It's been around a year since I last wrote a review on this site but I felt compelled to write one for this. The reunion with Norman and Dylan was very emotional and I was scared the whole episode that Dylan was going to bite the biscuit, and I'm glad he didn't. That scene with Norman burying Norma was very eerie, and very well directed. Everything seems to finally becoming full circle in this show and I am thoroughly excited to see how this thing concludes in the next three episodes. I also can't wait to see what Romero does by the end of the series. This season has been amazing, and Freddie Highmore is a really good writer and this episode is a testament to his writing skills. Good job.
4 Reviews
Freddie Highmore is an extraordinary talent
pjdickinson4 April 2017
We've reached the point where everything is on a level of crazy that defies belief but due to the acting and writing ability of Mr Highmore is fantastically compelling. This has become a one man show.
What a man and what a show.
Wherever the ride is going it is worth it.
What a man and what a show.
Wherever the ride is going it is worth it.
The reunion we've all been waiting for doesn't disappoint
AdamDroge4 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Here's an episode that I'm sure we've all been anticipating for a long time. The reunion of Norman and Dylan.
For the most part, this episode was very quiet and subdued following the big, emotional events of the previous two episodes. On one hand it's great that they gave us audience members a bit of a breather instead of continually shoving in our faces all this high intensity. On the other hand, though, we only have four episodes left of this series, this episode included. Do we really have time to take things easy?
But alas, this was necessary. If we're following the trend that this season is no longer a "Psycho" prequel, but a recreation of "Psycho," then we have to realize that this episode is equivalent to the moment right after the famous shower scene in "Psycho" where Norman calmly disposes of Marion Crane while everyone is realizing that things aren't right after they realize that Marion has gone missing. If you are going to have a successful thriller, you need these moments. The smooth parts of the roller coaster between the two crazy moments.
The first half of this episode I really enjoyed because Norman's reaction to the major murder is much different in "Bates Motel" than it is in "Psycho." Not only did we switch things up and kill Sam Loomis instead of Marion Crane, but up to this point all the murders that Norman has committed have occurred when he was blacked out. This is the first murder where he consciously killed someone and this has destroyed him because in general he is a good person, but now he has to deal with the murder on his conscience.
Thus the bantering back and forth between himself and his alter-ego of his dead mother was really intriguing because you could tell how torn Norman is in not really knowing what to do or how to handle things. Does he turn himself in? Does he continue this lie? Does he give in to his new cold-blooded side? Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga have been top notch this season and they are at the top of their game here in the after effects of the shower scene.
Enter Dylan. A character who I've been highly anticipating the fate of and I honestly don't know what it's going to be. But Max Thieriot has been one of my favorite actors throughout this whole series. He sometimes hasn't been given much to do, but now is his time to shine and he knocks it out of the park in this episode. While we have a lot of crazy characters on this show, Dylan has always represented the normal person. The one that is mentally stable and represents all of us viewers watching this show.
With all that this show has set up these past two seasons, I've felt that this was always going to come down to Norman vs. Dylan and Dylan's first meeting with Norman following the death of their mother is perfect. He doesn't know everything that's happened, but he knows Norman is mentally unstable and that the wrong thing to do would be to overreact. So he's calm, patient and loving as he's taking everything in while trying to figure out how to best help his brother.
Meanwhile, Norman isn't prepared to face Dylan and immediately his mother alter-ego tells him that he needs to find a way to calmly get rid of Dylan, which is not going to work because Dylan has started to figure things out and he's not going away until things are solved, which means we're in for a fantastic finale to this show.
But before we get to the finale of the show, we have the finale of this episode, which was a bit insane. Dylan is trying to tell Norman to take the pills after seeing him break down while talking about Sam Loomis. Which by the way, I'm glad Dylan was able to save Madeleine from Norman. For now. I like her. Then Norman cracks. Mother takes over and attacks Dylan, which for the moment I thought was going to be the end of Dylan, but then Norman is strong enough to take control and wrestle Mother down and save Dylan. Then calls the police and confesses to the murder of Sam Loomis?
Dylan's reaction to this whole fiasco is priceless. He's just sitting there in pure shock not really knowing what to think as he sees Norman start to act like Norma then wrestle himself and wither around on the table before calling the police on himself.
So yeah, this was a more toned down episode for the most of it, but I loved it. The dynamic between Norman and Mother as Norman is trying to figure out how to deal with him killing Sam Loomis is excellent which is followed by the excellent dynamic between Norman and Dylan. Then we have fireworks at the end with Dylan almost getting killed right before the episode cuts off. Wow! And how's this all going to end? Is Romero going to get his revenge? Is Dylan going to get Norman the appropriate help? Is Madeleine going to make it out alive? Is anyone going to make it out alive? Is Norman going to be caught by the police and sent to a mental institution like is the case with the end of "Psycho"?
