S03.E08: The Pit

[BatmanBeatles]

Yes, but I disagree with the AV article about Chick. Other than some funny throw away lines, he doesn't do it for me.

Edited May 1, 2015 by BatmanBeatles

[peacheslatour]

I agree with A.V. Club:

Thanks for that editorgrrl, very good re-cap.  Some holes are just too deep. *sigh* Poor Norma.

[queenanne]

I thought it was good that Norma was trying to keep Norman from feeling embarrassed but then she had to go and take it a step further by falling into bed with her kid who is telling her that he feels like he might be sexually attracted to her. Basic common sense tells me that a hug is fine but there's something a little squicky about turning it into a nose to nose fall on the bed in each other's arms sort of scene. 

 

I also can't help but think that part of Norma trying to brush this off and make it seem like it's "normal" and that the excuse that Norman is just hormonal is a way of letting herself off of the hook when it comes to her own need for their extreme closeness. If Norma acknowledges to herself that they are too close and starts taking boundaries more seriously then she's putting her chief source of comfort at risk and I don't know that she's necessarily willing to do that based on everything that we've seen. Norma likes cuddling and all of that stuff with Norman. I agree that her perception of the relationship isn't even close to being as messed up as Norman's is but it's still unhealthy and I don't think she often really faces how unhealthy it really is at times. 

 

I feel like that's why we had the confusion about Norma/Caleb, and whether Norma did or did not lead Caleb on.  They wrote it in.  And they did so specifically because they want a parallel with how much Norma is willing to forgive and forget in Norman, specifically because of how she wants to be close and connect.  That's how the boundaries blur.

 

I also think it's way intriguing in retrospect to consider that while Norma's caroling to Norman that his sexual feelings for her are perfectly hunky dory, everything's normal, normal normal normal; she was singing the complete 180-degree-tune opposite when he was peeping in windows at Annika.  "That's just WEIRD, Norman!"  She of course is not wrong - Peeping Tom is a psychosexual disorder  - but, she's basically teaching him that, sexual feelings for women who are not-Momma, are weird and perverted; but sexual feelings for Momma, well, that's just normal human behavior on the level of animals.

 

Oh, and I'm not sure I'm letting them walk Norman back for me at all, after the specific and clear lingering ogle of Norma's ass.  Having Norma say it's normal, isn't mollifying to me; and has nothing to do with Norman, in fact.

Edited May 2, 2015 by queenanne

[truthaboutluv]

I also think it's way intriguing in retrospect to consider that while Norma's caroling to Norman that his sexual feelings for her are perfectly hunky dory, everything's normal, normal normal normal; she was singing the complete 180-degree-tune opposite when he was peeping in windows at Annika. "That's just WEIRD, Norman!" She of course is not wrong - Peeping Tom is a psychosexual disorder - but, she's basically teaching him that, sexual feelings for women who are not-Momma, are weird and perverted; but sexual feelings for Momma, well, that's just normal human behavior on the level of animals.

While I definitely think Norma contributed to Norman's having a twisted view of sex and women and particularly the whole Madonna vs. Whore complex, particularly with all her "not a nice girl" comments, which I think was more overt in the first season of the show particularly in relation to Bradley. That said, I don't think her reaction about his creepily peeping at one of their guests is contradictory to her telling him he's not weird for having strange sexual thoughts.

Her argument seemed to be that as he's getting older, becoming more of a man, sure he'll have confusing sexual thoughts and some of that might even include noticing his own mother but that's okay. And a correlation to that would be Norman noticing and being attracted to Anika. However noticing and being attracted to her is considerably different to creepily peeping on her while naked in the shower, which is what Norma had an issue with.

I agree with others that when Norma first started speaking to Norman, she actually was being a decent parent and on one hand she wasn't entirely wrong. The thing Norma forgot or conveniently ignores, is that these confused sexual feelings is exactly why once a boy or girl becomes a certain age, they're no longer allowed to do some of the things they did with their parents when they were younger. Like sleeping in the same bed all cuddled up together, which is exactly what Dylan told her when he saw them sleeping in the same bed.

Edited May 2, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[ganesh]

I cannot recall a show that has creeped me out, like skin crawling, like this show. Whenever Norman and Norma are alone in scenes in the house, I get like a pained face. Like, 'you silly woman!' totally skeeved me. I like watching Game of Thrones or Mad Men, but they're fake worlds and while I'm entertained, it's from a distance. This show really gets in your face. 

[DittyDotDot]

Oh Chick, you evil bastard you. Of course you were setting them up from the jump and why neither Dylan or Caleb questioned that I have many questions about. I love Chick's deadpan delivery and general unimpressedness! (Not a real word you say...sue me)

 

Oh Emma, you just can't catch a break can you?  I mean, I've been speculating Emma will be Norman's first kill as Mother, but now that she's rejected him and made brownies for Dylan...she's totally toast right?

 

What I found most interesting about this episode is how Norman seems to be living more and more inside his head and how much he's not sure is reality anymore. I read the scene of Norma telling Norman it was normal to have sexy feelings for his mother was all in his head. It was way to reassuring and quite frankly, Norma never handles this stuff that well. She's usually more of a child about it and that Norma felt more like an adult to me and more how Norman thinks Norma is rather than who she is in reality.  I also assumed Bradley wasn't real either...but now I'm not so sure.

 

I doubt the hole is that one. That one looked like a swamp or a lake. I always figured it was the same one where they threw in the dude who raped Norma in the pilot.

 

Didn't they dump the rapist in the harbor? He washed up on shore later, right? Gawd, I'm having such a hard time remembering the details right now.

[Snaporaz]

The scene where Bob tells Romero everything he learned about Norma was amazing. Despite Alex not letting Bob see that he was getting to him, you could just tell that Alex was crumbling inside. NC played it perfectly.

[SaveLevi]

Someone on another site pointed out that Bradley's license plate number is none other than nfb 418--same as Marilyn.  Think it's safe to say that her car will end up in that pit, with her body in the trunk.

 

Dylan is such a love. I hope he lasts through most of the series. 

[peacheslatour]

Welp, just saw the preview for next week's season finale.  Looks like Bradley is toast.