House of David Season 2 Episode 1: Review, Recap, & Analysis

Kevin Keating
Oct 3
17 min read

Updated: Oct 19

Episode 1 of House of David Season 2 ("A Tale of Two Swords") is a miracle. It’s been less than a year since Season 1 of Wonder Project’s new Bible show premiered and yet somehow Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn have produced what may be one of my favorite episodes of the show so far. Episode 1 of House of David Season 2 picks up right where Episode 8 of Season 1 left off, with David’s triumph over Goliath and the ensuing battle between the Israelites and Philistines, followed by David's reunion with King Saul and Jonathan after the battle (1 Samuel 17:51-18:4). Below I'll offer my review of the episode (without spoilers) as well as an in-depth recap (with SPOILERS), and an analysis of key themes. Also be sure to check out my no-spoiler review of Episodes 1-2 of House of David Season 2 on YouTube as well as my deeper analysis and discussion of Episode 1-2's characters and themes.

How to watch House of David Season 2

To watch Season 2 of House of David, you can sign up for a 7-day free trial of the new Wonder Project subscription (affiliate link). After the trial, the subscription costs an additional $8.99/month on top of Prime Video.

More House of David Resources

David (Michael Iskander) carrying the sword of Goliath in Episode 1 of House of David Season 2 — David (Michael Iskander) carrying the sword of Goliath in Episode 1 of *House of David* Season 2

Review of House of David Season 2 Episode 1

Episode 1 gets House of David Season 2 started with a bang. The episode excels in many ways:

Production Value, Costumes, Cinematography, Choreography: House of David continues to maintain the quality of a mainstream historical/fantasy epic. Everything looks top notch.
Depiction of War: Although House of David has shown fighting, Episode 1 of Season 2 gives us the most sustained depiction of war that we’ve had so far. I appreciate how the show balances epic shots of the battlefield, larger-than-life heroic deeds like what you’d get in The Lord of the Rings, and more grounded, realistic moments that capture the horror and confusion of battle. Historians describe the limited knowledge that combatants have on the battlefield metaphorically as the “fog of war,” but Episode 1 literalizes this concept, constantly surrounding the Israelites and Philistines in swirling clouds of dust and shadow that create an atmosphere of bewilderment and anxiety. For a production the size of House of David this approach has the added benefit of allowing us to imagine a larger battle, without the need for thousands of human or CGI extras. But it doesn’t come across as a cheap workaround – ever moment of the battle in Episode 1 feels just as epic and action-packed as a top-tier fantasy film.
David’s Inexperience: After David’s glorious triumph over Goliath, it would have been very easy for House of David to have allowed the character to turn immediately into an invincible action hero. This is a trap that far more established franchises have fallen into – I think, for example, of Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. By contrast, House of David allows David’s inexperience to come through throughout his first battle. After all, killing a giant with a sling isn’t the same as participating in close-combat in a cluttered battlefield. I loved seeing Jonathan teach David on the run. I also appreciate the sense of anxiety that the other soldiers had with respect to David’s presence on the battlefield – even after his stunning victory, they can see his vulnerability, while at the same time recognizing his symbolic value and the importance of keeping him safe.
Flashbacks: Episode 1 of Season 2 utilizes several flashbacks to deepen our investment in characters like Saul, Jonathan, and Achish. Without getting into the details of any of the specific flashbacks, I think they function pretty well as brief respites from the action that help us reconnect to the characters. The point of these scenes isn’t to deliver a lot of new information – it’s to provide a proper emotional context for the action. In that respect, they’re pretty effective.
Characterization: Outside of the flashbacks, this is primarily an action-focused episode, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t get some good character moments. Just David’s triumph over Goliath didn’t signal an instant change in his ability to fight, I’m also glad to see that it also didn’t instantly change his relationship with Eliab. His brothers clearly recognize that they’ve under-estimated him, but that doesn’t stop them from worrying about protecting him. The friendship between Jonathan and David is famed and I like how we started to see it play out across the episode. I also like the ending exchange between Saul and Samuel and how it contrasts the deep disconnect between how the two of them view God and kingship.
The Sword of Goliath & The One Ring: I found the emphasis on the Sword of Goliath interesting on multiple levels. In my past reviews, I’ve noted several ways in which House of David draws on and alludes to The Lord of the Rings books and films, and Mychal’s opening narration describing the forging of the sword continues this trend. Informed viewers are clearly being invited to think of Galadriel’s opening narration about the rings of power in The Fellowship of the Ring, which suggests that the Sword of Goliath is somewhat akin to the One Ring – as Mychal puts it, “those who wield its power would conquer nations and destroy their enemies.” The connection between the Sword and the Ring is made stronger as the episode continues: after it is taken from the body of a powerful, supernatural enemy (Goliath), we see various figures fighting over it and wielding its power to dominate others. Last season, Achish already introduced the idea that the forging of iron was supernatural, and that idea is reinforced by how Episode 1 lingers on the magic runes inscribed on the sword. At the same time, Mychal herself seems to view the sword as technology rather than magic, which is also how Scripture generally frames such matters. But the distinction between magic and technology would have been fuzzier for ancient people than it is for us today. Biblically-speaking, both magic and technology represent pagan forms of worldly power that inspire fear but can be overcome through faith in God’s power. If that sounds familiar, it’s because technology and size/strength are simply two different forms of worldly power. If Season 2 of House of David focuses on technology, it will simply be continuing/extending one of the core themes of Season 1.
Gandalf-Samuel: While I’m calling attention to The Lord of the Rings-inspired moments, I loved Samuel’s big moment in the episode, which will definitely remind informed viewers of Ian McKellen’s Gandalf. Samuel’s role in the larger battle is also clearly meant to evoke Moses in the war with Amalek, which is a cool intertextual connection (Exodus 17:8-16).
THAT Death: The death of a named character doesn’t come as a big surprise – if anything, the lead up to his death follows the trope to the T – but that didn’t really bother me. Scripture often depicts battles in a rather sweeping way (whether positively or negatively) but the reality of war is always more complicated. Victory is never so complete that it comes without a cost, and so it’s good that House of David makes us feel the pain of its first major battle by sacrificing a character we know and not just a bunch of extras. I appreciate how the show allows the character to reach an appropriate point in his character arc before his death, and how his death affects those around him.

