Norman and Ray may appear to have overlapping roles but there are differences in their intelligence. Norman is tactical and that’s highlighted from the very first episode when we see him playing tag. For example, we see Norman purposely trip and fall to sucker Emma out of her tree and tag her. During the meetings between the trio (and later Gilda and Don), we see him coming up with the immediate tactics they’ll be using next such as how they’ll deal with Sister Krone in a meeting to figure out what she knows about their situation.

Norman cares as much for Emma as Emma cares for the children, which means he’ll do anything to protect her and see her happy. In the past, that was irrelevant because they lived a happy life, but we see that really put to the test now that they know the tragic fate that awaits them. Norman seems to care a great deal more for Emma than he does his very own safety. We see him at his most anxious when he sees Emma being confronted by Isabella but aside from that, he’s generally able to keep his cool.

This is somewhat piggybacking on his tactical ingenuity, but we often see Norman display a keen sense of observance and awareness both of himself and others. He’s able to keep his cool much better than Emma after they find out the fate of Conny. Furthermore, he’s the one who manages to outsmart Ray and discover that he’s been the spy all along. We even see him outsmart Sister Krone in a game of tag that proves that while he may seem fragile, he can be deceptively physically skilled.

Although Ray may have been the one holding the burden of the truth behind Grace Field House for so many years, now that the escape plan is on, we see Norman playing a deeper game than either of his closest friends. He’s the one who must handle dealing with Ray’s desire to only help the three of them escape and who must take on the task of helping Emma get all the children to escape. He’s often taking on tasks on his own because he must handle both Ray and Emma’s opposed desires for how they’ll leave Grace Field House.

Not to take away from Ray’s identity as the strategic one, but Norman also has an eye for the bigger picture. He’s often willing to make a deal for the betterment of their chances to escape. We see this highlighted when he immediately decides to have Ray be their own spy after exposing his identity as the traitor. We get another glimpse at his willingness to make deals when he’s the first to offer his hand to Sister Krone after she offers a pact between herself and the kids who know the truth about Grace Field House. He’s willing to cut a deal if it means helping their chances of escaping.