Alice Rush reviews the second episode of Bates Motel season 2…
After last week saw Bradley take the law into her own hands and murder Gil, whom she believed killed her father, this week’s episode of Bates Motel begins to deal with the fall out of her actions. Gil’s place within the drugs business that fuels the town means that things are about to get serious now he’s been murdered and we get our first proper taste of just how deep this business goes.
While Bradley is hiding in the Bates’ basement and Norman is off buying her hair dye and booking her bus tickets to Boston, Dylan and Remo are introduced to the guy who is taking over from Gil, a less than professional dealer called Zayn. He suspects the murder to be the work of another drug clan, an inkling echoed by Sheriff Romero who meets with the suspicious man at Miss Watson’s grave. This man transpires to be her father and a member of a rival family who threatens that the tranquillity of the town is soon to be destroyed with these murders. I find it an interesting narrative ploy that the hot headed actions of teenagers Bradley and (we can only assume for now) Norman have had such a huge impact on the status of the town, which leads into the idea that though this drug storyline is interesting and gives depth to the series, it is almost secondary in importance to what happens to the immediate main characters.
Speaking of, this week sees Norma desperately trying to inject some stability into her life by convincing Norman to audition for a musical with her. An odd plot choice but one that ultimately pays off in an intense and fantastic argument scene between the two outside of the theatre, as Norma breaks down and confesses that she is scared of what Norman may be capable of. The beauty of this series is that it’s given the Mother from ‘Psycho’ a real voice. Not merely a ghostly presence in the room, Norma is instead given passion and motive and we see her struggle so intensely just to find some happiness. Partly due to the writing and partly due to a stunning performance by Vera Farmiga, Norma begins to emerge as much more than just a controlling mother; she is terrified of anyone else getting hurt by Norman and is willing to put herself into danger to protect him from himself. Topping this whole sequence off is a gorgeous vocal performance from Norma/Farmiga as she emotionally sings her way through ‘Maybe This Time’ and it’s here that we get an insight into what a tortured character Norma Bates truly is.
She seems to catch a break however as Emma informs them of how Romero has charged a drug dealer with Miss Watson’s murder, much to Norma’s delight. Though the pressure is off Norman for the time being it is clear that Romero is merely doing this to try and keep the peace, so we can assume that he is not out of the woods yet. From one tortured character to another Bradley’s storyline seems to be wrapped up neatly this week as Dylan takes her to the bus station as Norman is preoccupied with Norma. It’s unsure whether we will see her return but for the time being she manages to escape and leaves Norman a heartfelt note calling him the “best person” she has ever known. If only she knew.
The episode ends on the dramatic introduction of Norma’s brother into the mixing pot. Though it seemed inevitable he would end up being introduced due to Norma’s confession of his incestuous abuse in season one, now he is a reality on screen there seems to be a rather uneasy feeling as to just how the writers are going to deal with this sensitive subject. Though then again the brilliant drama in ‘Bates Motel’ has always come from the strange relationship dynamics between the family and this new addition is certain to bring an explosive display of drama and emotion, not the least from poor Norma. If he proves to be yet another negative male influence in her life, I predict that this won’t be the last we see of Norman’s violent blackouts.
Alice Rush
Originally published March 11, 2014. Updated April 11, 2018.
