S04.E09: Forever

[radishcake]

Quote

Norman plans a special event for Norma; Romero faces pressure due to his actions; and Dylan considers reaching out to Norman.

[Tech Noir]

WHAT

Edited May 10, 2016 by Tech Noir

[Spartan Girl]

Holy. Fuck.

Everyone that called Norman using the furnace, well done. But am I the only one that thinks we're getting Jon Snowed? 

But honestly, after all the delusional denial Norma displayed this week, I'm kind of ready for Norma to be gone. She's literally too stupid to live and this episode proved what I've been saying all along: Norma is just as much of the problem as Norman. When she was laying the blame on Alex for not not wanting to stick around once reality set in...bitch, you have NEVER faced reality!

Loved Dylan finally calling out Norma for everything. He seriously should have left a long time ago and never looked back.

This is going to be a loooooooooong week.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Spartan Girl

[LocimusPrime]

Alex is a nice guy and has lots of patience, I wish he would just shoot Norman and throw him into the ocean.  

[raven]

agggggg...Norman cuddling Norma in bed was one of the creepiest things I've seen on TV, and I've watched all of Hannibal.  The way he takes off his shoes...eeee..

NORMA he held a gun on you YES he is dangerous.   What is it with the delusions?  I know her life has been awful and she feels guilty about Norman, but there's more to it than that, she just doesn't want to be told what she doesn't want to hear.  And the last thing she can say to Dylan is "please give me the earring"??  She knows in her heart Norman killed Emma's mother.  I'm irritated at her all episode.....then she's sobbing over Alex and writes that heart breaking note.  GAH. 

Romero's ex couldn't have been more obvious if she tried.

Dylan will be back - he kept the earring...he has to decide what to do.

I can't even.

[maczero]

3 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Holy. Fuck.

Everyone that called Norman using the furnace, well done. But am I the only one that thinks we're getting Jon Snowed? 

But honestly, after all the delusional denial Norma displayed this week, I'm kind of ready for Norma to be gone. She's literally too stupid to live and this episode proved what I've been saying all along: Norma is just as much of the problem as Norma. When she was laying the blame on Alex for not not wanting to stick around once reality set in...bitch, you have NEVER faced reality!

Loved Dylan finally calling out Norma for everything. He seriously should have left a long time ago and never looked back.

This is going to be a loooooooooong week.

In total agreement with you on Norma. 

Loved Alex trolling the DEA via the hidden mic.  

I really liked that version of Mr. Sandman.  It didn't sound like the original.  Can someone if this was a cover and if so, then who's the singer?

Shallow note:  Alex's receptionist/assistant is insanely hot!

[Chaos Theory]

Did shit just get real?

That was amazing and beautiful in a lot of ways.  You could see it coming but that is and has always been the tragedy of Norma's story.  She was warned.  She was warned multiple times by multiple people but her love for her son blinded her.  She was never going to see how delusional he was.  That is the tragedy.  That is what makes it tragic.    That is what makes Norma's story a beautiful tragedy.

[Rear Window]

Holy shit balls. I'm crying along with Alex. Creepy all around.

And nice reference to the song from the musical in season 2.

[zibnchy]

How on earth did Dylan turn out to be so good? I love him and I really, really don't want him to die.

"Oh, hi Alex. Please tell me more about how you killed Bob Parrish. Please talk into my left boob. Thank you."

[Lady Calypso]

Wow, death anvils were being dropped all episode for various characters, but I figured out it was Norma about 40 minutes into the episode, after she got home and was crying in front of the fridge. Before that, I was convinced it was Alex who was going to die, and then I thought it would be Dylan. 

Now, that being said, I'm about 50/50 on whether Norma will just be dead by the beginning of the finale next week, or if they'll keep her alive for a bit longer (whether that's through to next season or dead by the finale's end).

Alex's ex....do a better job acting. My god, you suck at it. 

