Note: Major spoilers for the episode of Bates Motel. You have been warned.
It's been a few weeks since I wrote about Bates Motel, and instead of trying to recap all the episodes since then, I have decided to just write about the most recent episode, with maybe some insight on the couple of episodes preceding it. I don't think I'm going to give a full on recap of the episode either, just going to hit on some of the highlights and give my thoughts.
In the last episode, Norman finally came to grips with the fact that he can't quite distinguish between what is real and what is fake. He now wants help, and he has asked Dr. Edwards to help him sort it out. He is doing better about opening up to Edwards, but he still is a bit guarded and doesn't want to give up too many personal details, especially about his father. But it still looks like he is headed in the right direction...until he decides to make a phone call to his mother.
He leaves her a message, and then when he is in the yard later that day, Norma comes to visit him. As the viewer, we know she is not really there, but Norman thinks the whole thing is real, and even expresses later that he knows it is real, because she hugged him, and he felt it. He tells this to Edwards after he is confronted about the phone call and then the supposed time he spent with his mother. The doctor tells Norman that is wasn't real, and this causes Norman to panic and try to leave. Edwards blocks the door and that is when the magic happens. Norman turns into his mother right before the doctor's eyes, and he quickly assesses the situation and starts talking to "Norma" about her son.
I can't commend Freddie Highmore enough on his portrayal of Norman. It is a complicated character to pull off, and I have a hard time believing that anyone else could pull it off quite like Freddie does. The subtle changes he makes right at the time of the "switch" to his mother is done so well, that they didn't even have to show Norma this time for us to know right when it happened. The way that Freddie pulls off the small little nuances that Vera Farmiga does in her portrayal of Norma is so well done. I'm afraid that since this show has not really gotten much attention since it started, that Mr. Highmore is not going to be nominated for any awards come award season, but I have a hard time thinking of any other character on television right now that is so well portrayed.
In the episode, we also get to see Dylan and Emma, as Emma is getting to come home from the hospital. The scenes between these two characters are also very well done, and with as well as things are going for them, including Dylan looking like he is going to get a job in Seattle so he can move there when Emma and her father move, I can't help but think that something is going to go terribly wrong soon. If (when?) it does go wrong, I think I'm going to be really upset. They have done such a good job of slowly creating this relationship between these two characters, and they have mainly stayed away from the rest of the cast for the most of this season. Which just makes me think even more that something has to go wrong soon. I think it would be great for them to all move to Seattle, and not be around when it all hits the fan with Norman after he gets out of the hospital, but I just have a hard time believing that it will turn out that way.
Lastly, we see the after effects of the break-in at Norma's house, and Sheriff Romero trying to clean up the mess and make sure it doesn't happen again. While he is taking care of that, Chick introduces himself to Norma, saying he can fix her window that was broken during the break-in, just so he can get close to her and try to find out where Caleb has gone. When he finally reveals himself for what he is, a very interesting scene plays out where Norma asks him if he is going to kill Caleb, and he asks if that is what she wants. I thought it was the highlight of this storyline, but I really wasn't that into the whole situation. Maybe it will play out better than I think, but I think it is going to just be a way to tie up all the loose ends with Caleb before the next season, as I don't think he will play much of a part.
Overall, I thought it was another solid episode, as every episode has been so far this season. Each new episode keeps pulling us closer and closer to end, and it seems like the show runners are upping the stakes every week. With only a couple more episodes left, I would think that Norman would be getting out of the hospital soon, but he seems to be getting so much worse, that I don't see where he has an out. Maybe they will wait until next season to get him out of there, but I would think they would want to tie this all up, and make the last season all about finishing up the storyline with Norma and Norman, but maybe they have other plans. Either way, I'm excited to see what happens next, as I think that they are really honed in on where they are going, and that is going to make the rest of the series a fun ride.
My rating for the episode is 8.5/10
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