The Old Stories: Moses Episode 2 Recap, Review, & Analysis

Kevin Keating
May 21
13 min read

Updated: Jun 4

The Old Stories: Moses is a three-part mini-series adapting the biblical story of Moses’ encounter with God in the Burning Bush, the confrontation between Moses (Sir Ben Kingsley) and Pharaoh (O-T Fagbenle), and the exodus of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. It’s also the first spin-off of Wonder Project’s House of David series, with David’s father, Jesse (Louis Ferreira), serving as the storyteller in the frame narrative. Below I’ll share a recap of The Old Stories: Moses Episode 2 (“The Confrontation”), which focuses on Moses’ return to Egypt and his confrontation with Pharaoh that results in the plagues like the Nile turning to blood, swarms of locusts, the darkening of the sun, and finally the death of the firstborn (Exodus 5-12). I’ll also share my review of the episode and (eventually) my analysis of key themes and ideas. You can also check out my discussion of Episode 2 of The Old Stories: Moses on YouTube.

Moses (Ben Kingsley) confronts Pharaoh (O-T Fagbenle) in The Old Stories: Moses — Moses (Ben Kingsley) confronts Pharaoh (O-T Fagbenle) in *The Old Stories: Moses*

What Happened in The Old Stories: Moses Episode 2?

As Episode 2 opens, David’s father, Jesse, pauses the story of Moses to note that “disobedience comes at a cost, even for a great one like Moses.” When Avva asks what he did next, Jesse explains that he did what every man must do, he decided who he must fear and serve. After briefly noting how God provided Moses with Aaron to help with his weakness of speech (Exodus 4:14-16), Jesse picks the story back up with Moses and Zipporah reaching the Red Sea.

As Moses prepares to embark on a boat, Zipporah urges him to send Aaron instead, but Moses insists that the Lord called his name and had his own past in mind. He urges Zipporah to stay with her father but she insists on waiting for him by the side of the sea. Getting in the boat with Aaron and a couple others, Moses heads back into Egypt. As he does so, we get brief flashes of Miriam watching Pharaoh’s daughter drawing him up out of the Nile and naming him Moses (Exodus 2:3-10) and Moses growing up in the household of Pharaoh, riding a chariot as a boy (a homage to The Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt). Jesse explains that God had not forgotten his purpose for Moses, even though it took eighty years to fulfill.

As Moses’ boat enters Egypt itself, they see Israelites being beaten and oppressed by Egyptians, as they are forced to make bricks. Approaching the palace of Pharaoh, Aaron wonders why the Egyptians would believe Moses is who he claims to be and Moses produces his old sword as proof.

Moses' Sword in The Old Stories: Moses — Moses' Sword in *The Old Stories: Moses*

This does indeed earn them an audience with the new Pharaoh, who is Moses’ “nephew,” the son of his adoptive brother, who recognizes Moses. When he questions why Moses would return to the people who he betrayed, Moses insists that he has come to speak the words of the Lord, ordering Pharaoh to let the people go and hold a feast to worship him (Exodus 5:1). Pharaoh recounts to his son a story that his father told him, about how his grandmother (the daughter of the Pharaoh of the oppression) took a boy out of the water and made him a prince of Egypt and gave him the sword which he used to betray them. When he asks Moses why he shouldn’t just strike him down, Moses, stuttering, admits that he was foolish to use his own strength to do what he thought was justice but warns Pharaoh that he has kindled the wrath of a God who need no sword and who has heard the cries of the Israelites.

As Jesse points out, Moses then remembers what he has in hand. When he throws down his staff, it turns into a snake (Exodus 7:10). Unimpressed, Pharaoh whistles for his own magicians to do the same and they do, performing a real transformation (no sleight of hand). Pharaoh starts to laugh, but is surprised to see Moses’ serpent eat the serpents of his magicians, before turning back into a staff in his hand (Exodus 7:11-12). Moses also makes his hand leperous and then heals it, urging his nephew to heed his words. Not impressed, Pharaoh declares that he is not Moses’ nephew and refuses to let the people go, insisting Moses is playing with shadows (Exodus 7:13).