I felt so bad for Dylan. Him deciding to stop trying with Norma is understandable. Her supposedly dead not long after is going to suck for him. He's so good and even when he's pissed at Norma, he's still trusting Norman more to listen to him. 

Honestly, Norma was very frustrating this episode. I hated the way she talked to Alex and Dylan. Both are just trying to help, but she didn't just shut them down, she shut them out and locked the door between her and Norman. She knows Norman is dangerous. She knows he has done things that constitute as dangerous. Alex is telling her that he doesn't feel safe and she dismisses him. Dylan confronts Norma about the earring and she goes ballistic on him. This ended with Dylan emotionally emancipating himself from his family. Part of me was sadly happy about Alex and Norma getting in that huge fight because all I could think was "Thank god Alex won't be in the house when Norman kills Norma and her lover". I actually thought them ending things was the best thing for Alex's safety. And wow...I was right way, way too soon. I thought they'd safe this for the actual finale...which is why I don't think Norma's dead (yet). 

Alex is going to suspect Norman easily, and I wonder if he could get enough proof to prove Norman did it. Norma and the handyman are the only ones that knew about the gas, but Norman overheard. I know that Alex may not be able to officially prove that it was Norman, but imagine the twist if he did and that would be the thing to commit Norman. I know it won't happen, but that would be the best case scenario. 

It's sad that all of this came to a head this episode. But, I mean, if she is truly dead, she went peacefully in her sleep. It's too bad she couldn't make up with Dylan or Alex. But especially Dylan, who is going to blame himself partially. He couldn't have done anything, but maybe he might think that he should have. 

[LocimusPrime]

• It was almost like Alex's ex was trying to let him know that she was wired. 
• Alex is a great dude, he's been kind, protective, and as patient as anyone could be with the Bates. 
• Hey norman, heads up but part time jobs most likely do not offer benefits. Sorry bud but no 401k for you. 
• There hasn't been a lot of guests lately, I guess Alex is helping with the money. 
• Im tired of the walls in house. The paint is cracking and peeling. Looks horrible, they should use some of the money to repaint. Also, why is it always dark in that house. Let's renovate and get some light in there. 

[Jade Foxx]

I've always thought Alex is sexy as hell (murders non-withstanding), and he just HAD to fall in love with unhinged, damaged Norma.

This episode was like watching every possible wrong move someone could make (NORMA), and it was akin to a "beautiful tragedy."

Still processing.....

UGH

[queenanne]

Still processing myself, but a temporary drive-by to note that the episode description writers have been killing it, with perfectly truthfully retroactive honestly it takes hindsight to know, haha.

[thuganomics85]

Well, that's one way to end an episode!  Is Norma truly dead, though?  Sure looks like it, but I will wait and see what happens next week.  Either way, I really doubt this will be the end of Vera Farmiga's time on the show, because even if Norma dies, I'm sure she'll stick around as "Mother", because I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of "Mother" now going forward.

Either way, it was sad to watch, but also frustrating, because Norma just showed that she was never, ever going to see reason, when it came to Norman.  Both Alex and Dylan were calmly explaining the reason why Norman was an issue, and never gave them the time of day, and worse, lashed out at them.  I mean, how can you reason with someone who hears that her son was wielding an axe like a madmen, and her only response is basically "Well, at least he only it the shed!"?  I don't think you can.  I'm still sad for her, but she really doomed herself by giving Norman chance after chance.

Loved Dylan standing up for himself finally.  He is totally right.  While I think Norma does care and maybe even loves him on some levels, she never really was a mother to him.  Norman was always her son and little boy, and Dylan was just the family member who she cared about, but wouldn't sacrifice as much for.  She would never go the extra mile for him, like she would with Norman.  And Dylan doesn't deserve that.  Sadly, I still think he is destined to stick around and suffer a tragic end, but I still wished he would just jet off with Emma, never look back, and have a happy life.

Was Alex's ex deliberately blowing the sting?  Because that was some of the worst acting ever.  It was way too obvious she was fishing, and there would have been no way I would have ever bought Alex falling for it, so I'm glad he didn't.

