Bates Motel 4.05
In which two people figure things about about Norma and Norman. These two people aren't Norma and Norman.
Before I start with the praise for the Norman & Dr. Edwards scenes and the Norma scenes, though, I must say it's official: I'm bored now with the Dylan/Emma scenes. Turns out Dylan's separate plot line isn't more captivating when it's with Emma than it was when with several drug lords. I mean, I get where they're going with this, it's a healthy, functional romance, they open up about each other's vulnerabilities, good for them, but seriously, it's not what I'm invested in and want to see; what I want to see are Dylan & either Norma or Norman scenes, and Emma & Norma, or Emma finding out her mother was around and investigating (remember investigating Emma all the way back in early s1?). Not Dylan and Emma being cutesy together.
On to the good (for me) stuff. I say this in every episode, but it doesn't stop being true: Freddie Highmore is so amazing in this role. Heartbreaking in his phone call to Norma, young and vulnerable at the start of his big scene with Dr. Edwards and then spine tingling chilling (and seductive) when he becomes Mother, and you know exactly when it happens despite him not doing anything threatening, it's just the body language and facial expression. It was a breathtaking scene (again), and now I'm seriously worried for Dr. Edwards, since obviously a therapist who has figured out what Norman's problem is can't be around in Psycho times. Otoh it's good to see after James Finnegan The Second Worst TV Therapist Ever the show presenting one who is actually good at his job. You could tell Edwards was aware he was speaking with an alternate personality even before he asked to "let's talk about Norman". And this makes sense, because he must have come across cases of multiple personality disorder before in his practice.
Edwards furtherly is established as a good Doctor when we get the scene with him and the cop that verifies he did indeed report what Norman said about his mother to the police, as he was obligated to. I mean, the audience knows Norma didn't kill any of these people, but Dr. Edwards doesn't know that; for all he knows, Norman could have been telling the truth, instable as Norman obviously is not withstanding, and so it's important the audience knows Edwards wasn't lying when telling Norman he did report it. Though again, it makes me very worried for Edwards' life expectancy, because how difficult is the conclusion that if Norma Bates didn't murder the people, but Norman thinks his mother did it, and Norman manifests his mother during blackouts, chances her Norman-as-mother did it? What prevents Edwards from going there right now is that there are alternate explanations for all deaths save for the disappearance of Audrey Decody, who isn't known to be dead yet. But Audrey's body is bound to be found sooner or later, and then Edwards probably will make that guess.
(Speculation: since obviously neither Norman nor Norma can end up in prison for Audrey, I think either Chick or Caleb are going to take the fall for that death. Framed if it's Chick, voluntarily in Caleb's case in order to help Norma.)
Minor but heavy point: when Norma showed up in the Pineview garden, I wasn't sure myself whether or not she was there at first, not least because she was dressed differently than we'd seen her earlier in the episode, but she wasn't acting like Mother so I came around to believing it was really Norma... until Edwards asked Norman to consider his mother hadn't been there. Meaning not only Norman but the audience can never be sure now whether Norma is real in a scene with Norman as long as we are in Norman's pov (as opposed to Norma's) or if there are no other people around that Norma interacts with. Yikes.
Meanwhile, in White Pine Bay: when Chick was revealed as following Norma early in the episode, I felt a bit smug because I did consider (see earlier review) that Chick, not Rebecca, could have been responsible for the break-in. Also apprehensive because obviously we were in for the next round of "Norma and an evil bastard menacing her". However, this time there was a variation of the theme in that Chick - after revealing a surprising knowledge of architecture and artisan window making, or did he google that after overhearing Norma's request? - abandons the pretense before the episode is over and instead of the expected physical threat goes for the direct mindgame approach. Having put 2 and 2 together (i.e. Caleb referring to Dylan as his son last season on the one hand, Norma referring to Caleb as her brother and Dylan as her son in this episode), he lays out the incest conclusion. Here, visiting tumblr proved to be big mistake because lo and behold, the "Norma was lying about being raped, it was totally consentual" people are back, prompted by Chick asking what truly bothers her, getting raped by her brother or loving her brother, and Norma not responding to either verbally but looking increasingly horrified. Guys, the two aren't mutually exclusive, and the Caleb and Norma scenes last season (especially the one where he asks for forgiveness) established that yes, the two were all each other had in their childhood and youth with their abusive father and mad mother, and while that bond got tattered by what then happened, it's still there, and no, turning the relationship sexual hadn't been Norma's idea or wish. Not to mention that Chick really isn't Mr. Mentally Healthy and Sound Judgment on this show. (No idea whether he seriously expected Norma to jump on his "why don't you kill Caleb and do me a favour" offer, but it tells you something about how crazy he himself is that he made it.)
As for New Husband Alex Romero: believes Rebecca to be the break-in culprit, as expected, doesn't tell Norma the truth (bad Alex, lying never has good results) at first about that, gets evidence Rebecca was far more invested in him than he was in her, and then does tell Norma the truth when she asks point blank whether or not he killed Bob Paris. It turns into another emotional honesty bonding moment for them, and now I wonder whether Norma is actually going to tell him the truth about the Caleb matter as well which has just become newly relevant again with Chick.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/1161999.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.
