"30 Coins" - Judas' Legacy Trivia Quiz

Answer: Spain/Spanish

"30 Coins" (in Spanish "30 monedas") was created, written and directed by Álex de la Iglesia for HBO Europe. It was shot (mostly) in Spain and the dialogue was (mostly) in Spanish. The series is set in the village of Pedraza (fictional) and was shot in the municipality of Pedraza (real) in the province of Segovia. Where appropriate, bits of the dialogue are in Italian, Latin, or English.

Answer: Crucifixion of Jesus/suicide of Judas

The opening sequence to every episode of "30 Coins" depicts the grisly, slow-motion Crucifixion of Jesus followed by Judas Iscariot hanging himself from a tree. Blood flows and flies freely as Jesus is tortured and killed. Judas receives a bag containing his reward for betraying Jesus, and flees to find a rope and a stool with which to take his own life.

The Roman soldiers scream silently and their pupil-free eyes turn to white as Jesus dies. Well, that's disturbing!

Answer: the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas

Thirty silver coins was the price paid by the chief priests to Judas Iscariot to betray his Master to them. The Gospel According to Matthew (26:14-16 KJV/AV) has it, "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him." The line in Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Part 2" in which the mistress of Falstaff asks "and didst thou not kiss me, and bid me fetch thee thirty shillings?" is a reference to the story of Judas in the Gospel.

Answer: all of these are true

Father Vergara is depicted repeatedly punching a body-sized heavy punching bag as a way of venting his frustrations. His former work as an exorcist led to the death of a boy he was trying to save. For this, he was sent to prison for manslaughter. Those of the community who are upset with him petition the local bishop to replace him with another priest.

Answer: a meat-cutting plant and a hotel

Paco, played by Miguel Ángel Silvestre, and his wife Merche, played by Macarena Gómez, own and operate a meat-cutting plant, from which the pig's heads are stolen in the last episodes of "30 coins". They also own the local hotel at which Father Angelo, played by Cosimo Fusco, stays when he replaces Father Vergara.

Answer: veterinarian

Elena is a veterinarian who runs a local clinic and makes a lot of "house calls" to the local farmers to attend to their stock. In season 1, episode 3, a mirror image of Father Vergara convinces the local people that Elena and Paco are evil, are sleeping together and should be destroyed. The hypnotized mob rushes to the veterinary clinic, trash it and set it afire.

Answer: a cow gives birth to a human baby

Called to attend the difficult delivery of a cow owned by a local villager, Elena delivers a human baby instead of a calf. The people are amazed and think it must be an evil omen. Father Vergara insists that it did not really happen, that someone switched a human baby for the calf when people were distracted.

Answer: he appears to return from the dead

Elena's husband Mario was killed by Jesús two years before; Jesús buried the body. Elena did not know if she was widowed or deserted. Then a witch/necromancer turned a scarecrow into the form of Mario and sent him to Elena. They embrace and proceed to make love except that the witch remains in control of Mario, sees and feels what's going on and speaks through him as if she were him. Mario's effigy is there to get the last coin from Elena.

When she refuses, he attempts to kill her but Paco saves her and he returns to dust and ashes.

Answer: a Gnostic sect of evil priests

The Cainites are a sect of clergy who follow the Gnostic Gospel of Judas. They are, in a sense, the reverse of proper clergy: they wear white suits or cassocks instead of black, black clerical collars instead of white, with upside-down crosses embroidered on their breast.

They believe that, if they can collect all thirty of the pieces of silver paid to Judas, they will have ultimate power over the world.

Answer: a mysterious black goo spread about

Father Angel spreads a black goo around the perimeter of the village, with the help of a couple of his acolytes. The goo poured down the sewer drains returns as a dense fog which makes it hard to see. The gates of the village are blocked by an invisible force field created by the fog.