Moses then takes a vessel of water from the Nile, noting how the Egyptians worship the river as a god and source of life. As he pours out the water, it turns to blood, and Moses warns that the Lord will do so to all of Egypt’s gods. This final miracle causes Pharaoh and his entourage to fall back, coughing (Exodus 7:14-21).

Moses (Ben Kingsley) faces Pharaoh (OT Fagbenle) in The Old Stories: Moses — Moses (Ben Kingsley) faces Pharaoh (OT Fagbenle) in *The Old Stories: Moses*

Later, the Israelites approach Moses, complaining how his actions have caused the Egyptians to increase their burdens and suffering (Exodus 5:19-21). We then get brief glimpses of the subsequent eight plagues of frogs, gnats, flies, dead livestock, boils, hail, locusts, and darkness, as Jesse explains that Pharaoh would beg for mercy before hardening his heart, as the Lord gave him over to his pride (Exodus 8-10). The Israelites once again complain to Moses, insisting that the plagues have only brought further judgment, but Moses insists the true judgment is about to come. He then gives instructions for the Passover sacrifice of a lamb that will protect the Israelites from the Angel of Death (Exodus 11-12:28), urging the Israelites to trust the God who sent him and to remember that life is bought at a price and redemption comes through sacrifice.

That night, as the Israelites celebrate the Passover in their homes and Pharaoh looks out over the land, the torch lights suddenly go out. Rushing in, Pharaoh sees Egyptians keeling over left and right. He then finds his son dead. Entering the palace, Moses finds Pharaoh cradling his dead son tenderly. Pharaoh accuses Moses of doing this but Moses insists that Pharaoh’s pride is what was responsible. Pharaoh begs Moses to perform a miracle and raise his son, appealing to him as his uncle and as someone his grandmother saved from the river. When Moses insists that he is only a messenger and does not have the power to do such things, Pharaoh orders him to get out and to take his people with him.

Review of The Old Stories: Moses Episode 2

Although Episode 2 of The Old Stories Moses is a similar length to Episode 1 (about twenty minutes), structurally the two episodes are quite different. Whereas Episode 1 was made up of a single dramatic scene, sandwiched between two frame narratives, Episode 2 contains a few scenes sewn together into a story by the narration of Jesse. This format has its own limitations, but it will feel more familiar to a typical viewer than the set up of Episode 1. It basically feels like a condensed version of a “normal” episode.

There are several aspects of Episode 2 that I appreciated:

The Moses/Pharaoh Relationship: The Bible itself gives us very little information about the specific nature and dynamics of Moses’ relationship to Pharaoh, but the fact that Moses was raised in the household of the Pharaoh makes their relationship a major source of speculation in pretty much every adaptation of the story of Exodus. Both The Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt depict Moses and Pharaoh as peers and former brothers/rivals. The Old Stories: Moses tweaks this familiar formula by making Pharaoh the nephew of Moses. It’s an interesting choice that gives a slightly different spin to their relationship. We get the sense that Pharaoh feels like his former uncle is condescending to him and needs to prove that he is the bigger man. His bitterness toward Moses’ betrayal is personal, but not as self-involved as it’s normally depicted. Later, when Pharaoh begs his uncle to heal his son, it feels even more affecting than it otherwise might have. In general, I think their dynamic fits the pattern of the Exodus story quite well – perhaps even better than the standard dynamic set by The Ten Commandments. Despite its short span, Episode 2 effectively sets up and pays off the dynamic quite effectively, and Sir Ben Kingsley and OT Fagbenle have strong chemistry on screen.
OT Fagbenle: Although Ben Kingsley does well enough, the standout in Episode 2 is definitely OT Fagbenle who is given space to move across the emotional spectrum, from contempt to anger to surprise to desperation.
Judgment on the Gods of Egypt: There are a few theories about the nature and significance of the plagues. Among Bible-believers, the most common is that each plague is an assault on a specific god of Egypt. While The Old Stories doesn’t have time to explain each and every plague, it does establish this general idea in its depiction of the first plague, the turning of the Nile into blood, with Moses explicitly calling out how the Egyptians looked at the Nile as a god and source of life. This quick line provides an important framework for understanding the events we are seeing on screen. It’s also notable that Pharaoh’s magicians are shown actually transforming their staffs into snakes, instead of this being treated as a trick or sleight of hand. This solidifies the contest as one between two supernatural entities (the LORD and the demon-gods of Egypt), not between a supernatural entity and a sham.
Handling the Hardening: At multiple points, the Bible says that the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh in response to the plagues. This has caused a great deal of debate between those favoring a stronger determinism and those who favor an emphasis on human freedom and agency. The Old Stories doesn’t have time to delve too deeply into these matters but I think it offers a position that should be fairly palatable to both camps, with Jesse saying that the Lord gave Pharaoh over to his pride. This avoids giving the sense that the Lord is acting arbitrarily and using Pharaoh like a robot, but it still keeps the Lord involved with the matter and draws on biblical language (c.f. Romans 1:18-32).