The Israelite and Philistine armies battle in Episode 1 of House of David Season 2 — The Israelite and Philistine armies battle in Episode 1 of *House of David* Season 2

I didn’t have any major issues with the episode, but I do one to flag a potential cause of concern for some Bible-readers:

The Bible says, “When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled” (1 Samuel 17:51b), but in House of David, after Goliath dies, the Philistine army charges into battle with the Israelites. Of course, the Bible is summarizing an entire event in the space of a sentence, and so I wouldn’t say that the show is necessarily being inaccurate – it’s just depicting in more granular detail the process that led the Philistines to flee. That said, I think it would have been good for the show to have made the rank-and-file Philistines as being more terrified, and made the connection between Goliath’s death and the defeat of their army a little clearer.

Is House of David Season 2 Worth the Cost of a Wonder Project Subscription?

Many who read this review are probably trying to figure out whether Season 2 of House of David is worth paying an additional $8.99 a month for the Wonder Project subscription on Amazon Prime Video. Here’s how I see it:

You can always sign-up for the 7-day free trial of the Wonder Project subscription (affiliate link) and see how you like the first two episodes of Season 2.
If you’re the kind of person who goes out to movies, this is a no-brainer. Skip one movie, and for the price of your ticket, you can subscribe to Wonder Project for the two months it’ll take to get through House of David Season 2. Instead of a two-hour movie, you’ll get a ~8 hour epic show and a lot of other good family-friendly/Christian content thrown in.
If you’re the kind of person who wants to support Christian art and media, it’s also a no-brainer. House of David is top-tier content full-stop, not just good compared to other Christian content. Outside of The Chosen, I haven’t seen another Christian show that comes close to rivaling it.
If you’re on a tight budget and being the first to watch the hottest new show isn’t a priority, you may want to hold off on the Wonder Project subscription, since House of David Season 2 will eventually be available to regular Prime Video subscribers (when exactly has not been announced).
Disclaimer: I participate in the Amazon Associate marketing program, so I do get a small reward each time someone clicks on one of my links and starts a new add-on subscription. That said, I’ve tried to be as honest as I could in my evaluation.