I wonder if we'll see Edwards again.  I have to think he'll be regretting the decision to let Norman back into the world.

I can only imagine what they will have in store for both the finale and the fifth/final season! 

[FurryFury]

This show does suspence really, really well. The scene with Norman and Norma in the bed was especially creepy - I didn't know what was going to happen (will they have sex or will Norman kill her?), but it was obvious something bad's about to happen. And holy shit, it did.

I'm still processing, but I HOPE TO GOD Norma's not gone because this show won't be anywhere as great without her. Mother is just Norman, it's Norma who makes Bates Motel what it is.

If that last scene with Alex cradling Norma's body went on for at least one more minute, I would be a sobbing mess. I still was on the verge of tears. Great job, Nestor Carbonell. And really, Alex is like this season's MVP - he's become so much more central and likable! But if Norma's dead I want him to just off Norman, no ifs and buts. Yeah I know it won't happen, but still. The little fucker deserves it. Even if he probably did it partly because of having realized he had killed Emma's mom.

[Luckylyn]

I'm torn.  I hate the idea of the show continuing another season without Norma who is an incredibly frustrating yet compelling character.  Still if she's revived next week, it will be a cop out.   Norma was warned repeatedly and refused to listen to the truth.  Her reaction to Dylan finding the erring makes it clear she knows exactly what Norman is capable of and still she wanted to cover for him, lash out at Alex and Dylan, and let Norman stay home despite the danger.  There's a narcissism there when she talked about Norman being the same as her and how he'd never hurt her.  It's almost like she's saying that she's willing to to be blind to Norman hurting others because she believes she's safe.  Her inability to see Norman as a separate person from her was her doom.

The repairman can testify that Norma was warned about the furnace and an investigation into what happened would reveal that someone had to deliberating close all the vents in the house except the one in Norma's room.  Will Norman frame Norma?  Will he claim that Norma's note to Alex was a suicide note and that Norma tried to take him with her in death because of fear that Dylan and Alex would take Norman away from her?  I could see Norman laying a guilty trip on Dylan and claiming Dylan contributed to Norma's "suicide."  What will the psychiatrist think?  Can Norman fool him into believing that Norma was suicidal? Or will it be assumed it was an accident with no one being suspicious of the closed vents?   Alex and Dylan will definitely be suspicious.  Still what happened doesn't fit the violent impulsiveness that Dylan and Alex had witnessed.  I'm trying to figure out how Norman could get away with this because it's too soon for Norman to get caught. 

[Lady Calypso]

Honestly, thinking more on it, I do think Norma will be revived. And furthermore? I have a bad feeling once she gets out of the hospital, she is still going to be making excuses for Norman. "Oh, he didn't do anything. The house just has faulty gas." "But Norma, if you didn't turn on the gas downstairs, who did?" "I don't know, stop pestering Norman about it!" I'm honestly afraid that all of this will end up back where we started before the Mr Sandman scene, and I'm really hoping that Norma almost dying (if they choose to revive her) will actually change SOMETHING. I don't think Norma will ever accept that Norman's dangerous until he is stabbing her while staring at her, so that is why I'm now convinced there's no way she's just going to die the episode before the finale. 

Also, I fear that Norman will convince people that it was Norma who turned on the fire and tried to kill them. Maybe to get herself sent to a mental institution to 'protect' her just like Norma protected Norman. He can say that he never knew about the gas that would kill them, and that Norma has been acting off for a long time. He can even say that her breaking things off with Alex with that note was a sort of suicide note. With the closed vents, I'm hoping that that isn't dismissed, because I'm sure Alex knows that the vents aren't all closed off except for one. And all they'd have to do is dust for fingerprints and they'd know Norman touched them last. 

But I highly doubt this show is going to go in that route. 

[TattleTeeny]

So frustrating that Norma could not--or, more likely, would not--see that she was experiencing actual legit lighthearted happiness while Norman was away!

