Ep 9. Where Gravekeepers Are Born

In Sunday Without God season 1 episode 9, titled "Where Gravekeepers Are Born," viewers are taken on a journey to a new location in this mysterious and fantastical world. The episode opens with our young heroine, Ai, and her guardian figure, Hampnie Hambart, arriving in Ortus, a town known for its production of skilled gravekeepers. As soon as they arrive, they head to the local cemetery where they meet a young girl named Anna who is training to become a gravekeeper.

There we learn that Ortus is a town that has a long-standing ritual of sending out young children to train as gravekeepers. The ritual is said to be a way to appease the dead so that they won't rise up and cause trouble for the townspeople. It's a dangerous job, and the children who are sent out to train in the cemetery are often very young.

Ai is immediately interested in Anna and what it means to be a gravekeeper. She is taken by the idea that these children are being trained to take care of the living dead, and so she asks questions to find out as much as she can about the status quo. Anna explains the importance of the job and the inherent sacrifice that it involves. In order to be a gravekeeper, you have to give up your chance to be part of the living world. You must be able to withstand incredible emotional and mental pain, since they often have to force themselves to kill the people they once knew and loved.

Ai, being a bit naive to the ways of the world, is thrown aback by such pain and sacrifice. She asks Hampnie why Ortus has to give up so much to appease the dead and Hampnie responds that it's just how the world works. Ai, sensing the importance of the job and wanting to help Anna deal with some personal loss, decides to assist Anna in her training.

Throughout the episode, we see a montage of Ai helping Anna dig graves and perform the various tasks that come with being a Gravekeeper. Even for someone as brave as Ai, the job proves to be thick and cumbersome. It's a lot of hard work and, as they dig deeper, the subject of death becomes more and more of a looming factor.

But the actual challenge of the episode arrives when a group of bandits approach the town and threaten to destroy its most important landmark: the Bone Cathedral. The Cathedral where the people of Ortus would go to seek solace and guidance. Anna takes this very seriously, since she sees her role as a gravekeeper as integral to the entire system. It’s the gravekeeper's responsibility to keep the dead at bay, and the bandits are risking chaos by disturbing the graves.

In a show of bravery, Anna stands up to the bandits, attempting to hold the fort. Within this struggle for power, a lot of anger, confusion, and frustration culminate into a redemptive moment that shows courage and compassion. And yet, while it's an inspiring moment, it's also one that forces us to ponder the recurring theme of loss that goes hand in hand with death. There is no doubt that the town has inherited much from the dead, including culture, stories, and a sense of legacy.

As the episode winds down, it becomes clear that the people of Ortus aren't alone in their struggles. In fact, everyone in this world has their own demons to conquer. Hampnie is dispatched with a mission of his own and Ai is left to reflect on how Ortus and its people are finding ways to cope with the death and suffering that is so prevalent in their lives.

Overall, Sunday Without God season 1 episode 9 "Where Gravekeepers Are Born" is an insightful, poignant, and inspiring installment in the series. It raises important questions about the nature of death, the role we play in relation to it, and the ways in which we deal with our own inevitable mortality. In this sense, it's a meditation on the human condition, and one that is sure to stay with its viewers long after the credits roll.