REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 3 Episode Nine 'Crazy'

 REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 3 Episode Nine 'Crazy'

There's something exciting about seeing past characters return in television shows. The chance to see these familiar faces again, who we thought had long since left our screens, offers a particular thrill that can only be created by shows which have aired a significant number of episodes. 

This episode of Bates Motel, entitled 'Crazy', is noe exception. Here we see the return of Norman's (Freddie Highmore) old flame Bradley (Nicola Peltz), as teased at the end of the previous instalment. She's run out of money and she's bored of playing dead, so she's back, seeking help from Norman. There's some really powerful stuff here, as Bradley grapples with how her home has completely changed, her room no longer her own. It really plays with the concept of somebody returning after having faked their own death, and shows the emotional ramifications of returning to your neighbourhood after making such a drastic decision. 

Bradley's not the only character with a problem on her hands. Caleb (Kenny Johnson) and Dylan (Max Thieriot) find themselves in a tight corner, after Chick Hogan (Ryan Hurst) refuses to pay them for the gunrunning job. God, is he a nasty piece of work. He taunts poor Caleb over money that Dylan was going to use to accelerate girlfriend Emma's (Olivia Cooke) treatment for her lung problems, and you really can't blame him when he lashes out. It makes for some brilliantly dramatic moments, as Chick gets what he deserves, and there's some truly gripping conflict here.

Then there's Norma (Vera Farmiga), who finds herself threatened by Bob Paris (Kevin Rahm) God, is he a nasty piece of work, first goading her over Sheriff Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell) learning about what she had been hiding concerning Norman Bates, and then full on threatening her. This scene between Norma and Bob is captivatingly intense; Kevin Rahm's performance is electric in just how menacing he appears in the role. You can see exactly why they cast this actor, as he has a certain presence that works perfectly for the role.

It's a shame to see things so frosty between Alex and Norma. It's a pairing that works so well, and I'd like to see things resolved between them. It just doesn't seem right seeing them at each other's throats, but it's a fantastic piece of writing nonetheless, and Vera Farmiga in particular acts her socks off. She gives one hell of a performance as she shouts and rages at him, and proves herself once again to be one of the most powerful actors in the show.

A slightly happier dynamic is that between Dylan, Emma and her Dad Will (Andrew Howard). Dylan manages to get the money she needs to be pushed up the transplant list, and the scene where he informs Will of this accomplishment is the highlight of the episode for sure. Will's sheer relief at his daughter being given another chance is beautiful to watch; it's one of those rare positive moments in Bates Motel, a show that is otherwise very, very dark.

Of course, it does get dark again later into the episode, when Norma starts clearing away Norman's taxidermy items. Norman, unsurprisingly, does not react well to this and grabs the knives he uses for his taxidermy work. It's quite chilling seeing him poising with the knives, almost as though he's thinking about lashing out at his mother, especially as we know he will go on to kill Norma at some point in the series. Norma is very clearly underestimating Norman and assuming she is in control, and eventually she's going to pay the price. 

Overall, 'Crazy' is another thrilling episode of Bates Motel. It features some truly incredible performances from the core cast, alongside some very tense moments worthy of a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. This show is a fine example of when a prequel to a popular movie can work, and I can't wait to see how the third season ends when I watch Season Three's tenth episode later in the week.

For those of you who follow the Whovian TV listings, due to E4 removing LEGO Masters from their schedules and re-listing it for Sunday morning at 8:30pm, I instead watched the latest episode of Big Sky after last night's edition of Coronation Street on ITV+1. This means that I will now have time to watch School Of Rock, which many of you over on my Twitter voted that I should check out. As a result The Aristocats will be dropped from the Whovian TV schedules for now, and I will be watching School Of Rock instead at around 10pm. 

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