REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 1 Episode Nine 'Underwater'

 REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 1 Episode Nine 'Underwater'

Nine episodes in to Bates Motel, and so far the neighbourhood where the motel is based seems more murky than Gotham City. This, clearly, is a place where all manner of criminals gather, be it rapists or drug addicts, and it is clearly very much not an ideal location for a motel.

This motel really is experiencing so much bad luck. Take where this episode picks up from, for instance, moments after Norma (Verma Farmiga) discovered Shelby's dead body inside one of the rooms. It was quite a shocking way to leave the previous episode, and the way Norma gets out of being potentially exposed for the murder of her ex-boyfriend is very crafty. In a rather devious move, she pins all the blame for Shelby's murder on local creep Jake Abernathy (Jere Burns), and this is a really neat way of showing the kind of character Norma is. This is a woman who very much likes to be in control, who enjoys pulling the strings, and will stop at nothing to make everybody believe her narrative.

Except Jake threatens that control. Jake, essentially, is Norma's match. He's just as conniving as her, but with much creepier undertones. The way he sends her flowers, watches her in his car and later holds her at gunpoint whilst he tries to blackmail her for money is quite chilling to watch. The show really sells just how much of a sinister force this guy is, and you can't really blame Norma for wanting to move to another town.

The problem with the plot regarding Norma's decision to up sticks and move is that we know it won't actually go anywhere. This is one of the drawbacks with prequels. As we have already seen what happens beyond this point for the lead characters, we already have an inkling as to what will happen and what ideas will be abandoned, and so the drama surrounding Norman (Freddie Highmore) not wanting to move kind of falls flat, seeing we know he will get his wish to stay put anyway.

What leaves a greater impact is Norman's nightmare. Here, Norman sees himself drowning his former girlfriend Bradley (Nicola Peltz), and this is quite a disturbing sequence. The way it is shot from Norman's perspective, with a shaky camera aesthetic, is quite startling to watch, and allows us to get inside Norman's mind. It is a scene worthy of the original film.

Speaking of Bradley, it was interesting to see her team up with Dylan (Max Thieriot) in this episode, as it doesn't feel like we see these characters together as much as we see Bradley with Norman. They have a nice dynamic, and some great chemistry, so it would be nice to see them share the screen more.

I also like how Dylan directly comments on Norman's stuffed dog being a little unnerving. Dylan really is a voice-piece for what we as the audience are all thinking. There's just something not quite right about seeing this pet as a stuffed ornament, being casually carried about by Norman Bates.

Overall, this was yet another strong instalment of Bates Motel. Whilst the drama regarding Norma's decision to sell the motel and move doesn't quite work, there's some excellently creepy scenes here regarding Jake, and Norman's nightmares, and so far this show is doing an excellent job at diving deep into the psychology of these characters present in the series.

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What are your thoughts on Bates Motel's ninth episode? Let me know in the comments section.