Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for House of David Episode 5.

As Prime Video’s latest biblical epic, House of David, continues to ramp up, we have officially passed the halfway mark for Season 1. With David (Michael Iskander) now in the royal palace at Gibeah, his life is constantly in danger. Yet, the shepherd has other things on his mind as King Saul (Ali Suliman) struggles to maintain control of his own. “The Wolf and The Lion” delves into the political tensions of the day, as the House of Saul struggles to maintain its foothold in the Kingdom of Israel. As we near the epic showdown between David and Goliath (Martyn Ford), there are still some major challenges that must be overcome.

“The Wolf and The Lion” Expands on the Tensions Among the Tribes of Israel

The episode opens with David singing at sunrise. Ever drawn to the shepherd boy from Bethlehem, Mychal (Indy Lewis) listens from afar. Abner talks with a Judah elder about Samuel’s visit to their lands. Meanwhile, Abner (Oded Fehr) tells Queen Ahinoam (Ayelet Zurer) what he has learned about Samuel’s (Stephen Lang) visit to the Tribe of Judah. He believes that Judah will change its allegiances if something isn’t done to unite them with the House of Saul. Besai (Eden Saban) suggests an expression of Saul’s strength to capture the hearts and minds of the people, and Ahinoam decides that a union must take place. Elsewhere, Mychal continues to teach David how to read. He asks her how it feels to be the first princess of Israel. She says that secrets are heavy, and asks if the shepherd has any of his own. “None of consequence,” he replies, noting that Mychal will never be just another girl to him. He eventually admits to having heavy secrets himself, but the conversation is interrupted by Ahinoam, who tells David that he doesn’t want to see the two of them alone ever again.

At the other end of the palace, Saul is manic, tormented by the evil spirit that plagues his every thought. Besai notes that her sorcery only works so well, and Saul expresses his distaste for magic. Afterward, Ahinoam and Saul share a moment together, and the queen reassures the king that she will be by his side throughout this marriage. Of course, she isn’t talking about theirs. Mychal arrives, dressed in royal red attire, and her parents share the news of a union between herself and the Tribe of Judah. Eliab (Davood Ghadami), Joab (Aury Alby), and Jonathan (Ethan Kai) return from the border villages as the palace is prepared to receive Adriel (Stewart Scudamore), the leader of Judah, and his family. Though not a major part of the episode itself, there is a moment between Jonathan and young Reuben (Teym Joseph), the boy he saved in “A Shepherd and a King,” where he explains that he still sees giants in his dreams. But things really get going once Adriel arrives. After the House of Saul presents themselves, Saul announces that their families should unite. “Benjamin and Judah, the wolf and the lion,” the king exclaims. Things only get more complicated as Mychal is swarmed by Adriel’s sons, and David struggles to play.

Mychal is soon cornered by Adriel himself, who tells her that if his wife were dead, he would marry her himself. This is about as unsettling to the viewer as it is to Saul, who rescues his daughter. Elsewhere, Joab is clearly jealous of Adriel’s sons, but Abner puts him in his place. More than that, he tells Joab that David is the one who needs to be worried about, not Adriel’s offspring. When Mychal tries to escape all the commotion for a moment, David follows her, asking her to fight against this. But Mychal tells David that he needs to know his place and that this is the part she is supposed to play as a princess. Though he tries to follow her when she wanders off, he is stopped by Eliab, who warns his brother that saying anything about his anointing to Mychal or anyone in the palace would be a death sentence to their family. He tells his brother not to be foolish and to return to his duties as a musician.

The Love Between David and Mychal Continues to Grow

It’s clear in “The Wolf and The Lion” that David and Mychal not only have feelings for one another, but that they yearn to act on them. As they exchange longing glances from across the room as Mychal is treated as a hand to be won by Adriel’s sons, the other daughter of Saul flirts with a love affair of her own. Mirab (Yali Topol Margalith) soon meets the “black sheep” of Adriel’s boys, a young man named Jordan (Paolo Luka Noé). The pair instantly hit it off, and it’s clear that they have found a kinship in being the children who are so often neglected among their families. Saul watches as Mirab and Jordan wander off, and he begins to see things again, evil things. The evil spirit who torments him appears now as the deceased King Agag (Jeremy Xido), and it is as cruel as ever. Queen Ahinoam calls David over, and he calms Saul’s demons with his music. Back in his right mind, Saul makes Adriel the chief among the elders of Israel, despite believing him to be a jackal. Afterward, Saul asks David which of the sons he should marry Mychal to. The shepherd boy tells him that he should marry Mychal instead, which the king takes as a joke. However, seeing that David has a point about Adriel’s sons, and seeing how happy Mirab seems from across the room, he announces that Mirab and Jordan should be wed instead.

