Episode Synopsis:
Ray confesses to being the spy Mama planted among the group. He also reveals he’s been doing this for a very long time now, indicating he’s been privy to the knowledge of the harvest and the demons practically his whole life.
Norman appeals to his sympathetic side, but when Ray throws out an ultimatum Norman’s is put in an unsolvable situation.
Review:
Promised Neverland adds more complexity to its story with Episode 5. The core three kids have a massive fracture due to the revelation of Ray as the traitor. Ray may have been selling the kids out, but he’s also supposedly been subtly trying to help Norman and Emma out. He’s got a minor soft spot for them, so he’s been subtly living a double agent life. Despite this, he lays down the law with Norman and won’t let his own survival be compromised by Emma’s idealism.
I love this kind of storytelling. Character development baby! Ray’s moodiness suddenly has a background to it. He’s not just “emo kid” so that he can fulfill a stereotype and balance out Emma’s optimistic energy. He’s been living with a terrible secret, dealing with it all by himself, and likely did some awful things to earn the knowledge he’s got.
His ultimatum to Norman makes a lot of sense. The stakes are high here and while Emma’s attitude about saving everyone works great in a magical girl story, it could mean the death of the whole hoard here. I’m going to enjoy watching Ray and Mama (who’s basically holding the whole deck in terms of information here) mentally spar. Who’s gonna make the first move?! It feels like the most tense game of chicken.
At the same time, Emma’s feelings of wanting her whole family saved and the unfaltering belief that all the kids are a team also feels genuine. She’s like the team mom (you know…the one that isn’t selling kids off to the slaughter) and you know you are rooting for her despite the odds.
I’m concerned about the situation Norman is in. He can’t tell Emma about Ray’s ultimatum without crushing her and if I were him I wouldn’t go against Ray (actively). I’m nervous he’s going to end up a martyr.
The other complication for the gang is the risk they took in bringing in Gilda and Don. Don’s hotheaded attitude could lead to the whole plan being unraveled. His actions in this episode make him want to slap him upside the head. Dude…you do realize Mama is…at least 10 steps ahead of you right…?
She knows what you know and BEYOND. Cool your jets and follow Norman and Ray’s advice here.
The show continues to look great, and the music choices are back to being fantastic. There’s a tangled web being weaved here and I am so incredibly invested. I can’t wait for the next episode.
Summary:
Everyone is holding a different set of cards and playing the game to achieve the most optimized strategy. Mama’s gonna spring a trap at some point (I can feel it. She knows too much) and who knows what “wild card” Sister Krone is trying to do. There’s a danger to the core three due to the boys holding secrets from Emma and forging a fragile truce. I hope you know what you are doing gentleman…
The Con Artists 
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