Before I start with the praise for the Norman & Dr. Edwards scenes and the Norma scenes, though, I must say it's official: I'm bored now with the Dylan/Emma scenes. Turns out Dylan's separate plot line isn't more captivating when it's with Emma than it was when with several drug lords. I mean, I get where they're going with this, it's a healthy, functional romance, they open up about each other's vulnerabilities, good for them, but seriously, it's not what I'm invested in and want to see; what I want to see are Dylan & either Norma or Norman scenes, and Emma & Norma, or Emma finding out her mother was around and investigating (remember investigating Emma all the way back in early s1?). Not Dylan and Emma being cutesy together.
On to the good (for me) stuff. I say this in every episode, but it doesn't stop being true: Freddie Highmore is so amazing in this role. Heartbreaking in his phone call to Norma, young and vulnerable at the start of his big scene with Dr. Edwards and then spine tingling chilling (and seductive) when he becomes Mother, and you know exactly when it happens despite him not doing anything threatening, it's just the body language and facial expression. It was a breathtaking scene (again), and now I'm seriously worried for Dr. Edwards, since obviously a therapist who has figured out what Norman's problem is can't be around in Psycho times. Otoh it's good to see after James Finnegan The Second Worst TV Therapist Ever the show presenting one who is actually good at his job. You could tell Edwards was aware he was speaking with an alternate personality even before he asked to "let's talk about Norman". And this makes sense, because he must have come across cases of multiple personality disorder before in his practice.
Edwards furtherly is established as a good Doctor when we get the scene with him and the cop that verifies he did indeed report what Norman said about his mother to the police, as he was obligated to. I mean, the audience knows Norma didn't kill any of these people, but Dr. Edwards doesn't know that; for all he knows, Norman could have been telling the truth, instable as Norman obviously is not withstanding, and so it's important the audience knows Edwards wasn't lying when telling Norman he did report it. Though again, it makes me very worried for Edwards' life expectancy, because how difficult is the conclusion that if Norma Bates didn't murder the people, but Norman thinks his mother did it, and Norman manifests his mother during blackouts, chances her Norman-as-mother did it? What prevents Edwards from going there right now is that there are alternate explanations for all deaths save for the disappearance of Audrey Decody, who isn't known to be dead yet. But Audrey's body is bound to be found sooner or later, and then Edwards probably will make that guess.
(Speculation: since obviously neither Norman nor Norma can end up in prison for Audrey, I think either Chick or Caleb are going to take the fall for that death. Framed if it's Chick, voluntarily in Caleb's case in order to help Norma.)
Minor but heavy point: when Norma showed up in the Pineview garden, I wasn't sure myself whether or not she was there at first, not least because she was dressed differently than we'd seen her earlier in the episode, but she wasn't acting like Mother so I came around to believing it was really Norma... until Edwards asked Norman to consider his mother hadn't been there. Meaning not only Norman but the audience can never be sure now whether Norma is real in a scene with Norman as long as we are in Norman's pov (as opposed to Norma's) or if there are no other people around that Norma interacts with. Yikes.
Meanwhile, in White Pine Bay: when Chick was revealed as following Norma early in the episode, I felt a bit smug because I did consider (see earlier review) that Chick, not Rebecca, could have been responsible for the break-in. Also apprehensive because obviously we were in for the next round of "Norma and an evil bastard menacing her". However, this time there was a variation of the theme in that Chick - after revealing a surprising knowledge of architecture and artisan window making, or did he google that after overhearing Norma's request? - abandons the pretense before the episode is over and instead of the expected physical threat goes for the direct mindgame approach. Having put 2 and 2 together (i.e. Caleb referring to Dylan as his son last season on the one hand, Norma referring to Caleb as her brother and Dylan as her son in this episode), he lays out the incest conclusion. Here, visiting tumblr proved to be big mistake because lo and behold, the "Norma was lying about being raped, it was totally consentual" people are back, prompted by Chick asking what truly bothers her, getting raped by her brother or loving her brother, and Norma not responding to either verbally but looking increasingly horrified. Guys, the two aren't mutually exclusive, and the Caleb and Norma scenes last season (especially the one where he asks for forgiveness) established that yes, the two were all each other had in their childhood and youth with their abusive father and mad mother, and while that bond got tattered by what then happened, it's still there, and no, turning the relationship sexual hadn't been Norma's idea or wish. Not to mention that Chick really isn't Mr. Mentally Healthy and Sound Judgment on this show. (No idea whether he seriously expected Norma to jump on his "why don't you kill Caleb and do me a favour" offer, but it tells you something about how crazy he himself is that he made it.)
As for New Husband Alex Romero: believes Rebecca to be the break-in culprit, as expected, doesn't tell Norma the truth (bad Alex, lying never has good results) at first about that, gets evidence Rebecca was far more invested in him than he was in her, and then does tell Norma the truth when she asks point blank whether or not he killed Bob Paris. It turns into another emotional honesty bonding moment for them, and now I wonder whether Norma is actually going to tell him the truth about the Caleb matter as well which has just become newly relevant again with Chick.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/1161999.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.