The Barrier – Season 1 Episode 9 Recap & Review

Remember Who You Are

Episode 9 of The Barrier begins with Alma hurrying over to Hugo’s house, banging rapidly on the door and bringing Sergio back home. She threatens to fire them both if they pull this stunt again before quickly taking her leave.

Hugo realizes he needs to talk to Luis about Sergio and leaves quickly with Julia. As he does, Alma arrives back home and rings Alejo, who tells her that some of the children are tired and need to rest. Alma is having none of it though and tells him to press on with the experiments no matter what.

Elsewhere in Madrid, Carlos returns home to his blind Mother. He tells her they need to leave soon, especially after he handed over the incriminating data to Hugo and Julia. While they’re packing their things, she ignores Carlos and jumps out the window. When he finds out, Carlos is understandably upset.

Out in the streets, Hugo and Julia sees first-hand the fear gripping the nation in the wake of this viral threat. They manage to pass the checkpoint though but are stopped by Rai, who prevents them from seeing Luis at the house.

Thankfully Daniela allows them in, prompting Hugo to head up and see Luis, spilling the truth about Sergio and his past. They want to reunite Sergio with his real parents but Alma is irate, trying in vain to persuade her husband to ignore them.

Sergio’s real name, as we find out, is actually Juan and this certainly catches Alma off-guard, asking exactly how they found out this information. Eventually Luis tells Hugo and Julia to leave, convincing Alma in private to allow these birth parents in as it’s the right thing to do.

Downstairs, Hugo and Julia refuse to sign their dismissal forms. It’s just as well too, as Luis tells them they’ll continue to work at the estate given the situation with Alma has been resolved. Rosa is understandably confused and comments on the changed attitude at the manor they’re working in.

Upstairs, Sergio hears the good news along with Ivan who are both pleased that Julia is staying on and working for them.

Sergio’s parents are invited over and Alma shows them the medical files she has for their son. It turns out that he needs constant supervision because of his medical condition. He needs to be monitored a lot and this family aren’t able to give that same level of care they can.

Alma essentially guilt-trips them into signing over their son and it’s a tough choice indeed, one that essentially boils down to love VS money. to Luis and Alma. It also eventually ends with Sergio staying with Luis and Alma for the time being.

Back home, Emilia and Alex discuss Carlos’s motives. Emilia remains suspicious of exactly how he obtained this information but remains grateful for this thin sliver of hope.

The pair discuss the kids but Marta happens to know who they are. She asks the young girl where the kids are taken but all she remembers is a bus and falling asleep, confirming that they’ve been sedated.

Alex and Emilia use this information to spur them on, determined to find the missing kids by drumming up a Missing Person poster with their phone number attached.

Alex heads out around town to start putting these up but finds himself arrested by the police. When he’s taken to the station, one of the officers realizes that he’s actually been putting up posters for the missing children.

After being beaten by several different guards, another arrives and orders Alex to be untied and taken into his office. Left alone, Alex is questioned over what he knows regarding the missing children. He tells Alex it’s in his best interest to talk – prompting the boy to admit the children may still be alive.

Just before he reveals anything more, Daniela shows up and claims to be his lawyer. She takes him back home where Emilia receives a crucial call from a Mother whose seen the posters and wants to get in touch.

They’re not alone either and when Alex catches wind of this movement, he joins Emilia where a the whole group gather together and cling to the hope that their children are still alive. While they’re all hopeful, that same hope runs out for Sergio’s birth parents, who are both shot dead on their way home.

Alma arrives at the complex and checks up on her experiment with Alejo. He reveals that he upped the dosage but it unfortunately resulted in half the kids dying.

The one child who seems to have survived and shown significant growth is not there. And that child? None other than Marta. Realizing what this means, Alma hurries back home again.

The Episode Review

The Barrier delivers another decent episode this week as our various characters continue to try and survive in this bleak new world. Alma continues to spin her web of deceit, with the experiment being moved out-of-town. Her comments regarding needing more children seems to hint that there’s going to be another sweep of missing people across Madrid.

Only, with Emilia and Alex gathering the people and starting their little revolution, this could turn volatile very quickly. I’d imagine we’ll see the guards usurped and an uprising stat to take shape soon, with Luis caught in the middle between his wife and Hugo.

For now, The Barrier bows out with another good slice of drama, leaving the door wide open for next week.