Bates Motel 4.03
Mar. 23rd, 2016 09:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIn which everyone gets a break. Sort of. In that ticking time bomb way.
To start with the minor, building up to the major, I'm not a fan of the return of Chick. Not least because I thought we were done with Dylan & drug lords (or gun lords) storylines, but apparently no such luck, because bringing back Chick to say Caleb only almost killed him and heavily hinting he wants revenge means more of same. Then again, I presume the show still needs an external threat to our regulars since it's not yet the last season. Incidentally, my money is on Caleb a) returning in a few episodes, and b) not surviving the season, because someone of the family WILL die, I can just feel it, and can't be Norman, Norma or Dylan. Though I thought Caleb would die last season, and he didn't, so what do I know?
(Chick aside, the lake scene with Gunner quitting and Dylan being upset about it even though he intended to fire Gunner and nobly get out of the drug business was hilarious, and worked as the episode's comic relief.)
Dylan returning to the house for a mother-son exchange of news made for continued illustration of much improved relationships between Norma and her first born, as she immediately asks about Emma's state of being and only later provides an update on the drama she's been through (including the getting married part). Dylan's being on board with this and immediately pointing out Romero isn't just marrying her to be helpful couldn't be a greater contrast to s1 Dylan taunting Norma about Deputy Shelby.
Which brings me to the two main plots of the episode - Norman at Pineview, and Norma & Alex Romero. Because mental institutions in horror-related narratives usually are presented as awful, sinister and what not, it's a helpful contrast of Pineview, from what we see so far, actually committed to helping their patients... if they have money and influence. Also, Dr. Edwards is a big contrast to Finnegan the Second Worst Therapist On TV last season and seems competent so far. And just when I was thinking "but doctor/patient confidentiality doesn't cover accusations of murder because then people are in immediate danger", he brought this up. Norman's "yes" to whether he's aware of this was absolutely chilling. Mind you, in Norman's mind, he's being gaslighted and betrayed by his mother who keeps murdering people and is crazy, so alerting the authorities to this is the best thing he can do: though at this point it's questionable of how much this is fear for the lives of other people (a season younger Norman was ready to kill himself when realising he was a killer, before "Mother" took that knowledge away from him, so this concern is there) and how much simply revenge on Norma for putting him into an institution (no matter how nice it is), because Norman, even when not blacking out, has been growing more ruthless.
It occurred to me that prequel protection aside, Norma could very well go down for all the murders so far; she can't prove her innocence with Blair Watson (her alibi being that she saw Alex killing a local drug lord on the docks at the same time), Bradley Martin (if her body is discovered), who has been staying at HER motel for days, or Audrey Decody (ditto), enough people at Whitepine Bay have seen her freak out, and Alex himself had her investigated for the death she did cause (her rapist in the pilot whom she stabbed to death), which should be on the record. She's even been briefly in custody while that investigation was ongoing. And if Norman would claim she killed Sam Bates (as Dylan thought in early s1), who could prove otherwise? And probably enough people could testify her being overprotectiveof her son and snappish (at the least) to girls who date him (other than Emma), especially if Cody comes back. Not to mention that she does need therapy, as anyone who has had longer contact with her would know. You could totally sell Norma as the crazy murderess.
Of course, Norma's just married the Sheriff, which Norman doesn't know yet, but there's only so much Alex can do, especially given his own track record. Methinks an outside investigator will be called in if/when Dr. Edwards reports these accusations (and he pretty much has to, even if he thinks Norman is deluded), who will provide the much stronger than Chick the annoying gun lord outside menace of the season.
