Age of The Nerd
There were some slight criticisms that Bates Motel had stagnated in it’s second and third seasons of the telling of Norman Bates’ early years, but with season 4 concluding on Monday night with possibly the most disturbing cessation yet, things are about to be ramped up in it’s reportedly final turn next year!
2016’s string began with Norman Bates being bought to a mental hospital after being found wandering around and appearing to be talking to himself by a bystander. Norma and Dylan were searching for cinema’s most famous “mother’s boy” but the overbearing and domineering parent eventually got wind of where he was taken. After being threatened by authorities that her son could be taken away from her should she fail to get him the treatment he needs, the two were eventually reunited.
Meanwhile, Emma underwent her surgery for a lung transplant. These were tense times for her father and boyfriend Dylan but all ended well after she pulled through, but not before Emma’s mother Audrey was told to leave the hospital after putting in an appearance. She was only to live a little while longer before Norman, taking on his mother’s persona, strangled her after accusing her of being a poor mother!
Norman began to lose his sanity, inch by inch, by the second and was forced by Sheriff Romero into Pineview Institute after turning against his mother, thinking that she was plotting against him. Initially reluctant to make friends at the facility, a fellow patient by the name of Julian made friends with him. The two inmates found a way to escape, ending up at a strip club. Unfortunately for Norman’s new pal, he was beaten senseless by the club’s bouncers and Norman’s alter ego almost caused chaos herself when she came close to attacking one of the strippers.
The two were bought back to Pineview Institute where Norman continued his consultations with Dr. Edwards, who bared witness to “Mother.” Eventually, Norman managed to persuade Dr. Edwards that he would make a faster recovery being in the comfort of his own home. But Norman was about to make a shocking discovery when he found out that Norma and Romero were married! Norma explained that she only married him for the insurance to get him into Pineview. Armed with this new information, he told Romero to get a divorce from Norma because he was going to get his own insurance. Of course, he didn’t know the full story. Norma and Romero fell very much in love!
While Emma and Dylan were making plans to leave for Seattle, a tense showdown occurred between Romero and Norman which resulted in Norman threatening him with an axe. Thankfully for Romero, Norman took his anger out on the shed door next to him. Romero, himself, had his share of secrets after hiding the money in Norma’s basement that he got from Bob Paris who he offed in the finale of season 3. Romero’s ex girlfriend Rebecca, wearing a police wire, unsuccessfully attempted to get Romero to admit that he killed Paris but authorities were still hot on his tail.
Sensing danger that could threaten the world in which Norma and Norman privately created for them, Norman went downstairs in the middle of the night and turned on the furnace, closing every vent in the house. Not wanting to live anymore, he ached to be with his mum for all eternity, lying beside her awaiting what would surely be certain death for both of them! Romero pulled up late and knocked on the door, calling out for Norma with no response. Finding both Norman and Norma lying beside one another in her bed, Romero frantically tried to resuscitate Norma. Norman came to, finding the now dead body of Norma Bates lying beside him while a weeping Alex struggled to take in his current reality.
Still in denial, Norman was convinced that “mother” was playing with him in order to punish him for all his recent bad behaviour. Even seeing her lifeless body at the funeral parlour failed to make him come around! It was then that he noticed that she was wearing the wedding ring that Alex planted back on her finger that she removed shortly before her death after choosing her son over being with him. Norman lifted it back off and presented it to Romero at the funeral. His response? A swift punch to his jaw. Falling back on the church benches, Romero continued to pound him and had to be yanked away by the funeral directors.
Now at the end of his tether, Romero obtained a gun intending to kill Norman but was met by law enforcement agents who arrested him for perjury. Norman began to tire of waiting for Norma to return. He drove to the cemetery where her now buried corpse remained. After digging her body out, he bought her back to the Bates Motel’s house where he thinks he can now be united with her forever. Norman received a phone call on his cell phone from Dylan! His brother expressed to him that he still wanted to keep in contact. Norman shunned his request, telling him that he will miss him but that they should not talk anymore, and with that he hung up.
Chick Hogan unexpectedly knocked on the door. He gave Norman a casserole dish that he had made for him after hearing of the tragic news. He told Norman he would be back to check on him in a few days time. Hurrying back to Norma, Norman begged her to wake up. Now reaching despair, he ran upstairs and got the gun that Norma got for herself 3 seasons earlier.
Pointing the device at himself, he was about to press the trigger when he heard the sound of a piano playing! A vision of Juno, the dog he lost, greeted him at the bottom of the stairs. Taking a few more steps into the living room relief came over him after seeing Norma, her hair and clothes in immaculate condition, playing “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”
The camera panned from outside the house, drifting further and further away, the motel and house now clothed with Christmas lights.
Season 4 left no room for doubt that it was nearly as entertaining as the show’s original series. While, in fact, a lot happened in season 2 and 3 it didn’t really feel like it was progressing the narrative forward until season 3’s finale. But the opening of this year’s succession of episodes made it clear right away that it wasn’t going to beat around the bush, and that it didn’t!
With only one more lot to go, and with claims that it would now tell it’s own version of Psycho, a risky move or not, this year begged you not to miss out on how it all ends on A&E.
