The Promised Land Episode 5: Recap & Review
- Kevin Keating
- Oct 21
- 5 min read
In Episode 5 of The Promised Land ("Bones") Miriam sets out to join Moses’ new “law school,” while Aaron and Joshua go in search of the bones of Joseph (Exodus 13:19) and Chisisi tries to send news of his survival back to Egypt. Below I’ll give a brief summary of the episode and evaluate it as a Bible adaptation and a comedy.
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Summary of The Promised Land Episode 5 “Bones”
The Promised Land Episode 5 Cold Open: Breaking Ground
Episode 5 opens with Moses breaking ground in the construction of the Tabernacle. Unfortunately, the ceremony is interrupted by some pesky intruders and Joshua is forced to step in and show his valor.
Moses, Korah, Miriam, & Zipporah in The Promised Land Episode 5
Due to all the new laws and regulations, Moses decides to host a week-long intensive “law school” for all of his disciples. But, to Miriam’s frustration, Moses only allows men to sign up, insisting that they will all be sleeping in close quarters. Undeterred, Miriam and Zipporah decide that they will find a way to get into “law school” themselves.
As “law school” begins, Moses is excited for the opportunity to study rules and make friends, especially now that his friendship with Aaron is on shaky ground. Disguised as men (complete with fake beards and manspreading), Miriam and Zipporah join the crowd of students. Korah is also present and eager to prove himself as the best student of the law.
Miriam finds herself enjoying the freedom afforded to men and demonstrates a keen mind for study, as does Korah. But things get a little awkward when Moses begins to explicate rules that forbid crossdressing (Deuteronomy 22:5). Zipporah feels convicted and decides to leave, but Miriam is determined to stay.
As Moses is explicating the law, Miriam notices how he keeps making jokes at Aaron’s expense. But when Moses goes on to forbid slander or grudges and urge loving your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:16-18), Miriam realizes he’s missing the application to his own relationship with Aaron and tries to point it out to him (while remaining in disguise).
Moses ends “law school” with a test, in which Korah (to his disappointment) ties for second and Miriam’s alter ego comes in first, with a perfect score. After they return home, Miriam confronts Moses openly over how he’s been mistreating Aaron – and also confesses to sneaking into “law school” as a man, before slipping away.
Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb in The Promised Land Episode 5
While Moses is away teaching “law school,” he asks Aaron to check in on Joseph’s bones (Exodus 13:19), but he fails to clarify where they are. Aaron and Joshua aren’t quite sure where to look but decide to check with Seth, a creepy outsider in charge of managing the dead. But neither Seth nor the people of Ephraim have the bones.
Unable to find the bones of Joseph anywhere and unwilling to ask Moses, they briefly consider digging before settling on retracing their steps all the way back to Egypt to see if they left the bones somewhere. As they travel, Joshua empathizes with the shame that Aaron feels on account of Moses’ constant ribbing. Coming upon an old camp, Aaron and Joshua are surprised by Caleb who pretends to be a menacing spirit. Arriving at the Red Sea, they find no bones and realize the trip was a waste of time.
Returning back home, Aaron meets Zipporah and learns from her that Joseph’s bones are actually kept near Moses’ family tent. After Moses returns, Aaron finally works up the courage to express how Moses’ jokes are hurting him, but his brother continues to brush it aside.
Chisisi in The Promised Land Episode 5
After several months traveling among the Hebrews in disguise, Chisisi is feeling a bit homesick and eager for news of Egypt. Catching a quail, he sets out to train it to carry a message back to Egypt to let his family know that he is okay. When Chisisi’s first attempt is unsuccessful, he decides to send out even more quails, all carrying messages. One quail does return to him but it appears to be from a random wanderer lost in the desert but there’s no sign that any have reached Egypt.
Review of The Promised Land Episode 5 (“Bones”)
In my last review, I argued that Episode 4 had a few less laughs because it was leaning more heavily into sincere comedy. The emotional arc involving Moses and Aaron continues to play a significant role in Episode 5, but it’s balanced out with a little zaniness. I like the balance it strikes. We still feel the big emotional beats (Aaron’s confessional moments, Miriam’s conviction), but they go down a little smoother with all of the jokes. I suppose it’s a little easier to balance when the plot of the episode is more loosely tied to Scripture and the show has more freedom in what it does.
Although the specific events of Episode 5 of The Promised Land aren’t directly based on narratives in the Bible, they address questions that arise naturally out of the biblical text. How did the construction of the Tabernacle begin? How did Moses go about instructing the Israelite leaders in all of the intricacies of the Old Testament law? Would Moses have allowed his sister to learn the law? And who exactly was in charge of taking care of Joseph’s bones? These are all great questions. Although the answers provided by The Promised Land are sometimes a little silly/anachronistic, the show continues to train viewers to grapple with the implications of the biblical text in an imaginative way. I also appreciate the clever ways that the episode mines the biblical law for humor, without falling into irreverence.
The Promised Land continues to engage with the biblical text in really clever ways that will encourage viewers to think more closely about passages that they might have otherwise skimmed. Although Episode 5 delivers an emotionally-powerful (and spiritually significant) message about passive-aggression and belittling/shaming others, it surrounds that message with some really great laughs and a fun story that will keep viewers engaged.
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