And now for Norma/Alex. Readers, I adored their scenes. Mind you, I was afraid when they stumbled home drunk on their wedding night that we'd get drunken sex of uncertain consent, but thankfully, we did not. And yes, I am a bit torn about them having sex by the end of the episode (where neither of them is drunk), whether the show shouldn't have waited longer, but the script went out of its way to make it a situation initialized by Norma and not because she thinks she has to, to have Alex verify this is really what Norma wants (asking three times after she kissed him). There's still the element of her distracting herself from her Norman worries in there, but let's be honest, this is never NOT going to be there. And the relationship has been built up through three seasons. Their exchange of confidences re: their marital backstories not only provided us with new info re: Alex but a useful timeline for Norma; two years of marriage with John Massett before Sam Bates arrived at the scene, which, given she was 17 when she ran away with John and had Dylan, means she was still only 19 when marrying the second time. (Meaning: The Bates Motel years were really the only ones in Norma's life where she wasn't either a child or married.) Norma goes through many mood mixes in the episode, and Vera Farmiga plays it so well: The awkwardness of not wanting to show emotions mixed with the trust she does have in Alex (and the ever present Norman worry) early in the episode, the moment of horror when the earring is found (which she coves up quickly), the desperate confrontation with Norman, the thawing into actual humor and teasing in her later Alex encounters... she's such a mess, but no wonder he's in love. She's so compelling.
Speculation: Julian, Norman's new acquaintance and fellow late teenage inmate, immediately made me wonder whether the show is going to borrow from a non-Psycho Hitchcock movie and do a "Strangers on a Train" plot of sorts. Julian strikes me as the type to suggest to Norman they should swap killing parents to have an alibi. Now Norman wouldn't (both because he's not that far gone yet and because he'd never let anyone else kill Norma), but I could see him not taking Julian seriously and/or say something in anger which Julian takes as consent to this idea.
Trivia: so, the two long awaited Norma/Alex kisses: the first one, during their wedding, being tender and turning real for Norma just when it ends, and the second one late in the episode, initialized by her and being passionate, both were great.
To start with the minor, building up to the major, I'm not a fan of the return of Chick. Not least because I thought we were done with Dylan & drug lords (or gun lords) storylines, but apparently no such luck, because bringing back Chick to say Caleb only almost killed him and heavily hinting he wants revenge means more of same. Then again, I presume the show still needs an external threat to our regulars since it's not yet the last season. Incidentally, my money is on Caleb a) returning in a few episodes, and b) not surviving the season, because someone of the family WILL die, I can just feel it, and can't be Norman, Norma or Dylan. Though I thought Caleb would die last season, and he didn't, so what do I know?
(Chick aside, the lake scene with Gunner quitting and Dylan being upset about it even though he intended to fire Gunner and nobly get out of the drug business was hilarious, and worked as the episode's comic relief.)
Dylan returning to the house for a mother-son exchange of news made for continued illustration of much improved relationships between Norma and her first born, as she immediately asks about Emma's state of being and only later provides an update on the drama she's been through (including the getting married part). Dylan's being on board with this and immediately pointing out Romero isn't just marrying her to be helpful couldn't be a greater contrast to s1 Dylan taunting Norma about Deputy Shelby.
Which brings me to the two main plots of the episode - Norman at Pineview, and Norma & Alex Romero. Because mental institutions in horror-related narratives usually are presented as awful, sinister and what not, it's a helpful contrast of Pineview, from what we see so far, actually committed to helping their patients... if they have money and influence. Also, Dr. Edwards is a big contrast to Finnegan the Second Worst Therapist On TV last season and seems competent so far. And just when I was thinking "but doctor/patient confidentiality doesn't cover accusations of murder because then people are in immediate danger", he brought this up. Norman's "yes" to whether he's aware of this was absolutely chilling. Mind you, in Norman's mind, he's being gaslighted and betrayed by his mother who keeps murdering people and is crazy, so alerting the authorities to this is the best thing he can do: though at this point it's questionable of how much this is fear for the lives of other people (a season younger Norman was ready to kill himself when realising he was a killer, before "Mother" took that knowledge away from him, so this concern is there) and how much simply revenge on Norma for putting him into an institution (no matter how nice it is), because Norman, even when not blacking out, has been growing more ruthless.
