REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 4 Episode Five 'Refraction'

 REVIEW: Bates Motel, Season 4 Episode Five 'Refraction'

We last left Bates Motel with the reveal that somebody had broken into the motel. The place was trashed, and Norma (Vera Farmiga) was lost for words. Sheriff Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell), however, seemed to have a very clear idea of the culprit. Norma just can't seem to avoid trouble. It follows her like a bad penny, and it's difficult to imagine her ever having a quiet life.

At the very start of the episode she's stalked by the creep Chick Hogan (Ryan Hurst), who's seeking revenge for what Caleb did to him. He later claims to be a glass repairman, sent to help with the repair of Norma's stained glass window, only to reveal his connections to Dylan (Max Thieriot) and his father. He's at his absolute creepiest in this episode, and Ryan Hurst plays him extremely well, giving him this almost predatory air. You can't blame Norma being scared of this guy, as he cuts for an intimidating figure, and certainly not interested in repairs to her motel. 

Norman (Freddie Highmore) attempts to call Norma from the care home this week, under the pretence that he's ringing Emma (Olivia Cooke) to ask how she is after her life-changing transplant, only unfortunately for Norman it goes straight to answer phone. It's a great way of showing Norman's art of deception, and just how impossible he is to control. It doesn't matter how hard you try to separate him from his mother, he will always find a way back to her. He's not like any of the other care home residents, who they can just effortlessly send back to their rooms, or assert more dominance over their phone calls. Norman's mind will never allow him to be contained so easily.

He possesses a significantly higher proportion of logic than his brother Dylan, who makes the rather idiotic decision to admit to his business selling marijuana to his potential employer Vic (Alessandro Juliani). That has got to rank as the worst possible thing to bring up at a job interview, and it's one aspect of the script that I have a hard time believing. I just can't believe Dylan would be that thick to think that's a good idea, or that Vic would even take him seriously after he said those things. It would surely be as good a reason as any to just decline him the job, and move on to more suitable candidates, who haven't been involved in drug dealing. It just seems too unrealistic to me, even in the murky world of Bates Motel.

Talking of murkiness, Alex decides to follow up on his suspect regarding the motel break in this week. He meets for lunch with Rebecca (Jaime Ray Newman), who denies any involvement. Personally I believe her. I think it was Chick Hogan who broke in, and I think he's going to do it again, to force Norma's hand in tracking down Caleb. I think Rebecca brings an interesting conflict for Alex though, being an old flame who knows about Alex's murder of Bob Paris. She could send his world crashing down just like that, and it's a good idea to put Alex in a position where he's not the one in control anymore. Somebody else is holding the cards here.

Back at the care home, Norman believes his mother has come to visit. Only believing and actuality are often two very different things with Norman Bates. This scene is so well written and choreographed, from the way Norman and Norma link hands like an old romantic couple, to the reactions of the other residents, shooting odd looks in Norman's direction; an immediate indicator that something's not quite right. In particular there's this very clever but subtle piece of dialogue where Norman acknowledges these strange looks, and says 'People are crazy around here'. It's an immediate hint that this is just one of his visions of Norma, which is confirmed when his therapist Doctor Gregg Edwards (Damon Gupton) later says they saw nobody with Norman on the CCTV. The irony is that he's just as crazy as the others, if not more.

This is something further demonstrated when Norma's 'Mother' persona emerges in his latest therapy session with Gregg. Freddie Highmore's phenomenal performance in this show cannot be understated. He delivers one of his best pieces of acting here. The way he changes from the angry and frustrated Norman, to the more feminine side of 'Mother' is an absolute masterstroke, really conveying the differences between the two aspects of Norman's personality. On one side you have Norman's more nervous energy, on the other the snake-like charm of 'Mother'. They're like two entirely opposing identities, and Freddie Highmore sells it so well. 

Overall, 'Refraction' is another amazing episode of Bates Motel. Whilst Dylan's decisions during the job interview are questionable, there's some suitably chilling material here with Chick Hogan's behaviour towards Norma, and yet another outstanding performance by Freddie Highmore as Norman Bates. Anthony Perkins would be very proud of his successor as the Bates Motel's resident killer. 

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