King Achish (Alexander Uloom) charges at David in Episode 1 of House of David Season 2 — King Achish (Alexander Uloom) charges at David in Episode 1 of *House of David* Season 2

What Happened in House of David Season 2 Episode 1 (A Tale of Two Swords)?

Please be warned that the recap below is detailed and contains SPOILERS!

House of David Season 2 Episode 1 Opening Narration

Episode 1 opens with a montage of Goliath’s death, David taking his sword, and the Israelite and Philistine armies charging, intercut with the forging of the Sword of Goliath for Achish. As the montage plays, we get a voice-over from Mychal:

They say there was none like it, the sword of Goliath. Born in fire, it has a strength unmatched. For those who can harness it, it will change how wars are fought, change the very world itself. Those who wield its power would conquer nations and destroy their enemies, just as the Philistines sought to destroy us, desperate to secure their place as the masters of the coming age, the Age of Iron. This is what they say, but I know the truth: a sword is only as powerful as the one who holds it.

David, Jonathan, & Eliab in House of David Season 2 Episode 1

King Achish leads the charge of the Philistines and goes straight at David, only to be parried. Even so, his attack causes David to lose the Sword of Goliath. The Israelites are not far behind and soon engage the Philistines in battle, led by Jonathan, who is soon knocked from his mount and forced to fight on foot, as the Israelites strive to hold their ground.

Drawing his bow, Achish aims at David but before he can fire he is hit by an arrow from Jonathan, and knocked off his horse. As the battle rages, Jonathan and Achish meet one another with swords and we get a flashback:

Saul, much younger, gives a bronze sword to Jonathan, insisting that it is one of the strongest blades that they have, like his own. He's inscribed with the history of Israel and a prayer for the defeat of their enemies, in hope that Jonathan will be a great warrior. Saul then goes to where Achish’s father, the former king of Gath, has been captured, outside of the fortress of Gibeah. Gloating over his defeated enemy, Saul beheads him, while the young Achish (only a child) looks on in horror.

Back in the present, Achish and Jonathan are separated by a charge led by Saul. Jonathan, noticing David’s inexperienced fighting style, comes alongside him and begins offering him pointers. Coming upon Goliath’s massive shield, they take shelter behind it and use it as a battering ram. After reconvening with the other leaders, it’s agreed that David needs to be taken off the battlefield to safety, but David dashes off to keep fighting and Eliab is sent to look after him.

Eliab soon finds David fighting on the battlefield with his sling and urges him to go to safety, while the Israelite forces strive to hold their ground. King Ashdod of the Philistines recognizes David and orders his forces to kill him, but is killed by Eliab. His death causes the Philistines to lose hope and begin to retreat, and the Israelites plan on following them all the way to the gates of Gath (1 Samuel 17:52). Abinidab tells David to hide in safety with their cowardly brother, Nathanael, but David ends up running off to look for Saul. Elsewhere, Jonathan is struck by an arrow. Breaking it off, he keeps on fighting.

When Eliab learns that David has taken off again, he gets Nathanael and goes in search of him. As they search, Nathanael finally shows bravery and gets his first kill – only to be immediately fatally shot by a Philistine arrow.

Jonathan soon finds his way to where his father is fighting Achish, arriving just in time to save Saul. Disarming Achish, he fights him hand to hand, but is struggling due to his arrow wound. Fortunately, David arrives and hits Achish with a slingstone. Jonathan has an opportunity to kill Achish but is temporarily restrained by David’s words. Suddenly, Lahmi, one of Goliath’s giant brothers, appears and scoops up Achish. With the threat removed, David goes to find his brothers, while Jonathan tends to Saul and embraces him.

Later, as David walks around the battlefield, the Israelite troops hail him as the giant-slayer. Meanwhile, Eliab embraces Nathanael, who in his final moments asks Eliab to tell David that he’s sorry for doubting him. In recognition of his bravery, Saul gives David a royal red cloak and Jonathan offers him his own sword (1 Samuel 18:1-4).

Leaving the tent, Jonathan struggles with the pain of his wound and is met by David, who offers to answer his questions about Samuel, but Jonathan brushes it aside, insisting that David is now a part of his house.