It occurred to me that prequel protection aside, Norma could very well go down for all the murders so far; she can't prove her innocence with Blair Watson (her alibi being that she saw Alex killing a local drug lord on the docks at the same time), Bradley Martin (if her body is discovered), who has been staying at HER motel for days, or Audrey Decody (ditto), enough people at Whitepine Bay have seen her freak out, and Alex himself had her investigated for the death she did cause (her rapist in the pilot whom she stabbed to death), which should be on the record. She's even been briefly in custody while that investigation was ongoing. And if Norman would claim she killed Sam Bates (as Dylan thought in early s1), who could prove otherwise? And probably enough people could testify her being overprotectiveof her son and snappish (at the least) to girls who date him (other than Emma), especially if Cody comes back. Not to mention that she does need therapy, as anyone who has had longer contact with her would know. You could totally sell Norma as the crazy murderess.
Of course, Norma's just married the Sheriff, which Norman doesn't know yet, but there's only so much Alex can do, especially given his own track record. Methinks an outside investigator will be called in if/when Dr. Edwards reports these accusations (and he pretty much has to, even if he thinks Norman is deluded), who will provide the much stronger than Chick the annoying gun lord outside menace of the season.
And now for Norma/Alex. Readers, I adored their scenes. Mind you, I was afraid when they stumbled home drunk on their wedding night that we'd get drunken sex of uncertain consent, but thankfully, we did not. And yes, I am a bit torn about them having sex by the end of the episode (where neither of them is drunk), whether the show shouldn't have waited longer, but the script went out of its way to make it a situation initialized by Norma and not because she thinks she has to, to have Alex verify this is really what Norma wants (asking three times after she kissed him). There's still the element of her distracting herself from her Norman worries in there, but let's be honest, this is never NOT going to be there. And the relationship has been built up through three seasons. Their exchange of confidences re: their marital backstories not only provided us with new info re: Alex but a useful timeline for Norma; two years of marriage with John Massett before Sam Bates arrived at the scene, which, given she was 17 when she ran away with John and had Dylan, means she was still only 19 when marrying the second time. (Meaning: The Bates Motel years were really the only ones in Norma's life where she wasn't either a child or married.) Norma goes through many mood mixes in the episode, and Vera Farmiga plays it so well: The awkwardness of not wanting to show emotions mixed with the trust she does have in Alex (and the ever present Norman worry) early in the episode, the moment of horror when the earring is found (which she coves up quickly), the desperate confrontation with Norman, the thawing into actual humor and teasing in her later Alex encounters... she's such a mess, but no wonder he's in love. She's so compelling.
Speculation: Julian, Norman's new acquaintance and fellow late teenage inmate, immediately made me wonder whether the show is going to borrow from a non-Psycho Hitchcock movie and do a "Strangers on a Train" plot of sorts. Julian strikes me as the type to suggest to Norman they should swap killing parents to have an alibi. Now Norman wouldn't (both because he's not that far gone yet and because he'd never let anyone else kill Norma), but I could see him not taking Julian seriously and/or say something in anger which Julian takes as consent to this idea.
Trivia: so, the two long awaited Norma/Alex kisses: the first one, during their wedding, being tender and turning real for Norma just when it ends, and the second one late in the episode, initialized by her and being passionate, both were great.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-24 05:25 am (UTC)While I love Chick as a character, I'm so pissed at him - how stupid can he be? Especially since "what your father is capable of"... hmmm... Caleb pulled a half-measure, and I think it's very likely to bite him in the ass. Hopefully Norma doesn't get pulled in as bait (I'm a bit unnerved by Chick's "using Mommy to make Daddy jealous" or whatever he said exactly - I wonder if Chick isn't sniffing around to find the rest of Dylan and Caleb's fam.)
(This is sydpenguinbunny's dreamwidth alias, BTW :D)
no subject
Date: 2016-03-24 07:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-24 02:53 pm (UTC)On a semi-related note, I really want to see Caleb sleep this season (in a non-permanent sense). I just totally want to know what he sleeps like.