[whydoiwatchtv]

Psycho was just on the other night and the way they had Norma laying in her bed while sleeping is the exact way the divot formed in the bed from her corpse laying there for 10 years. Nice, creepy touch to the original.

[FanOfTheFans]

10 hours ago, zibnchy said:

How on earth did Dylan turn out to be so good? I love him and I really, really don't want him to die.

"Oh, hi Alex. Please tell me more about how you killed Bob Parrish. Please talk into my left boob. Thank you."

Dylan is one of those kids who are forced into adulthood before their time due to all the incompetent adults he has been surrounded with his whole life. Wise beyond his years. 

[SonofaBiscuit]

I don't think we're losing Norma just yet.  She'll probably be revived and take the blame for the accident, saying that she was trying to kill herself and thought Norman wasn't at home, or some such nonsense.  What I could read of her letter to Alex might even be considered a suicide note.  Norman will possibly regret trying to gas his mother and "behave" for a while before killing her off in the final season.  Of course, I could be completely wrong, but I just wonder what the show would look like next season if Norma really is dead.  Dylan and Emma are gone (I'm hoping they stay far away from Norman because I want a happy ending for those two), so would it just be Norman going around killing people with Alex trying to catch him?  I hope not because oddly enough, Norman's my least favorite character, and I only enjoy his scenes when he's snarking at his mother.

Edited May 10, 2016 by SonofaBiscuit

[FurryFury]

I wonder if Norma could be in a coma and/or suffer brain damage because of gas poisoning. 

[editorgrrl]

17 minutes ago, SonofaBiscuit said:

I don't think we're losing Norma just yet.  She'll probably be revived and take the blame for the accident, saying that she was trying to kill herself and thought Norman wasn't at home, or some such nonsense.  What I could read of her letter to Alex might even be considered a suicide note.  

I just wonder what the show would look like next season if Norma really is dead.  

If Norma is dead, Vera would still be on the show as "Mother." As Norma said this episode, she and Norman are two parts of the same person.

The note with the wedding ring said, "I will always love you no matter what. I'm truly sorry. Love, Norma."

[islandgal140]

Before reading the posts here, I never once thought of the possibility of Norma surviving her gassing. As much as I would miss Vera's portrayal of Norma, I think this is the perfect exit and where the story should start to transition. I was always wondering how Norman after having been committed, under the care of a psychiatrist, on medication and with 2 family members convinced that he is dangerous could get away with killing his mother and be free to kill again while running the Bates Motel. Norma going out like this was perfect! The faulty gas furnace that seemingly only Norma knows about as far as the repairman knows. The note with the ring looking like a suicide note. It should have a bow around it is so perfect. I just think bringing Norma back from the brink of death to be offed again somehow by Norman would hurt the story and bring Norman more firmly and irrevocably under suspicion and make Norma look even more ridiculous for continuing to be blind to what Norman truly is. 

Romero trying to revive Norma and sobbing over her limp body was heart breaking and gorgeously acted by Nestor. Didn't know he had it in him. Kudos!!!

I'm so glad Romero and Dylan were spared. I was really afraid that Romero would succumb to the fumes. So glad he broke those windows. 

[Lady Calypso]

2 minutes ago, islandgal140 said:

Before reading the posts here, I never once thought of the possibility of Norma surviving her gassing. As much as I would miss Vera's portrayal of Norma, I think this is the perfect exit and where the story should start to transition. I was always wondering how Norman after having been committed, under the care of a psychiatrist, on medication and with 2 family members convinced that he is dangerous could get away with killing his mother and be free to kill again while running the Bates Motel. Norma going out like this was perfect! The faulty gas furnace that seemingly only Norma knows about as far as the repairman knows. The note with the ring looking like a suicide note. It should have a bow around it is so perfect. I just think bringing Norma back from the brink of death to be offed again somehow by Norman would hurt the story and bring Norman more firmly and irrevocably under suspicion and make Norma look even more ridiculous for continuing to be blind to what Norman truly is. 