King Saul, Agag, & Achish in House of David Season 2 Episode 1

As soon as David defeats Goliath, King Saul calls for his armor and a horse. Though Mychal and Mirab discourage him, he insists that he is the Lord’s chosen and was made for this. Bidding them to remain safely in his tent, he charges off into battle, declaring that God is with them. Seeing Saul charge into battle, Achish retrieves the Sword of Goliath and follows after him. Meanwhile, Saul is unhorsed by the Spirit in the form of Agag and follows it away from the main battle into a flaming forest.

Trudging through the forest, Saul calls out to the Spirit, who jumps out and “attacks” him (this is all shown to be in his head). Saul eventually “stabs” the Spirit, who laughs, warning that it is not over yet. As he finishes this “battle,” Saul meets Achish, wielding Goliath’s sword.

While the two fight, Saul goads Achish for starting a war just to get back at him. Achish wields the giant sword awkwardly, but is eventually able to land a direct hit on Saul’s sword that causes it to shatter, to Saul’s surprise. Before Achish can finish Saul off, however, Jonathan and David arrive and are able to stop him. Jonathan nearly kills Achish, but Lahmi the giant arrives and scoops him up, insisting that he will get vengeance but not today.

After the battle, Saul addresses the army, chiding those who doubted David and him. When he asks David who he really is, David insists that he is nothing but a shepherd of Judah (1 Samuel 17:55-58). In recognition of his bravery, Saul welcomes him into his house and gives him a royal red cloak and Jonathan offers him his own sword (1 Samuel 18:1-4). Saul is pleased with David, but does watch Jonathan’s embrace of him with jealousy. Afterward, he finds Samuel (see more on their altercation below).

Samuel in House of David Season 2 Episode 1

As the battle plays out in the valley below, Samuel stands above with his staff raised, like Moses in the war with Amalek (Exodus 17:8-16), praying for God to give Israel the ground (drawing on Joshua 1:3). He is soon spotted from afar by Achish, who sends men to kill him.

Eventually, these men arrive, but Samuel fights them off with his sword and staff, and then continues praying, as he flashes back to the renewal of Saul’s kingship (probably around 1 Samuel 12) as well as the final removal of Saul’s kingship (1 Samuel 15) as seen in Season 1 Episode 1.

After the battle, as Samuel walks off, he is stopped by Saul who urges him to put their “misunderstanding” behind him. But Samuel refuses, pointing that Saul’s torment is self-made, a result of abandoning the Most High in pursuit of his own glory. Saul insists that he won the battle without Samuel, with his new champion that he chose, and demands that Samuel honor him now. When Samuel continues to refuse, Saul has him taken away, insisting that their conflict is finished – though Samuel insists it is only beginning.

Mychal & Mirab in House of David Season 2 Episode 1

After being confined to the royal tent by Saul, Mychal waits nervously, while Mirab insists that Saul always defeats his enemies. Suddenly, they hear the sound of enemy soldiers invading the camp from behind. Taking a knife, they flee the tent.

Outside the tent, Mychal and Mirab watch as flaming arrows fall on the camp as they try to make their way to safety. Noticing a Philistine guard in their way, they devise a plan. Mirab runs out in the open, drawing the guard after her as she circles round through the camp. Mychal then pulls up a trip line, knocking the guard down, and then stabs him with a knife. As she does so, we get a flashback:

Child Mirab asks Saul why they fight and Saul explains that they must protect their sheep from lions and wolves, just as a shepherd does, or soon they will have no flock. Moved by this, Mychal asks her father to teach her to fight and he proudly agrees.

Back in the present, a guard grabs Mychal, but is hit over the head by Mirab, before Mychal finishes him off with the knife.

Later, after the battle, Mirab and Mychal are reunited with Saul, who chides them for disobeying orders by leaving the tent, until he proudly discovers that they were actually facing the Philistines in the camp. Mychal is then joyfully reunited with David.

Doeg in House of David Season 2 Episode 1

After the battle, as Does scavenges the battlefield and finds the Sword of Goliath. Binding it up, he sends it off to Abner.

Key Themes of House of David Season 2 Episode 1

Episode 1 of House of David Season 2 has a few key themes that I found very interesting:

What Gives Victory?

