Bates Motel is great. The series covers the early life of Norman Bates, pre Psycho. The relationship between Norman and his mother is intense and passionate. In this season we start to see large cracks in their relationship as Norman becomes more and more convinced that Norma is insane, a murderer and sabotaging his life. He no longer believes her when she tells him she's protecting him. An adult now, he sees her rules as restricting and unfair. And takes delight in catching her out in her lies.
Bates Motel is a place out of time. Looking at the house and décor, Norma's car and their clothing it is easy to imagine it's set in the sixties, but the technology is modern. Guests say the place is very retro. This place out of time adds to the creep factor in Norman and his mother's relationship. They are both anachronisms who try to protect each other from the modern world and its vulgarities.
I've summarised the first four episodes and what I got from them below. Be aware these contain spoilers.
Episode 1
The sheriff, Alex Romero, sinks a boat and with the body of Bob Paris, a man he killed at the end of last season. We watch him hide wads of presumably Paris's money in his house.
Norman wakes up in a field and is found talking to his mother who isn't there. When a farmer tries to talk to him, Norman attacks. The farmer knocks Norman out and contacts the authorities who put him in a hospital for observation.
Emma is having lung surgery. Her mother arrives at the hospital, which is a beautiful place shown in stark contrast to the mental ward in which Norman is detained. Emma's father tells the woman to leave and she heads to Bates Motel hoping to use Norma to get in touch with Emma.
After 48 hours Norman is checked out, but Norma must arrange proper psychiatric care within 2 days or he will be readmitted. Norma begs Alex to marry her because then they can use his insurance to pay for a doctor. It's a pathetic scene, showing how desperate and disturbed she is. Of course the sheriff refuses.
While Norma is with Alex, she locks Norman in her room. When he wakes, he breaks down the door. Emma's mother arrives at the house and tries to convince Norman to give Emma a letter from her. Norman strangles her while asking what sort of mother would abandon their sick child. He is perhaps also asking why Norma has locked him up and abandoned him when he needs her.
This episode is a strong opening, which promises tension from every side.
Episode 2
Emma's operation was a success and Dylan tells her how much freedom she has now. Her behaviour suggests that she wants to share it with him. But he seems afraid. I'm not sure whether he's afraid that he will limit her life or that he will lose her.
Alex grows afraid for Norma. He feels guilty that he will not help and decides to be her knight in shining armour. He agrees to marry Norma and bribes the facility to bump Norman up the waiting list, but they still need Norman's signature on the commitment forms.
Norman is convinced that it was Norma who murdered his victims. We hear him patiently explain to her that she's sick, using the same words she has used with him. It's incredibly chilling to hear him explain how he cannot trust her and how she is trying to sabotage him and frame him for murders she committed. Ironically it becomes less terrifying when he pulls out a gun and talks about a joint suicide. It's easy to see how he came to these conclusions. Throughout the seasons Norma has told him half truths and lies, thinking that she was protecting him. Her erratic and strange behaviour and how others, Norman's brother and his father, have related to and spoken to her must reinforce this belief. They are both trapped in each others madness.
Alex arrives and takes Norman into custody. Looking at Norma as though he hates her, Norman signs the committal forms at the end of the episode.
A painful episode full of confusion and gas-lighting, if gas-lighting is something that can be done unconsciously.
Episode 3
Alex and Norma get married. We see how closed off Norma is, understandably so after all her bad experiences with men. Even when Alex asks her to lean into him, the effect is awkward at best. More so when she discovers he's planning to move in with her. “This is the third time I’ve been married, and I’m never going to be good at it.” For his part Alex goes very slowly, almost as if he is trying to interact with a wildcat. His friend has offered them a free dinner and when Norma is reluctant because she can only think of Norman, he gently takes charge. “That's what alcohol's for,” Romero tells Norma when she's afraid she won't be able to look happy.
Emma and Dylan's relationship seems too sweet, but considering what they are both going through it is understandable. Dylan decides he wants to do something better than grow pot, partly because of Emma's father's talk, no doubt.
Norman is shown around Pineview, the psychiatric facility. He's in a highly stressed state. In part because he's convinced that he is protecting Norma's secrets and has been manipulated into committing himself. He is defensive in sessions and aggressive with staff, and we can see that it won't take much before he has a violent outburst. In an interview with Dr Edwards he confesses that he has secrets but he cannot tell them. Later he tells the doctor that his mother is insane and has killed people. Dr Edwards promises to inform the authorities.
Norma convinces the doctor to let her see her son. Norman tells her that he has never been as disappointed in anyone as he is in her and we see her heart break a little more. When she returns home Alex holds her, seeing how upset she is. Norma kisses him and he begs her not to toy with him. She promises she isn't and that she wants this and he carries her up to the bedroom.
The relationship between these two guarded people, Alex and Norma, is beautifully expressed and delicately played. What makes it more poignant is that we know this is not going to end happily. After all this is a prequel to Psycho, probably the most famous thriller ever made. We know, however hard we try to forget, what's going to happen to Norma. We just don't know when.
The acting in this episode is very strong. We are pulled from fear to joy to sadness constantly.
Episode 4
Norman is convinced that he'll be let out today, after all they know now that his mother's the crazy one, right? He manages to make a private phone call with the help of his new lock-picking friend, Julian. He rings Dylan and asks him to take care of Norma, saying things are going to get difficult for their mother.
The morning after includes an awkward breakfast for Alex and Norma. She feeds him well, it's what she does for the people she loves, and when he says he doesn't regret what happened, she says she doesn't either. But we can still feel her pulling away and visiting Emma provides some well timed distance.
Alex visits the bank to open a joint account. Rebecca the manager, who was laundering money for the now dead Bob Paris, asks him if he killed the man. He refuses to dignify the question, but she seems sure of his guilt and tells him if he has Paris' key there's three million dollars in cash, undocumented and ready for them to take.
Alex and Norma go to the winter festival together and while they are out Norma's house is broken into. Of course we assume that Rebecca has been searching for the key.
Norman and Julian break out of Pineview. Julian takes him to a strip club and when Norma takes over we assume the dancer he's with will be his next victim. However Julian calls him for help and Norman leaves the dancer alive. Julian is badly beaten and Norman is picked up by Dr Edwards. Norman is afraid he might have killed one of the bouncers and manages to indirectly ask Dr Edwards. He realises that his mother wasn't at the strip club and that he does need help, and finally begs the doctor to help him. “I don't trust what I think is real.”
Summary
The acting in this series should win awards. Even in some ridiculous situations, like the strange marriage, we are pulled right in and held in a warped reality by the skill of the actors. Only the romance between Dylan and Emma seems a little weak and superfluous, but it is an emotional break from the powerful emotions coming at the viewer from every other direction.
Bates Motel is worth watching from the start. If you haven't seen it yet I suggest you do. Seasons 1 – 4 are now available to watch on Netflix. I'll review later episodes over the next week or so (as I watch them).
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