REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 3 Episode Six 'Norma-Louise'

 REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 3 Episode Six 'Norma-Louise'

It's rare that an episode starts with a shocking twist. Usually these kind of surprise happenings are kept towards the end rather than the beginning of an episode, largely due to the common rule that you shouldn't play all your cards too early. And yet Bates Motel, with its sixth episode of season three, throws that rule out of the window.

Within the first few minutes, sheriff Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell) is shot by a mystery gunman. It comes completely out of nowhere, and it immediately draws you into the episode. It's such a gripping cold open, and the way that the story with Alex's shooting develops is equally as impressive. There's a shady side to Marcus Young (Tomiwa Edun), as he approaches Alex's bedside and confesses that he made a deal with Bob Paris (Kevin Rahm) to become the new mayor. Only there's a greater shock yet, as Alex turns to the dark side and shoots Marcus dead. The show really couldn't have taken a better direction; it's a masterclass of how to keep your audience gripped.

Back at the Motel, Norman (Freddie Highmore) really has not taken too kindly to his mother Norma (Vera Farmiga) leaving himself and Dylan (Max Thieriot). This is where we get to see Norman's volatile side, as he falls into a fit of rage and smashes things across the kitchen. It's no secret that Norman is unstable, but what this scene neatly demonstrates is how much his mother reigns him in. When she's not there, Norman's instability is fully unleashed.

It's fair to say that Norman's girlfriend Emma (Olivia Cooke) has taken an invested interest in his family, and this episode is proof of that sentiment. Here she decides to stay overnight at the motel to look after her boyfriend, showcasing one of my favourite aspects of this character. I love her sheer sense of loyalty towards Norman Bates and the Bates family as a whole. She's someone who will truly do anything for these people who she has grown to accept as her own, and her enthusiasm is quite endearing.

God knows Norman does need the help. In a particularly striking sequence, he has a nightmare where he's searching for his mother, and the motel starts to crumble around him. His insecurity without his mother in essence becomes his greatest fear; it's like a weird sense of separation anxiety. Norman's attachment to his Mum clearly goes beyond that of any normal mother and son relationship, and this show does a really good job of demonstrating that.

Nowhere is this more clear than in the scene where Norman dresses as his Mum. We knew this was coming at some point in the series, but I had no idea it would be this soon. There's something undeniably creepy about the way that he not only dresses like her but fully embraces his mother's identity, even to the extent of referring to himself in the third person ('Norman's still sleeping'). It's like Norman's not there anymore, and his 'Mother' persona has taken over entirely.

Norma herself seems to be suffering something of an identity crisis. We last left her setting off in her car with a gun and some luggage, and here we see she has decided to go on the run from Caleb (Kenny Johnson), changing her car and clothes, and referring to herself as 'Norma-Louise'. But even in doing so, it becomes clear that she can't escape this murkiness that always seems to be following her, as she is targeted by a sex pest called Taylor (Wilson Bethel). There's something of a tragedy about Norma Bates. She's become somewhat of a magnet for these sleazy men, and it seems she just can't find an inner peace, no matter how hard she tries.

She even finds herself confronting her brother who raped her at the end of the episode. A truly terrible situation for anyone to be thrown into for sure. Poor Norma just can't seem to catch a break, but it provides for some truly great drama. The most interesting part of any television series is the conflict between characters, and this terrible history between them allows for that on a grand scale.

Overall, 'Norma Louise' is one of Bates Motel's greatest episodes so far. Opening with a shocking twist and ending with a truly powerful piece of drama, Norma Louise has everything you want from a piece of television and more. It's an excellent way to spend forty minutes of your time, and shows that well-developed characters are what lead to the greatest pieces of drama at the end of the day.

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