When Jonathan asks Mirab if she’s happy, she notes that “if the king wills it, who am I to say no?” Still, it’s clear that she is satisfied with the match, and the celebration begins again. As one princess of Israel rejoices in her coming nuptials, the other runs off, rejoicing that hers hasn’t come quite yet. David finds a relieved Mychal sitting elsewhere in the palace. He sits beside her and they soon hold hands. The bliss doesn’t last long, however, as they hear a door and Mychal prompts David to run off so that they won’t be seen together. In the throne room, Saul tells Mirab that he saw her happy and that was his motivation for announcing the marriage. Though Mirab doesn’t believe that her father cares about her happiness, he notes that, as his first daughter, he is always thinking of it. “You will keep Adriel on his toes,” he tells her, to which Mirab assures her father that the House of Saul will not be divided.

Having escaped being caught with Mychal, David is surprisingly attacked by Joab, who nearly throws him off the palace wall. Joab tells him that he’s a plague and that he ought to teach him a lesson, warning him never to be near Mychal again. It’s clear that Joab’s own interest in her has led to this engagement, and he threatens to throw David to his death if he does not comply. However, David shows no fear. “I have a purpose here, Joab,” he tells his cousin. “God has shown me this. A destiny.“ Seeing that there is no way he can persuade David, Joab relents and David walks off. But while David is assured of his destiny (and his love for the king’s daughter), Mychal struggles with her fate. That evening, she is met by her mother, who tells her that she will be married off soon enough. She confronts Mychal about David, but Mychal fights back. “What if he is a shepherd? Father was a poor donkey-herder,” she notes. “I am the daughter of a farmer, you are the daughter of a king,” Queen Ahinoam replies. Mychal describes David to her mother, but she reminds her daughter that David is a bastard. The queen notes that when Mychal is married, it’ll be a much better match than marrying David could have been.

King Saul’s Madness Worsens and David Accepts His Destiny in Episode 5

The celebration continues that evening as Adriel vows to serve Saul as his advisor. Saul makes a toast to Mirab (“my passionate one”) and Adriel, to whom he gives a scroll with the blessing of Jacob from Genesis 49 on it. As Adriel reads it, the evil spirit returns to Saul, who tells him that the Lion (Judah) will be his downfall. Saul stops Adriel and finishes the blessing himself, confronting the leader of Judah about trying to take over the throne. It is clear that Saul is not in his right mind, and he soon rescinds the offer of marriage. In his madness, Saul breaks Ahinoam’s prized necklace, takes back the scroll, and tears the tarp signifying the Tribe of Judah from the ceiling. Adriel and his family leave as Mirab cries, heartbroken at this turn of events. As Queen Ahinoam runs off, Mychal is left to pick up the pieces. “This family is a curse,” Mirab tells her, feeling betrayed and devastated.

As the evil spirit continues to torment Saul in his sleep, Besai is brought to Ahinoam, who asks why the demon still haunts him. “His soul is at war,” the Baal priestess says, noting that only dark magic may cure him now. “The law forbids it,” Ahinoam exclaims, but Besai tells the queen that she may have to change the law. Thus, as her husband is sleeping, the queen removes Saul’s signet ring from his finger, taking it for herself. When Saul wakes that night, he wanders to his throne room to find David there, also unable to sleep. Saul wonders how he will be remembered. “I believe the name of Saul will never die,” David says. The king wonders if his daughter will ever forgive him, but then he justifies his actions. “My family thinks I’m going mad, but that jackal wanted my throne, and isn’t worthy to sit upon it,” Saul says angrily. Saul tells David that to be king is to be misunderstood, and David believes that the House of Saul will forgive him. When Saul asks David if he wants to take a seat on the throne, David responds by saying, “That is for the Lord’s anointed.” Ironically, when Saul leaves, David takes a seat on the throne himself, taking it all in. Unbeknownst to him, Mychal watches him through the door.

New episodes of House of David drop every Thursday on Prime Video.

House of David

Saul continues to succumb to madness as David accepts his destiny in Episode 5.

Release Date

February 27, 2025

Network

Prime Video

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Pros & Cons

• Ali Suliman is killing it as King Saul.
• David and Mychal’s love for one another is finally revealed.
• Jonathan’s care for Reuben has been a long time coming.

• The one time Mirab is at the center of the story, it ends tragically.
• There’s no news about Eshbaal’s fate after last week.