The Promised Neverland (Episode 9) – 031145
With all hope of escaping fading fast, the children will need to regroup and come up with a new plan if they’re to stand any chance against Mom!
The Promised Neverland (Episode 9) – 031145
What did you watch?
I was on vacation when this episode aired, but The Promised Neverland didn’t stop so neither did I. To make things more interesting I wrote this on my phone, so there may be more typos than normal.
As normal this is the spoiler-free zone. If you read any further, I am assuming that you’ve seen this episode or want to intentionally spoil it for yourself. Hey, whatever makes you happy. And now to the episode…
What happened?
At the end of the last episode (that’s a common opening for this series), Mom confronted the children and dashed their plans. That’s probably not fair, she utterly smashed them to pieces and then nonchalantly sat down with a cup of tea before allowing even a hint of emotion to show. She is as cold as ice!
So, Emma has a broken leg, Ray has been let go as Mom’s spy, Sister Krone is dead, and Norman is due to be ‘adopted’ tomorrow. After much deliberation, Emma and Ray decide that Norman should fake his escape and hide while Emma recovers. In order that Norman isn’t replaced by Ray, he plans on breaking his arm or getting sick. Not sure a cold will do it, but that’s the way I’d go!
Norman eventually agrees to their plan and the next morning puts it into action. With the new rope and tool for breaking the tracking device, Norman heads for the wall and in one swift run, he makes it to the top and stares his future in the eyes.
Emma and Ray watch as Mom realizes that Norman isn’t around. She checks her tracker and then allows a smile to appear as she spots Norman walking towards her. Ray is furious that Norman didn’t go through with their plan until Norman reveals what he saw beyond the wall!
What did you think?
The last episode was my favourite yet. It had so many reveals and key moments that it kept you on the edge of your seat the whole time. That said, there was still plenty to still be resolved. The tension in this episode was incredible and it was brutal to see Norman coming to terms with just how much he’d been outplayed by Mom!
What was your favourite moment?
It was amazing to see the children still determined to break free. A little surprising for sure, given the odds now stacked against them, but it’s great to see them not completely give up. I also love how they’re always bouncing ideas off of each other.
What was your least favourite moment?
There were two things that bothered me. The first was how Ray found out. I have some memories from when I was two years old and don’t doubt it’s possible to have older memories, especially at a much younger age, but it felt too accidental! I was also surprised to see Norman just run up the wall like Spider-Man.
Who was your favourite character?
Norman was easily the best character in this episode. Most of it centred around him with his impending adoption, but we really got to see his emotions get the better of him, even if it was only for a moment. It’s hard enough for adults to face their own mortality, it must be unbelievable for an eleven-year-old. I’m sure he’s got another trick or two up his sleeve, most notably the box that Krone left him. What’s in the box?
Who was your least favourite character?
I was waiting for Phil to finally step up and tell everyone what was going on, but all he did was smile and get his hair dried. Please don’t let Phil be a red herring!
Would you like some more?
I’m starting to worry that we won’t get a resolution from season one. There will probably be a good ending, but there’s got to be so much more to the story going forward that there’s bound to be more seasons. I just want to know everything so if it does go beyond one season, expect to find me devouring all the manga. I am loving this series.
Also, I’m hoping it’s not foreshadowing, but did you notice that Ray literally kicked the bucket? That can’t be a good sign…
Other posts in the series
Anime
- Season One
- Season Two
- Bonus Posts
Manga
- Series Review
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I loved this episode and that ending was so gut-wrenching as you realised absolutely everything was pretty much never going to work from the beginning. No wonder Isabella wasn’t worried about the kids trying to escape. About the biggest concern would be that they would just throw themselves over the edge anyway to spite her.
Yeah, they really piled on the misery. The sinking feeling was intense, especially as Norman tried to keep it together. They seem to forget that as clever as they are Isabella is just that with twice as much experience. It was never a fair contest. I can’t wait to see what they do now.