Romero trying to revive Norma and sobbing over her limp body was heart breaking and gorgeously acted by Nestor. Didn't know he had it in him. Kudos!!!

I'm so glad Romero and Dylan were spared. I was really afraid that Romero would succumb to the fumes. So glad he broke those windows. 

Actually....you know what's odd? Is that I disagree and think this isn't a good point for the transition. I think it's because I want Norma to realize that she screwed up and that Norman's too far gone now while she's getting killed by him. Norma, if she dies now, would still be in deep denial about Norman. I need to see how Norma denies Norman's involvement when she comes to, especially if he does stage it like she planned a murder-suicide, or just a plain old suicide. I think that Norma has to be aware that Norman is killing her when she inevitably goes. It's convenient for Norman, because he can easily stage it in this way, but it's not convenient for Norma's story, as she never got to come to the realization about Norman. 

And that is why now I know she's going to be revived. It's too tempting not to revive her and see if anything changes with Norman, or if she'll assume it's an accident and not Norman's fault. I guess the only way I want Norma's story to end is her finally breaking off her relationship with Norman, only to see how wrong she was in her behaviour with him as he's killing her as Mother. Oh my god, and now I just pictured a Vera vs Vera scene, with Mother killing Norma, and it's too good not to want. Either that, or Norman actually killing Norma for Mother, with Vera-as-Mother watching from the sidelines. 

[peacheslatour]

The pills do nothing!

[Chaos Theory]

Norma is most definitely dead.  It is time.  I read somewhere the show is only planning one more season and there is only one more episode of this season,.   It makes sense to kill her now.  Keeping her alive would be back tracking the show.  If anyone takes the blame forcNorma's death it will be Romero considering the FBI is looking at him anyway.  That would be the ultimate irony.

 

The ultimate tragedy.

 

The show had to pull the trigger eventually and it was time.  My guess is next season the show will go full on psycho.  

[Nutjob]

17 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

Norma is most definitely dead.  It is time.  I read somewhere the show is only planning one more season and there is only one more episode of this season,.   It makes sense to kill her now.  Keeping her alive would be back tracking the show.  If anyone takes the blame forcNorma's death it will be Romero considering the FBI is looking at him anyway.  That would be the ultimate irony.

 

The ultimate tragedy.

 

The show had to pull the trigger eventually and it was time.  My guess is next season the show will go full on psycho.  

I agree with all of this. Norman clearly is never convicted for any of the crimes he has committed--reviving Norma now gives them a witness to his attempted murder of her. Killing her at this stage makes everything much less clear to anyone who wasn't there. It could've been Romero. Norman could blame Norma. There is all sorts of plausible deniability for Norman if she's dead, yet all sorts of guilt and internal conflict to come in spades as a result of what he knows he did.

[Rustybones]

Didn't the movie confirm that Norman killed both his mother and her lover?

Also, if I remember correctly from one of the later Psycho movies, Norman had been either in jail or locked up in a nuthouse, then released.  They thought he had been treated and was sane.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Rustybones

[CynicalGirl]

Maybe I need to watch the original Psycho again, but I was always under the impression that Norma and her "lover" were killed in bed together by Norman. Assuming they are following the original movie story. If Norma is really dead I'm a little surprised she went out this way. 

[Chaos Theory]

28 minutes ago, Rustybones said:

Didn't the movie confirm that Norman killed both his mother and her lover?

Also, if I remember correctly from one of the later Psycho movies, Norman had been either in jail or locked up in a nuthouse, then released.  They thought he had been treated and was sane.

Poetic license?  We still don't know how Romero story will end.  Also I think the writers wanted to go with sad/beutiful and not violent/messy.  Plus the way the story has been written there is no way Norman could avoid the mental hospital if he gave his mother (and Tomero) forty wacks.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Chaos Theory
Autocorrect autocorrected.

