The Promised Neverland Review Episode 4: 291045

Set eleven days after the events of last week’s episode, The Promised Neverland delivered another tense and shocking episode. The characters and viewers suffered a betrayal most foul and one that I’m still reeling from, wondering how I couldn’t pick it, and reminding me of the age old saying ‘trust no bitch’.

Plot

The episode opens with Mother giving Krone a cold warning to stay in her lane and to not attempt to undermine her. With that power struggle unknowingly happening in the background, Emma, Norman, and Ray continue to try to root out the traitor. Despite the risks, they agree to bring two other children, Don and Gilda, into their plans. Norman sets up a trap for the traitor with unlikely consequences.

Episode Highlights

Mother and Krone: In the opening confrontation scene between Mother and Krone, Mother makes the comment that Krone was a tomboy, hinting that their relationship extends further back than previously thought. This could also hint that some children are spared their fate and instead are trained to be Mothers or Fathers in other farms.

I’m sorry for doubting you: I can’t believe this series convinced me to consider Phil, a five-year-old, as a traitorous mastermind. With that close-up shot of him smiling I was like ‘oh no you don’t you sneaky liar!’, the same can be said for scenes with Gilda and Don. I may have shouted at them once or twice. Sorry for doubting you all!

Gilda & Don: I found the scene where the trio inform Gilda and Don of the orphanage’s truth particularly interesting, mainly Don’s reaction. Don thought it was a joke and couldn’t believe it. He was even angry at Emma for saying anything bad about Mother. I think this reaction is particularly telling and reflective of an issue which will pop up later. How will they actually convince the other children to climb over the wall with them? How many of them will they be able to convince like they did Don?

Gildaaaaa: That scene between Gilda and Krone had my heart racing and my hands clenched over my sofa cushion. I was so nervous she would crack under the pressure, but no, she stood firm, and gained our respect.

POV Shot: The mid-episode POV shot as the trio are making their way up the staircase brought a sense of foreboding to an already tense scene – some fantastic directing there!

Themes & Trivia

Praise from the Seven Seas: In mid-2017, Eiichiro Oda (creator of One Piece) posted a photo on social media recommending fans to check out the series. This was definitely high praise as when this was posted The Promised Neverland had been going for less than a year!

Comments

This week was definitely Norman’s time to shine. In the second episode he may have appeared a bit frivolous, claiming he’ll do anything that Emma wants just because he loves her, but he’ll also do anything to ensure that the escape is a success. He’s always planning a couple of steps ahead, and while his plans may seem a bit strange, that’s the point – they’re odd enough that they’re unpredictable. From moving up the escape day, to be just in ten days, to lying to Gilda and Don, and finally, the misdirect with the ropes. Norman has proven how smart and capable he is and gives me hope that they might actually be able to pull this escape off.

Of course, we couldn’t finish this review without talking about the traitor, Ray. Gosh, even typing out that sentence breaks my heart. I’ll be very interested to see how Norman and Emma deal with this reveal in next week’s episode, especially as Emma wishes for everyone to escape. If it was Don or Gilda, I’m sure they could easily spirit them away with the group, but Ray is smart and would easily evade any attempts to grab him and run. But, more importantly, I want to know when he started working for Mother. He already explained the why – working with Mother would guarantee making it to adulthood, but when did the treachery start? Personally, I reckon it was when he found out Emma and Norman wanted to bring everyone along with the escape. He clearly said it was a doomed plan, and has now clearly stated where his loyalties lie – with himself.

I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you!

I’ll never get sick of writing it, this week’s episode was another great one. I’m glad that we’ll see more of Gilda and Don, Gilda in particularly was an absolute star this episode and has edged her way into being one of my favorite characters. Although, the competition wasn’t that stiff, with Ray’s shocking reveal and betrayal. If all this has happened in just Episode 4, I’m anxious to see what horrors await us down the track.

During the wait for next week’s episode, make sure to check out the MANGA.TOKYO team’s other episodic reviews for Winter 2019! You can find the full list of them over here.