Note: Major spoilers for the episode of Bates Motel, you have been warned.
Before I get into the episode itself, I would like to point out that this is one of my favorite shows on television right now. The acting is top notch for all of the main characters, the storyline is very solid, and the fact that we all know where it's heading (well, most of us anyway) makes each choice that these characters make seem that much more weighted. I have personally loved to watch the descent of Norman into his current crazy state, and Freddie Highmore is extremely underrated in how well he has taken care of the slow build. As I said above, the other characters are extremely well acted too, but I think that Norman is what really separates this show from other really good shows on television right now. I'm also pretty excited that they have made the decision to end the show after the next season, not because I want to see the show end, but more because I think that the show is going to end when it needs to, and I give all the credit to the show runners for knowing that and not trying to stretch it out unnecessarily.
We start off with Romero on a boat, far off the shore. We see the body of Bob Paris, which Romero killed at the end of the last season, and he is disposing of the body and the boat, to get rid of all the evidence. We also find Norman in a field passed out, and when it comes to, he is talking to "mother" whom isn't there, because her and Dylan are too busy trying to find Norman. It appears that Norman doesn't realize that he killed Bradley at the end of last season. A farmer finds Norman, and after Norman tries to attack the man, he knocks Norman out and calls the police, who take Norman to a hospital.
After getting the call from the hospital, Norma asks Dylan to go with her, but then he tells Norma that Emma is getting her lung transplant and so he is going to be with her. I am afraid that this doesn't bode well for Dylan since Norman and Emma dated for a while, but I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens with that later. Norma goes to the hospital alone, and the doctor tells Norma that something is very wrong with Norman and they won't be releasing him for 48 hours.
This sends Norma back to Pineview to see about getting him admitted as opposed to being stuck at the county hospital getting treatment. They tell her that she will just need her insurance information, and get on the waiting list, and they will be happy to help. Norma doesn't have insurance (more on that later), and on her way out, so sees one of the doctors walking into the facility. She tries to flirt him up to get him to help her son, but he informs her that he is gay. So, she instead decides to tell the truth (something she should probably do more often), and the doctor seems to sympathize and says he will talk with Norman after he is released from the county hospital.
Dylan gets to the hospital after Emma has already gone in, and he and Emma's father sit in the waiting room. Shortly after, a woman shows up to see Emma, and it turns out this is Emma's mother, which we have heard almost nothing about during the course of the show. When Emma's father sees her there, he flips out and tells her to leave, or he will make her leave. She reluctantly obliges, and she ends up going to Bates Motel to stay for a few days. Meanwhile, Emma's surgery looks to go well, and Dylan goes in to talk to her and tell her that she looks awesome, which was a very sweet, happy moment, which we don't get much of these days.
Norma takes Emma's mother some breakfast before going to pick up Norman from the hospital, and the woman tells Norma who she is. Norma is very short with her at finding this out, and leaves to get Norman. The doctor tells Norma that they are releasing Norman, but that he needs to get help, and soon, or he will end up back at the hospital. Norma takes Norman and they go home.
Later that day, Emma's mother shows up at Norma's house and asks her to deliver a letter to Emma. Norma refuses and tells her to leave her and her son alone. This causes the woman to berate Norma for not understanding what it's like to have a child that is sick and you don't know if you are going to be able to ever help them, which obviously strikes a chord with Norma and she tells the woman to leave immediately, that she is not welcome there anymore.
That evening, Norma is giving Norman a haircut, and he tells her that he had a dream that Norma killed Bradley. She knows what this must mean, but doesn't say anything further. Instead they go to bed. The next morning, Norma is leaving while Norman is still asleep, and she locks the door to the bedroom so Norman can't get out. She goes to Romero's house and does what only Norma can do. She asks Romero to marry her so that she can use his insurance to help Norman. Romero, not really letting anything surprise him from Norma anymore, just tells her to leave. Norma doesn't understand what the big deal is, but does leave anyway. I thought this scene was absolutely hilarious. It's just something you would expect from Norma and the reaction by Romero was amazing. It was just such an awkward and funny scene.
Norman wakes up and finds that he is locked in the room. He gets mad and breaks the door down, and then the change has happened. Next we see Norman, he is wearing Norma's robe and walking around the house. Emma's mother shows up at the door, and he lets her in. She notices that he is eccentric, but since she has never met him before, probably just thinks that is the way he is. She comes in and he gets her some tea. She explains the situation, and asks him if he will deliver the letter, which he agrees to. And then he snaps. He chokes the woman out, and talks about how she should have never left her sick child. This scene was very intense, and the delivery of this berating to the woman as he chokes the life out of her was so well done. It really showed us that the change from the Norman that once was into the new, crazy, serial killer has almost completely taken place, and there is no real going back for Norman. As the woman dies, the show goes off.
Where to even begin here. This episode was amazing, as most of the episodes in the series have been, it's almost to be expected now. The performances by Dylan, Norman, Norma, and Romero were top notch and have just gotten me more and more excited for the coming season. It looks like we are going to really be picking up the pace as Norman just continues to get worse and worse by the minute as we speed through this season, and then next season, which will be the final season. And all of this was just in the first episode. This episode had a little bit of everything to get you hooked back into the show and psyched up for the rest of the season, and what more can you really ask for from a season opener. After the episode went off, I was only reminded further of why this is one of the best shows on television.
My rating for the episode is 9/10
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