Mychal’s opening monologue about the advent of iron weaponry invites us to consider where victory comes from. The Philistine perspective, conveyed to us by Mychal, is that the Sword of Goliath (and other iron weapons like it) will provide them with the strength that they need to defeat their enemies and secure their place of power. “This is what they say,” Mychal explains but then she goes on to offer her own take: “a sword is only as powerful as the one who holds it.” In other words, victory is a fruit of inner character, courage, and faith, and not an inevitable result of superior technology.

We revisit the death of Goliath, with his superior blade, at the hand of David, with a simple sling, so as to reinforce Mychal’s assertion. But King Achish clearly hasn’t learned the lesson. He fixates on retrieving the Sword of Goliath, assuming that it will provide him with the power that he needs to avenge his father’s death on Saul. But he’s not the only one who seems to miss the obvious lesson in Goliath’s defeat. Even after his miraculous triumph, Eliab and the others underestimate what David can do, even as he uses the very sling that slew Goliath.

When Achish finally brings the Sword of Goliath out in battle, Mychal’s premise is put to the test yet again. The technological superiority gives him the edge in his battle against Saul, but that isn’t saying much – Saul’s battle with Agag makes it clear that his heart is weak and at war with the darkness within him. But Achish’s superweapon isn’t enough to give him victory against David and Jonathan, two men who have demonstrated their courage and faith throughout the episode.

Here it’s worth considering the title of the episode, “A Tale of Two Swords.” The first sword is obviously Goliath’s. The second appears to be Jonathan’s, which we see given to him in a flashback by his father. Jonathan’s sword is technologically inferior to Goliath’s, but it is superior in one significant way. Saul notes that he’s had it inscribed with the history of Israel and a prayer to God. In other words, the sword points Jonathan’s heart away from itself and toward God as the ultimate source of victory. Jonathan’s battlefield prayers and the prayers that Samuel offers from the overlooking hill ultimately prove to be more effective than mere technology.

Saul seems to have another misconception about what gives victory. After the battle, he begins to tout his own wisdom in choosing David. He even goes so far as to dismiss his need for Samuel, insisting that he now has a giant-slayer as his champion. Saul is ironically unaware of the fact that it was God, through Samuel, who chose and empowered his champion, and that his own choice was far less consequential. Lest we misunderstand Mychal’s opening monologue and assume that victory came from David in and of itself, the show is making it clear that the character and courage that bring victory ultimately come from God. As David says to Goliath before their fight, “the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s” (1 Samuel 17:47).

What is Victory?

Saul’s fight with the apparition of Agag is an interesting moment. We, the viewers, are shown that he actually isn’t fighting anything. He’s just waving his sword in the air at nothing – although it ultimately lands in the body of a soldier who has already been defeated. Saul gloats over Agag, insisting that he has defeated the spirit. But we know quite well that Saul hasn’t actually achieved anything. He seems to think that he can achieve a victory over the darkness within through external actions. But victory in the external world can’t achieve internal transformation.

Victory in battle also isn’t a vindication against God’s judgment. After the battle is over, Saul immediately begins boasting and citing the victory as a sign that God favors him and is with him, contrary to Samuel’s prophetic words of warning. But Samuel’s response to Saul offers an important corrective that helps us properly understand the events of the episode. Just because God gave Saul victory doesn’t mean that God is with him. Since Saul’s besetting sin appears to be trusting in and glorifying himself, his victory only appears to be amplifying his pride and self-confidence, bringing him even further into judgment. The only sure sign of God’s favor comes through prophetic revelation, not through external achievements.

What is the Cost of Victory?

Episode 1 is full of injuries (and death). Both Achish and Jonathan take arrows (an interesting parallel). Saul once again loses his mind and his sword. Mychal and Mirab are both shaken up by their encounter with the Philistines. And, of course, Nathaniel dies, just after notching his first kill. It’s easy for fantasy and historical epics to glamorize battle, but House of David makes it clear that victory in battle comes at a cost. That isn’t to say that battle is a waste. Nathanael’s courageous final act is sad but not completely tragic. The battle gave him an opportunity to overcome his cowardice and show bravery – but the cost of that opportunity was high.

Stay tuned for more content on House of David Season 2. Also be sure to check out my blog review, recap, & analysis of Episode 2, my no-spoiler review of Episodes 1-2 of House of David Season 2 on YouTube as well as my deeper analysis and discussion of Episode 1-2's characters and themes.

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