[TattleTeeny]

43 minutes ago, CynicalGirl said:

Maybe I need to watch the original Psycho again, but I was always under the impression that Norma and her "lover" were killed in bed together by Norman. Assuming they are following the original movie story. If Norma is really dead I'm a little surprised she went out this way. 

He poisoned their lemonade or iced tea or something.

Quote

Also, if I remember correctly from one of the later Psycho movies, Norman had been either in jail or locked up in a nuthouse, then released.  They thought he had been treated and was sane.

Yeah, he was in there for about 20 years, I think.

Edited May 10, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[whydoiwatchtv]

In the original movie it was told that Norman found Norma and her lover in bed, poisoned by strychnine. Norma "poisoned the (married) lover and then took a helping of the stuff herself" said the sheriff in the movie. At the end of the movie the psychiatrist says Norman did it, helping him go to full blown only Mother after he committed matricide. 

I would love this to end with some time passed with Norman running the old motel as a blond woman drives up in the rain and honks the horn. 12 rooms, 12 vacancies! 

[TattleTeeny]

Strychnine! I kept thinking of the word "quinine" like a dummy!

[spiderpig]

Norma had better be really, really dead.  This TV season couldn't stand two Jon Snows.

[Peanut6711]

Assuming Norma is dead I think the show made a great twist on the original movie versions while still keeping within the original parameters of the Bates lore. It's still a "murder-suicide" except in this instance Norman is the "lover." Creepy but visually and psychologically quite effective.  I suspect Norma's letter to Romero will be construed as a suicide note and Norman will try to play the victim, since in his mind Mother is always the irrational killer.  

[HeShallBMySquishy]

17 hours ago, maczero said:

In total agreement with you on Norma. 

Loved Alex trolling the DEA via the hidden mic.  

I really liked that version of Mr. Sandman.  It didn't sound like the original.  Can someone if this was a cover and if so, then who's the singer?

Shallow note:  Alex's receptionist/assistant is insanely hot!

That version of "Mr. Sandman" was recorded by Nan Vernon, for the soundtrack to Rob Zombie's 2007 Halloween remake.  She's a Canadian singer-actress who also recorded an equally haunting version of Nazareth's "Love Hurts" for the 2009 sequel Halloween II. Strangely enough I just listened to her version of "Love Hurts" last week and thought it would be perfect for Bates Motel, and lo and behold, there's Nan Vernon's version of "Mr. Sandman," which totally makes sense and is a nice callback to Season 2.

This episode. Wow. Holy shit. Just re-watched it and I could still feel the palpable fear, dread, and heartbreak at watching it all unfold.

[Anela]

Wow, I wasn't expecting that until at least the season finale. Poor Norma - so sad over breaking up with Alex, but happy to have her son beside her. That was a sweet moment, before he woke up and I realized that he did plan to gas them both. 

She may be in denial where Norman is concerned, but I thought she had the normal reaction of a parent, when it came to others talking about committing her son behind her back. There's the initial protectiveness that comes up, when it comes to someone we love. 

[Gudzilla]

It was interesting that the scenario Norman laid out to the psychiatrist was pretty much how things played out.

[Fable]

As soon as the episode started airing, I had a deep sense of impending doom, but I had nothing to put my finger on.   I never imagined it was going to end with Norma's death.  At first, I was in blind denial and refused to accept it, but after processing and calming down a bit, I guess it makes perfect sense.  

If she is, in fact, still alive, wouldn't she finally have to admit that Norman is genuinely dangerous?  Although, considering the fact that he held on gun on her several episodes back and she still couldn't see it, maybe not.   I'm not looking forward to rest of the series without Norma even though I'm sure Vera will continue on as Mother.   I think Norma is so much more layered and interesting than Mother, and if she really is gone, I will really miss her presence.  

[peacheslatour]

3 hours ago, Peanut6711 said:

Assuming Norma is dead I think the show made a great twist on the original movie versions while still keeping within the original parameters of the Bates lore. It's still a "murder-suicide" except in this instance Norman is the "lover." Creepy but visually and psychologically quite effective.  I suspect Norma's letter to Romero will be construed as a suicide note and Norman will try to play the victim, since in his mind Mother is always the irrational killer.  

