If someone asked me for recommendations on which VeggieTales episode to watch first, I would suggest Dave and the Giant Pickle, Madame Blueberry, and the Jonah movie. That being said, Esther definitely wouldn't be on my list for first-timers to the franchise. It is drastically different than most VeggieTales in that it is more dramatic than humorous (though still featuring some hilarious dialogue), does not feature the countertops, lacks a Silly Song, and barely uses Bob and Larry at all. However, these differences don't taint the entertainment this episode offers at all, and on the contrary, it is filled to the brim with VeggieTales charm. The story of this episode is based on the book of Esther from the Bible, and Mike Narwocki does an incredible job fleshing out these characters' personalities while mostly managing to stay true to the Biblical text. Esther and Mordecai, though not particularly funny characters, are easy to sympathize with, and Esther's growth and maturity throughout this episode is a great example to girls (and boys). Unfortunately, though, there are a few inaccuracies present between this episode and the Biblical account. Some of them were taken to censor the story for young children, which I understand entirely, but others, like Esther's initial tenacity to be queen and Haman's lashing out at Mordecai after the banquet, are either not quite provable or entirely inaccurate, which made my rating slightly lower. Overall, though, this is an underrated but excellent episode of VeggieTales which longtime fans of the series should check out.
(And by the way, Haman, the youngest Jackson wasn't Tito. It was Janet.)