Only three episodes left to learn all of these answers!
For the most part, this episode was very quiet and subdued following the big, emotional events of the previous two episodes. On one hand it's great that they gave us audience members a bit of a breather instead of continually shoving in our faces all this high intensity. On the other hand, though, we only have four episodes left of this series, this episode included. Do we really have time to take things easy?
But alas, this was necessary. If we're following the trend that this season is no longer a "Psycho" prequel, but a recreation of "Psycho," then we have to realize that this episode is equivalent to the moment right after the famous shower scene in "Psycho" where Norman calmly disposes of Marion Crane while everyone is realizing that things aren't right after they realize that Marion has gone missing. If you are going to have a successful thriller, you need these moments. The smooth parts of the roller coaster between the two crazy moments.
The first half of this episode I really enjoyed because Norman's reaction to the major murder is much different in "Bates Motel" than it is in "Psycho." Not only did we switch things up and kill Sam Loomis instead of Marion Crane, but up to this point all the murders that Norman has committed have occurred when he was blacked out. This is the first murder where he consciously killed someone and this has destroyed him because in general he is a good person, but now he has to deal with the murder on his conscience.
Thus the bantering back and forth between himself and his alter-ego of his dead mother was really intriguing because you could tell how torn Norman is in not really knowing what to do or how to handle things. Does he turn himself in? Does he continue this lie? Does he give in to his new cold-blooded side? Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga have been top notch this season and they are at the top of their game here in the after effects of the shower scene.
Enter Dylan. A character who I've been highly anticipating the fate of and I honestly don't know what it's going to be. But Max Thieriot has been one of my favorite actors throughout this whole series. He sometimes hasn't been given much to do, but now is his time to shine and he knocks it out of the park in this episode. While we have a lot of crazy characters on this show, Dylan has always represented the normal person. The one that is mentally stable and represents all of us viewers watching this show.
With all that this show has set up these past two seasons, I've felt that this was always going to come down to Norman vs. Dylan and Dylan's first meeting with Norman following the death of their mother is perfect. He doesn't know everything that's happened, but he knows Norman is mentally unstable and that the wrong thing to do would be to overreact. So he's calm, patient and loving as he's taking everything in while trying to figure out how to best help his brother.
Meanwhile, Norman isn't prepared to face Dylan and immediately his mother alter-ego tells him that he needs to find a way to calmly get rid of Dylan, which is not going to work because Dylan has started to figure things out and he's not going away until things are solved, which means we're in for a fantastic finale to this show.
But before we get to the finale of the show, we have the finale of this episode, which was a bit insane. Dylan is trying to tell Norman to take the pills after seeing him break down while talking about Sam Loomis. Which by the way, I'm glad Dylan was able to save Madeleine from Norman. For now. I like her. Then Norman cracks. Mother takes over and attacks Dylan, which for the moment I thought was going to be the end of Dylan, but then Norman is strong enough to take control and wrestle Mother down and save Dylan. Then calls the police and confesses to the murder of Sam Loomis?
Dylan's reaction to this whole fiasco is priceless. He's just sitting there in pure shock not really knowing what to think as he sees Norman start to act like Norma then wrestle himself and wither around on the table before calling the police on himself.
So yeah, this was a more toned down episode for the most of it, but I loved it. The dynamic between Norman and Mother as Norman is trying to figure out how to deal with him killing Sam Loomis is excellent which is followed by the excellent dynamic between Norman and Dylan. Then we have fireworks at the end with Dylan almost getting killed right before the episode cuts off. Wow! And how's this all going to end? Is Romero going to get his revenge? Is Dylan going to get Norman the appropriate help? Is Madeleine going to make it out alive? Is anyone going to make it out alive? Is Norman going to be caught by the police and sent to a mental institution like is the case with the end of "Psycho"?
Only three episodes left to learn all of these answers!
You have my attention
dougmacdonaldburr3 April 2017
Bates motel has become my favourite show on television. If it can hit a home run at the end it will go down as one of the greats. I still have hope that this can happen, but, it is a bit too early to tell. This episode seems to be mainly about setting up the pieces for the finale. In this last season I am a bit torn. I love that the show can still surprise me, but, I love Psycho so much I don't want the show to break away from it too much. The end of this episode really shocked me and I am all in to see how the show concludes.
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