Yakusoku no Neverland Episode 10: The clock runs out
Published on March 16, 2019
While this episode certainly seemed sad, I really enjoyed watching the build up to its finale. I'm looking forward to seeing how this development pays off in the next episode. This episode also did a good job of calling Isabella into question as an antagonist. I'm incredibly curious about her true intentions now.
The beginning of the episode certainly played up Norman's departure well. I was fairly convinced that the kids would find another way to weasel out of it, but it actually happened. I think it works well as a wake-up call for them. It's probably especially the case for Emma, who had the most idealistic view of their escape.
Curse you, Phil. I'm on to you! But on Norman's departure itself, I think we can all agree that it's unlikely that he's actually dead. His "death" happens off-screen, and he has the strangest scene outside of the gate. Even Sister Krone was attacked right outside of the gate, so it's definitely odd that he's taken to a different room. Now it's just a question of what his role will be in the future.
I'm definitely curious about why this question shocked Isabella so much. It seems to suggest that Norman has seen through her in some way, which is making me start to rethink her role as the villain. I wonder if there's a grain of truth in her words, meaning that she's hiding some true affection.
I'm not surprised that Isabella offers Emma the chance to become a Mother as well, but I did find this line curious. From a logistics perspective, it makes total sense that the "demons" would use the Mother candidates to give birth to new children. They have to fill the plants somehow, right? But that line also strongly suggests that one of the main characters is actually Isabella's child, despite being a very minor piece of dialogue.
As I said before, I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out. Honestly, I was willing to buy into the idea that Emma would be distraught after losing Norman, so I was incredibly happy to see that she hadn't given up. The face she makes in the end is enough to rival Isabella herself. I can't wait to find out what she was plotting the whole time.