Freedom is beautiful, yet so cruel

The Promised Neverland season 2 episode 1 opens with the orphans running frantically with a black background. Considering how the last season ended, most would assume that they are fleeing from the orphanage. However, when Emma claims that “it’s just like a game of tag,” the scene shifts to reveal that their being chased by an alien. The outside world has been a mystery for both the audience and the orphans. Where are the monsters? What are other dangers? Turns out that there are some more “primitive” monster to deal with. Emma notes the “beauty” of freedom, but also its cruelty. The children stay together as they traverse the new surroundings. Emma tells the children that “everyone to stay in a group.” Ray apologizes to Emma for not cooperating sooner. In typical Emma fashion, she forgiving.

Emma first wants to find drinkable water and hopefully food. Ray notes that the “enemy” will assume that’s what they’ll do. They decide to head southeast. Emma presents Ray with the pen Norman gave them. Ray rotates it, resulting in holographic map appearing. Ray realizes that there’s morse code that reads “T.O.U.C.H.M.E”. So he does. It reveals another screen that requires a password. After referencing the “mythology” found in the book from Minerva, they enter the correct password. A note from Minerva appears. It reads: “if you need help, come visit me.” “I’m located at B06-32.” This scene gives us some peace of mind and tells us that where they can go. The moment also reminds us of Norman. Despite being shipped out, he’s still helping the orphans.

The hunted and the hooded

Yvette, a young dark-haired girl, notices a plant on the base of a tree. She can’t remember exactly where she saw the plant before. Ray chimes in that it was “The Adventures of Ugo.” The plants are “sea anemones,” they can store fresh water. Ray cuts one, filling a jar with water. This solves the river problem and even better the book is a guide. We return to the moment in the opening when the orphans were being chased. Ray decides that he will trap the monster in the “snakes of Alvapinera.” According to Ray, if “you fall down, you’ll never get back out.”

He distracts the monster, and it targets him. Suddenly, the monster is decapitated. Ray carves a message in the tree, then tells the hunters that all the others have died. Elsewhere, the orphans worry that Ray is taking too long. Emma tells them to head “downwind” as she heads to find Ray. Unfortunately, she faints. Her ear bleeds and her fever rises. Suddenly, a mysterious girl appears. Meanwhile, Ray leads the hunters away from the others, but they corner him. When all seems lost, Ray is rescued by a cloaked figure.

The hunters give chase but lose the scent. Ray awakens in a cave bathe in green light. Emma and Ray discuss the hooded figures that saved them. One of the hooded figure arrives to bring them to dinner. Ray asks about the other hooded figure and is told that his name is Sonju. When Emma asks the hooded figure about Minerva, she doesn’t seem to know who that is. Ray asks what we all want to know. Why are demons saving humans? It shocks Emma to learn who she’s been talking to.

So many questions

Season 2 of the Promised Neverland already has me scratching why head. This is a good thing. They didn’t focus on the creatures found in the forests. One child called them “bugs” is that literally what they were or was that a guess? Are they demons? The question of why the demons helped them is the most pressing, but I’m sure it will get answered in the next episode. The Promised Neverland has lost some drama created by being tapped in one place.

I miss the dynamic between the trio. While I miss the trio, I hope that the other orphans take center stage, at least sometimes. It will be difficult to do with such a large cast, but I would like to see how they handle this situation. The new mysteries are intriguing. What are the demons exactly? How does their society function? Do they all eat humans? Are the demons that saved Emma and the others like vegans? I can’t wait to learn the answers.