A plague in The Old Stories: Moses — A plague in *The Old Stories: Moses*

Although I was fairly satisfied with the episode, there were a few elements that didn’t work well:

AI: The AI is a much more intrusive presence in Episode 2 than it was in Episode 1. While it wasn’t enough to make me totally check out, it is a distraction. I’m not as bothered by the use of AI to depict the plagues and landscape, but the AI people have an uncanny valley effect.
Biblical Changes: While I understand the need to condense the events of the plague confrontation narrative, some of the changes made have a regrettable effect. In the biblical account, during Moses’ initial confrontation with Pharaoh, he does not utilize the signs given to him by the Lord and the result is that the burdens of the Israelites are increased. While the text doesn’t make it explicit, there’s an implicit suggestion that Moses is being disobedient/not fully trusting the Lord and that the hardships that follow are a consequence. The Old Stories: Moses flattens this all out and allows Moses to be perfectly obedient and full of faith from the beginning. Again, I can understand the decision, especially given the short run-time, but I still find it regrettable, since it will perpetuate a false understanding of Moses’ character in Scripture. Other minor but significant changes include minimizing the role of Aaron and giving the sense that the oppression of the Israelites continued to grow until the final plague (there’s a clear sense in the biblical text that the Egyptians were beginning to soften toward their Israelite neighbors in response to the plagues).
The Significance and Role of Pharaoh: I wish The Old Stories did a little more to highlight the significance of Pharaoh in the cosmology and religion of the Egyptians. Pharaohs were considered gods in their own right, tasked with maintaining the cosmic order of balance and justice (maat). In addition to challenging specific Egyptian gods, the plagues represent a breakdown of the Maat that Pharaoh was meant to maintain. A couple lines could have established this.
Secondary Scenes: While the scenes between Moses and Pharaoh are fairly strong, the other scenes involving Zipporah, Aaron, and the Israelites aren’t nearly as engaging as those between Moses and Pharaoh. Part of me wonders whether it would have been better to elide over some of these moments almost completely in order to maximize the interactions between Moses and Pharaoh.

Despite these imperfections, Episode 2 of The Old Stories: Moses is a brief but engaging summary of the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh that left me eager to catch the final installment of the series.

Key Themes of The Old Stories Moses Episode 2

Moses’ Identity and Relationship to Pharaoh

The Old Stories depicts Moses as being the uncle of the Pharaoh in power during the Exodus. Much of the story hinges on Moses’ former identity as an Egyptian prince and his relationship to Pharaoh.

Initially, Moses’ former identity is an asset. As Aaron recognizes, it's not likely that a Pharaoh would be willing to listen to just any stranger wandering into his court ostensibly on a mission from God. Moses’ sword, which he received as a sign of his inclusion in the household of the former Pharaoh, is the key that opens up an audience with the present Pharaoh.

And yet that sword is double-edged. Although Moses’ past gets him into the room with Pharaoh, it also biases Pharaoh against what Moses has come to say. Early in their encounter, Pharaoh regales his court with the story of how Moses betrayed “us all,” using the very sword that symbolized his adoption into the royal household. Pharaoh also seems particularly resistant to the idea of heeding the words of his uncle, insisting that he is Pharaoh and not Moses’ nephew.

