Episode 3 of Season 1 of "House of David" unfolds with Saul plunged into yet another harrowing nightmare. The malevolent spirit relentlessly torments him, refusing him any respite. Haunting images of Jonathan's demise on the battlefield and Samuel's final prophecy replay in his mind, leaving him in a state of extreme agitation. In his distressed state, he inadvertently strikes and kills one of his loyal servants, Josiah.
Elsewhere, David rushes Eliab to a physician for treatment of his wounds. The guilt of Eliab's plight weighs heavily on his heart once more. To alleviate Eliab's suffering, David reaches for his harp, using its soothing melodies to ease the pain away.
Concurrently, Abner pays a visit to Doeg and issues him a command to tail Samuel and keep him apprised of his movements. Doeg readily agrees, sharing Abner's disdain for Samuel. When Doeg mentions Saul's curse, Abner dismisses it with a nonchalant attitude.
In a secluded corner, Samuel concludes his prayers and confides in his wife about his deep concerns regarding Saul's plight. He mourns for Saul and fears for his own life, acknowledging that anointing a new king while the incumbent still lives constitutes treason. However, his wife offers him encouragement and finds amusement in God's directives. Steeling himself for God's next assignment, Samuel sets off with his apprentice towards Judah.
Back at the fortress, the queen offers comfort to Josiah's distraught mother, fabricating a story about his demise. She subsequently approaches Abner, pleading for his assistance in contacting a medium. Aware that Abner's mother is a medium, she hopes he can facilitate the connection. Worried that Saul is slipping further into madness, she emphasizes the urgency of taking action before it's too late.
Reluctantly, Abner leads her to Besai, a priestess of Baal. Besai demands assurance of her safety before agreeing to help, shocked that the queen would seek her out despite Saul's ban on idolatry. With the queen's reassurance, Besai performs a ritual intended to deflect Saul's curse, but Samuel's powers prove too formidable. Later, Jonathan encounters Besai at the fortress and tries to caution the queen against turning her back on God. Regrettably, she refuses to heed his wise counsel.
Obeying Abner's command, Doeg ventures to the City of Ramah in search of Samuel. His quest proves fruitless as he fails to locate Samuel but, unfortunately, encounters the prophet's young apprentice, who had been instructed to await Samuel's return. Doeg subjects the helpless youth to brutal torture in a bid to extract information.
Meanwhile, in Judah, Samuel arrives and expresses a desire to meet with Jesse. He is astounded to learn that Jesse has been ostracized by the elders due to his illicit affair. Undeterred, Samuel insists on performing a sacrifice with Jesse's family and proceeds to visit them. Jesse is both startled and apprehensive upon Samuel's unexpected visit. At Samuel's directive, Jesse summons all his sons for a sacred ritual of sacrifice. However, Jesse omits David from the summons.
After the sacrifice, Samuel scrutinizes the hearts of Jesse's sons but finds none worthy of being the chosen one. He then commands Jesse to bring David forth. David's brothers, worried about his wellbeing, react with protectiveness, especially Eliab. Yet, they are all astonishment when David arrives and Samuel anoints him as the next king of Israel. Samuel realizes that God has seen David's pure heart and chosen to exalt him. He finds the irony of God selecting a shepherd amidst warriors amusing yet remains content to fulfill God's will.
Elsewhere, King Achish embarks on a perilous journey to the land of the giants in pursuit of an alliance. The treacherous path to the Valley of Giants has claimed many lives, yet King Achish persists. He manages to convince the mother of the giants that their alliance could secure victory against the Israelites. This convincing is all that Oprah, the mother, needs, and she introduces King Achish to her son, Goliath.
Back at the fortress, Saul and his family strive to uphold a semblance of normalcy as he celebrates his triumphant return to the throne. The elders and visitors continue to lavish praise upon him, oblivious to the looming turmoil within their realm.
