REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 4 Episode One 'A Danger To Himself And Others'

 REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 4 Episode One 'A Danger To Himself And Others'

There's probably never been a more apt title for an episode of Bates Motel than this one, for Season Four's opener. In fact, describing Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) as 'a danger to himself and others' is probably the greatest understatement in the very history of understatements. The guy is a psychotic killer, and being in his company is effectively signing your own death certificate.

When the episode opens, Norman has gone missing since his murder of Bradley Martin at the end of the previous season. He's later found by a farmer having a conversation with 'Mother' - but of course, in reality he's conversing with thin air. There's something deeply unsettling about seeing this lone man believing he is talking to this invisible presence; it's so wrong and unnatural that it immediately sets us at unease. We know this guy is crazy, but it doesn't make it seem any more normal when we see his level of insanity at full power.

Unsurprisingly, after being witnessed acting in this manner, Norman ends up at the psychotic ward of the hospital, where he's kept for 48 hour observation. This is something that has a distinct One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest vibe, as we see Norman in constraints and inspected by doctors shining lights. He's less of a human being here and more of a creature who needs to be investigated. Like the time he was trapped in a box, Norman truly loses his agency; he's no longer in control. 

A more positive hospital experience is Emma's (Olivia Cooke). She's there for her lung transplant, which she shows positive signs of making a recovery from. It's nice to have a rousing moment like this from an otherwise dark show, as usually this is a programme that deals with themes of death more than life continuing on. Emma's also one of the most endearing characters on this show, and therefore it would be nice for her to get a happy ending whenever she leaves the show. 

There's a lot of Emma focus this episode, as we meet her mother for the first time, Audrey (Karina Logue). Her introduction brings a really strong theme of family, as she clashes with Emma's Dad Will (Andrew Howard) and upsets Norma (Vera Farmiga) by preying on Emma's own feelings of belonging within the Bates family in order to try and persuade Norma to pass on her letter and stuffed toy to Emma. I just really admire the parallels made within the screenplay here between both Norma and Audrey, and how they are both parents who let their respective kids down. Audrey asks Norma 'Do you know what it's like to know that your child has a problem?', and from that moment Norma goes quiet because she knows that she's messed up herself by not giving the help and support that her own son needed. She knew that Norman had a problem with his black outs, and yet she did nothing about it.

This is something brought up excellently as a common theme throughout the screenplay, as she is brought up on her negligence by Doctor Louise Palma (Elizabeth Greer), even going as far as to say social services are going to be brought in to investigate how much Norma has ignored the problem. This is really powerful stuff, as it means that Norma essentially created this monster that Norman has become. In effect she's just as responsible for Norman's current and future deaths as Norman himself.

It doesn't help that Norma herself has very questionable methods of getting what she wants. In this episode, for instance, she even suggests to Sheriff Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell) that they go through a sham marriage so that she can use his insurance to get her son into the care home. That's pretty messed up, even for a Bates family member. It's essentially treating marriage as this Get Out Of Jail Free Card for the obstacles in Norma's way, and yet another example of the way she tries to use people in order to get what she wants.

Overall, 'A Danger To Himself And Others' is possibly the strongest opener to a Bates Motel season yet. It has everything you could possibly want in a Bates Motel episode and more, offering some great character development alongside some fittingly dark sequences. It's an effective exploration of both Norma and Norman Bates, and it becomes increasingly clearer that Norma really hasn't done enough for her son.

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