I think this is brilliant! It's still canon, but it's a new and different twist. Well done.

Count me among those who think Norma is well and truly dead. There have been many times in the past few seasons where I fully expected this show to go for cheap trickery and it never has, not once.

[TattleTeeny]

She will be missed. That Vera is a treasure, I tell you!

[Mabinogia]

That last 5-10 minutes, however long it was, was some of the most tense television I have ever seen. I may have been holding my breath through all of it for fear I would miss something if I breathed too loudly.

I am just in awe of the twisted sexual tension between Norman and Norma. It's like, I feel something strong between them then remember who they are and feel so disturbed.

I don't know where they will go from here. I'm pretty sure, if Norma is dead, Norman will be locked up. I cannot imagine Romero and Dylan not having him committed after this. So how does he end up running the hotel himself? I'd think with Norma dead Romero would sell the place, or burn it down. Of course he'd also try to have Norman arrested for murder so who knows. Either way I'm sure we're not done with Vera F. since Norma is a part of Norman now. I can't imagine the show without her.

If she's not dead, does she finally try to have him committed? Does she still make excuses for him? Where does Romero fit into that story? Will he stay with Norma, if only to protect her? What about Dylan? Will he still move away now that Norman tried to kill his mother?

I feel like there is more story if she lives than dies. She dies, he goes to nut house what, we get a season of him locked up talking to the voice in his head? She lives, things build and build and get worse and worse and, hopefully, we see her finally admit to herself what is going on only to be killed because it is too late.

This is one show where I actually trust the writers to make the right choice and tell the best story they can tell so I'm in whatever they choose to do. (I just hope that, either way, we get to keep Vera on the show either as real Norma or Head Norma. That woman is a gem.)

[Lostinthehouse]

I'm so happy to see so many people referencing the original film "Psycho" (which, I think, we all accept as canon.)  I just wanted to mention a tiny scene that was a nice foreshadowing of how "Mother" ends up in the film.

As Norman is looking around the attic and ultimately discovers the suitcase that belonged to Emma's mother, he picks up several stuffed birds - one is an eagle in flight.  We saw this bird in the office parlor in Psycho.  And here on the show, several stuffed birds are lying in a wicker rocking chair with a plaid blanket draped over one arm.  In the film, when Vera Miles goes to the cellar to discover Mrs. Bates sitting with her back to the door, Miles gently turns the chair around to find the, um, stuffed and poorly preserved Mrs. Bates.  It is the same chair, with the same blanket as shown on "Bates Motel" last night.  Very, very nice touch, producers!

[Spartan Girl]

4 hours ago, Anela said:

Wow, I wasn't expecting that until at least the season finale. Poor Norma - so sad over breaking up with Alex, but happy to have her son beside her. That was a sweet moment, before he woke up and I realized that he did plan to gas them both. 

She may be in denial where Norman is concerned, but I thought she had the normal reaction of a parent, when it came to others talking about committing her son behind her back. There's the initial protectiveness that comes up, when it comes to someone we love. 

I find it interesting that everyone says that Norma is blinded by love because it isn't really love that blinds her -- not healthy love, anyway. It's her selfish, bordering-on-obsessive need for Norman. If she loved him the way a mother is supposed to love her child, she would have gotten him help when he killed his father. The excuse of wanting to protect was just that: an excuse. The truth is that she's completely dependent on him the same way she's made him completely dependent on her. She wanted him all to herself, never wanted him to grow up and have other relationships because she'd see it as an abandonment. Why else, may I ask, would she chose the night before his first date to tell him that her brother raped her. To ensure that he'd always be her protector? That's beyond messed up. Up until now, she's used him to fill the void in her life, a void that not even Alex has been able to successfully fill. There were dozens of other opportunities for her to get him help, and yet she dismissed all of them because that would mean she'd have to grow up and face her own demons.

