REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 2 Episode Five 'The Escape Artist'

 REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 2 Episode Five 'The Escape Artist'

In any dark and murky world, actions always have consequences. It doesn't matter what the characters do or try to hide from, eventually you can guarantee it will catch up on them, and that there will be ripples in the lives of those around them. 

This is especially true of 'The Escape Artist', which deals with the aftermath of the torching of Sheriff Alex Romero's (Nestor Carbonell) house. In the previous episode Zane (Michael Eklund) committed the horrendous arson attack, and his actions really come back to haunt him here. Alex is understandably not happy, and he engages in a brutal round of fisticuffs with Zane. This police sheriff is one you don't want to mess with, and the episode does a good job at communicating the threat Alex poses for Zane and his criminal gang.

Ripples are also felt within the life of Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga), who finds herself harbouring Alex after he comes to stay at her motel. There's a hint at a potential romance here, which could be interesting, as she does his laundry for him and cleans him up after his fight with Zane. Norma would certainly be a powerful ally for Alex, and I dread to think what would happen if Norma and Zane crossed paths.

We also get to see Norma meet Norman's (Freddie Highmore) new girlfriend Cody (Paloma Kwiatkowski), and this creates a nice bit of character conflict as Norma deeply disapproves of her attitude problem. The clash feels totally natural rather than forced, as Cody being someone who disrespects authority directly collides with Norma's controlling attitudes towards her son. These two are quite clearly characters who would never get along, and it will be intriguing to see whether Norman obeys his mother's wishes for him not to see her any more, or if he will go directly against her request.

Cody is a fascinating character. We discover in this episode that she has this abusive father, which goes some way to explaining her dismissive behaviour towards Norma, and this rather youthful way of escaping her dire situation, which brings home the fact that she is still very much a kid. Her escapist trip to the treehouse with Norman has this quite whimsical feel, and I like the idea that Cody uses a rope as an entrance as it makes it hard for unwanted guests to get in. She's a tragic figure for sure, and one of the best characters in this series by far. 

Norma's dealings with drug lord Nick Ford (Michael O'Neill) certainly take a shady turn. In this episode he makes for something of a sinister figure - played magnificently by Michael O'Neill - and it's no surprise when Lee Berman ends up dead in an all too convenient car crash. As soon as he conversed with Norma on his luxurious yacht I had my doubts, particularly when he sends Norma to see environmental scientist Brian Fuller (Geoff Gustafson), who gives her a report about an endangered species which he claims will stop the bypass development in its tracks. It all seems a little too good to be true, and so it comes as no surprise when Alex reveals to Norma about Nick's criminal acts. It's clear that Nick is a man who cannot be trusted, and I won't be surprised if he tries to pin Lee's car crash on Norma by claiming she had some involvement. Judging by Alex Romero's reaction upon hearing Norma saying his name, Lee is definitely one guy you don't want to mess around with. 

One turn I did not expect to see happen in this episode was Dylan’s (Max Thieriot) car accident. During a madcap shootout, Dylan ends up being run over in the middle of the road by the cat driven by the person who was firing bullets at himself and the man who he believes to be his boss. Dylan winds up in hospital, where he is approached by the real man behind the operation. Or should I say, ‘woman’? For his actual boss is Zane’s sister Jodi Morgan (Kathleen Robertson), and this is a satisfyingly shocking twist. It’s a reveal that nobody could have predicted, and it’s joyous to see the show wrong-foot the audience in such a clever way,

Overall, The Escape Artist is an excellent instalment of Bates Motel, containing surprising twists and unexpected moments galore. It fast becomes clear here that nobody in this show is safe, be it Dylan or even Norma Bates herself, and it will be truly fascinating to see where the show goes from here.

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What are your thoughts on the fifth episode of Bates Motel's second season? Let me know in the comments section.