What's ironic is that after the final plague, Pharaoh expects Moses to listen to his plea on account of the very relationship that he himself has repudiated. But Moses doesn't reject Pharaoh’s request out of spite. He simply lacks the power to do what his nephew wants. It's even more ironic because earlier when Moses appealed to Pharaoh as his nephew, Pharaoh did have the power to grant Moses’ request. Moreover, if Pharaoh had listened to that plea, it would have prevented the death of Pharaoh’s son. If Pharaoh hadn’t cast Moses out of his family, he might have kept his son alive.

Pride, Disobedience, & Judgment

At the start of the episode, Jesse tells Avva that “disobedience comes at a cost, even for a great one like Moses.” This seems to be a reference to the consequences of Moses’ resistance to going back to Egypt, but it foreshadows a greater theme at play throughout the episode. Power and stature cannot protect someone from the consequences of sin. If anything the pride that comes with being great only leads to greater punishment. Unless there is true repentance, there is no escaping from God’s judgment.

Moses himself once acted with foolish pride, attempting to take justice into his own hands by killing an Egyptian before attempting to flee from the consequences. Part of the repentance that God requires of him is to face the consequences of his past failure by returning to Egypt and confronting Pharaoh. This is why, as Moses explains to Zipporah, he cannot reassign his entire job to Aaron. He must own up to his past - and prove that his pride has given way to humble obedience.

Moses’ newfound humility comes in stark contrast to the sneering pride of Pharaoh, who belittles Yahweh and questions why he should obey him. Even after being confronted by the miraculous power of the Lord, Pharaoh resists obeying and tries to shield himself from the consequences. In response to Moses’ staff transformation, he has his own magicians perform a similar transformation. And in response to Moses’ demand, he exerts his power over the Israelite, trying to cow them with harsher treatment.

But Pharaoh’s efforts to resist justice are futile. His magician's serpents – a sign of his power and sovereignty – are swallowed up by Moses’ serpent. The harsher labor that he puts the Israelites to only leads to harsher plagues on his own people. If Pharaoh would only repent and obey God’s command to let the people go, he could escape, but his persistent disobedience finally comes home to roost with the death of his first born son – a judgment that matches Egypt’s genocidal assault on Israel under the previous regime.

The Book of Exodus repeatedly describes how either the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, Pharaoh hardened his own heart, or the heart of Pharaoh was hard. Some might be bothered by the idea that Pharaoh’s sin and judgment may have been in some way influenced by the Lord. The Old Stories seems to interpret these references as an act of judgment on an already sinful Pharaoh. Jesse says that the Lord gave Pharaoh over to his pride. That is to say, the Lord does not actively make Pharaoh sin – he only withdraws his prevenient/restraining grace (cf. Romans 1:18-32), allowing the sin in Pharaoh to have free reign. This interpretation allows for the Lord to maintain an active role as judge while also emphasizing Pharaoh’s own responsibility and agency.

The Staff vs. The Sword

I already largely explicated the staff versus the sword theme in my analysis of episode 1, but Moses explicates it so clearly in episode 2 that it's worth noting. When Pharaoh confronts Moses over his decision to kill an Egyptian with the very sword he received upon being named a prince of Egypt, Moses admits he was foolish for trying to take justice into his own hands. Moses then contrasts this with his new modus operandi – coming in the name of a God who needs no sword.

Moses clearly isn't contrasting violence with pacifism or quietism. The plagues that Moses sets on Egypt are quite violent and destructive – far more so, in fact, than Moses’ puny blade could ever be. The contrast is between trusting in one's own wisdom and strength (i.e. the sword) to bring about justice and trusting in the power of the Lord to accomplish judgment in his own way. The staff that Moses possesses is not a wand that he can use to perform whatever magic he wants. It's a sign of his delegated authority, by which he can perform the acts as a messenger of Yahweh.

The Old Stories emphasizes the delegated nature of Moses’ power through his final interaction with Pharaoh. Pharaoh still seems to be viewing Moses as more of a magician than a prophet. That's why he blames Moses for the plagues. More importantly, that's why he begs Moses to raise his dead son. In response, Moses has to explain that he is only a messenger. That is, he cannot initiate miracles according to his own whims – he can only announce and initiate the miraculous power that the Lord has entrusted to him. This is what it means to wield a prophet’s staff, not a self-willed sword.

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