As far as I can see, getting him into Pineview was just a half-assed, last ditch effort, and she even did that poorly, considering how fast she caved in to letting him come home. And the way she lashed out at Alex and Dylan for spelling out the truth of her proved that she really hasn't changed at all when it comes to Norman. She'll always need him more.

[Fable]

I always found Norma to be one of the most interesting, if not the most interesting, characters on the show, but I think I'm starting to hope the Norma is well and truly dead.  At least she had a peaceful ending which I think was richly deserved.  In spite of her shortcomings and delusions, she always tried to make the best of things and certainly was fiercely loyal to the people in her circle.  She also manged to find someone in Romero who loved and accepted her unconditionally, which I think is her only real success story.  Bringing her back would probably make things too murky and complicated.   Her relationships with Alex and Dylan would be too tarnished to recover from, and she would have to accept, to some degree, that Norman really was damaged beyond reasonable repair.   That, in and off itself, might have put her over the edge and caused her to contemplate suicide.   I think it was a fitting ending to the character, but Lord knows, I will miss her.  

[Dobian]

Norma NOOOOOOOO!!!

Vera Farmiga carries this show.  It will be sad if she is reduced to just playing Norman's imaginary mother, because that mother is not the same as the real Norma.  Plus she can't do anything except be in Norman's head.

[ganesh]

Quote

Loved Dylan finally calling out Norma for everything. 

 I can't say he was a jerk about it either. "I'm done." Alright. I really hope he gets away from all of it. 

23 hours ago, zibnchy said:

"Oh, hi Alex. Please tell me more about how you killed Bob Parrish. Please talk into my left boob. Thank you."

Yeah, he was onto that in about 1 second. Although, she could have been doing it on purpose. She doesn't really want to sell him out, but that was the only option.

11 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I think that Norma has to be aware that Norman is killing her when she inevitably goes.

First of all, being someone who watches tv, I didn't think the character who "died " right at the end of an episode, was actually dead, Games of Thrones aside, they didn't invent the technique. *IF* Norma is really dead, Norman wasn't "Mother". I assumed Norma would finally meet Mother and then meet her demise. I'm skeptical because it doesn't really fulfill the classical tragedy, "look what you have wrought" idea. And that's what the show is really about. 

I'm not calling BS or that they cheated or anything. Clearly, Norman didn't die, so it's not unreasonable that she's in a coma or something. 

I was more creeped out when they were in bed than anything. 

[Brooke0707]

No!!! It can't be can it??? Is the last season of the show?

Besides that, I always thought Norma and Alex would go together. The way it stands now - with Norman trying to kill Norma and there being a witness to that - how can the Psycho plot unfold?  How can Norman run the motel with no one knowing that he is a killer?

Also, don't get me wrong, Norma has seen the crazy side of Norman, but I don't believe she has seen mother.  And I just figured she would be aware of her death and it wouldn't happen in her sleep.  This just doesn't feel very satisfying.  I wanted her to see that she was wrong about Norman. 

I don't know.  I think she is in a coma.  If she is dead, there is no reason why Alex wouldn't expose Norman immediately.  If Norman is exposed, how can Psycho happen?  And if Norman kills Alex immediately (which it doesn't seem like he does based on the previews) and this show has another season...it just would be hard with 2 big characters gone.  And it would just basically devolve into the Psycho plot and wouldn't be Bates Motel anymore.  

The bed scene with Norma and Norman...they are both so messed up.  I had trouble watching that without covering my eyes.  So creepy and gross.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Brooke0707

[Guest]

I think Norma is dead and they'll write it off as suicide, due to the note and the furnace guy only telling her.   I don't think Alex and Dylan will really believe that but they won't have proof so they'll be stuck with it.  Dylan (hopefully) will move away in frustration.  And sadly, I'm afraid Alex might be in jail and powerless to keep an eye on Norman.  Or Norman will disappear him and no one will put it together.  They'll think he hightailed it out of town because the FBI was about to catch him or something.