Grace, daughter; Peter and Adam, sons. They all have their issues to wrestle with: substance abuse, sexuality, growing up.

As the name of the episode would suggest, it does deal, to some extent, with matters of faith, if somewhat obliquely. It is not, as some orthodox Christians would have you believe, demeaning of or bigoted against Christians and Christianity.

Yes, Jesus does have a sense of humour, and yes, the Reverends and Bishops are all flawed human beings, but as a lay Lutheran I'd always thought that hating the sin and loving the sinner is what brought all those of the Christian faith together.

As for peformances, they were all top-notch. Aidan Quinn is underappreciated, and the young cast (Christian Campbell, Alison Pill and Ivan Shaw) do a superb job. But most of all, I liked Jesus. Yes, the beard and the hair are cliché, but overall, there's that sense of loving and caring and wisdom that just ought to be there, if you're going to play Jesus on television.moreless
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A little too ambitious.

5.0

By jihess, Jan 07, 2006

While I understand that in a pilot episode you need to introduce the characters of the show, I feel the writers of "The Book of Daniel" put too much into this one episode. It felt forced, frenzied, and disjointed. Just how much can happen in one hour??!! I'd rather the writers let the characters and subplots unfold slowly (though not as slowly as "Invasion") and let us savor the show, get our bearings, and actually enjoy some of what's going on, instead of being lead around on a leash from one happening to the next. I'll give it another chance or two, but if each week is as exhausting as this one, I can see myself getting tired of perusing "The Book of Daniel" really quickly.moreless
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I liked this episode, and I like this show. It is entertaining, respectful, realistic, and shows compassion.

10

By panachat, Jan 07, 2006

This is a good start to an entertaining drama. The characters are drawn with respect - the priest who struggles with an addiction to pain killers, and who sees and speaks to Jesus. Nothing trite or sentimental in that depiction, but sensitive, intelligent, humourous and compassionate. Children who are at the same time self-centred yet sensitive to what their parents are going through... vulnerable and blasé in the same breath. This is what real kids are like - what real parents are like... Homosexuals do exist, as human as everybody else, with loving families who are not necessarily nymphomaniacs, who are as tender and flawed and struggling just like everyone else. To all the Bible thumpers out there, try to cultivate some compassion.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Christian Campbell	Peter Webster
Ivan Shaw	Adam Webster
Aidan Quinn	Daniel Webster
Alison Pill	Grace Webster
Ellen Burstyn	Bishop Beatrice Congreve
Susanna Thompson	Judith Webster

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Leven Rambin	Caroline Paxton	Guest Star
Alana De La Garza	Jessie Gilmore	Guest Star
Gillian Jacobs	Adele	Guest Star

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TRIVIA (1)
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- A pilot episode for "The Book of Daniel," was filmed at All Saints Church in Pasadena, California.
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