“Bates Motel” had a bit of a rough go in its first two seasons. I like the show a lot, but it’s never hooked me the way I feel a show should. Every scene involving Vera Farmiga is wonderful. Freddie Highmore has done a fantastic job as well keeping up with her, and their scenes together are “Bates Motel” at its absolute best. The show is certainly flawed and has the occasion terrible storyline (the marijuana subplot that plagued the majority of last season comes immediately to mind), but there’s just enough good in the show to keep me interested.
The third season of “Bates Motel” premiered last night, and it was mostly a mixed bag for me. Pretty much everything I mentioned in the previous paragraph holds true for this premiere episode. All of the Norma/Norman (and Norma/Dylan) scenes were spot-on, but all other scenes were lacking in urgency. Let’s recap:
We open to Norman sleeping in bed with his mother (of course) only to have Dylan come in and tell Norma that it’s weird that her 18-year-old son is sleeping in the same bed as her (who’da thought?). Norma gets a call from a lawyer informing her that her mother has died. Since this is the first time (I believe) that we have heard mention of Norma’s mother, it doesn’t really hold a lot of weight for the audience, and it apparently doesn’t with Norma either, as she states she isn’t interested in hearing about the will. Her disinterest is made even more apparent when she breaks the news to Norman (“Oh by the way my mother died.”). Norman goes to school and has ghostly visions of Ms. Watson (whom he murdered in the first season finale) and runs back home to mother, only to run into new motel guest Annika Johnson, a very attractive hooker (I’m not kidding) who is just passing through town. Norman immediately takes a liking to her.
Meanwhile, Dylan has a meeting with Sheriff Romero, letting him know that he will not be selling marijuana illegally anymore. He is going to help people with glaucoma and cancer and sell them the weed (yawn). Romero tells him he is on his own and will not be able to offer him protection anymore. While at his cabin, his dad/uncle drops by to try to bond but Dylan, understandably, isn’t having it. Later, his father/uncle reveals that he knows Dylan is his son, and tries to explain how his bad childhood led to incest. So that’s why he raped Norma.
In the final third of the episode, Norma tells Norman that she will start home-schooling him and that she is going to promote him to manager of the motel (really?). He is thrilled and upon telling Emma, she informs him that her cystic fibrosis has gotten worse. Her lung capacity is decreasing. Naturally, he proposes that they begin dating. Then he spies on Annika showering in her room where Norma catches him. Norma finally breaks down about her mother to Dylan and Norman later finds her crying in her bad and they (literally) sleep together one last time. Finally, Norman drives Annika to a restaurant where (I’m assuming) she is meeting one of her johns. In the final shot of the episode, we see Norman pull up to the motel in her car (he was supposed to walk back), with Annika mysteriously absent.
This episode was essentially just setting up the rest of the season, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, not all of it was particularly compelling. The acting was great across the board, it’s just the script I have an issue with. As I mentioned before, every scene with Farmiga and Highmore is amazing. Those two play off of each other really well and that’s what makes this episode for me. I’m a little puzzled as to why the season mystery seems to be “Did Norman kill Annika?” I don’t know this character and don’t really care (and Norman probably killed her). Plus, “Did Norman Kill Ms. Watson?” was the whole mystery of the second season. My hope is that I’m just underestimating the writers and this will not actually be the season mystery and get resolved in one or two episodes. One can dream.
After the appearance of “Mother” in Norman’s head in the season 2 finale, I was a little disappointed that she didn’t make an appearance in this episode. I realize that she can’t just keep popping up, but it’s a 10-episode season and there isn’t really an excuse for a slow pace (something the series has been guilty of in the past). The entire story with Norma’s mother threw me at first, but it ended up giving us a great moment with her and Dylan (more on his arc below).
Overall I’d say this was a perfectly average episode of “Bates Motel.” It had some great moments and it had moments that dragged. There was a lot of setup, as is expected in season premieres, but it moved a little too slowly for my taste.
Random Notes
- I’m taking a page out of The AV Club’s book (I read their reviews religiously but will not be reading their reviews for “Bates Motel until after these go up so as to avoid any subconscious plagiarism/opinion influence) and adding this section to the end of all my reviews. So in the main body I will recap and review (and try to limit my snarkiness), and in this section I’ll have my more informal thoughts/critiques of the episode.
- Also, I apologize for the length of this review. I’ll try to start doing a better job of condensing future reviews.
- Exactly how much time has passed since the start of the series? I feel like it’s been a long time but maybe I’m wrong?
- Seriously, what is it with older women on this show being so flirty with Norman? I admit that Freddie Highmore is cute, but jeez.
- For the love of God, get Max Thieriot away from the marijuana storyline. Actually, jettison that plot altogether and make him be around his family more (but not his dad/uncle).
- Speaking of Max Thieriot, does anyone else get distracted by his teeth? I feel like it always looks like he’s wearing a mouth guard (he’s still hot though).
- It’s nice to see Keegan Connor Tracy (Final Destination 2, Once Upon a Time) again, albeit as a ghost/corpse. She’s one of those actresses that just pops up out of nowhere sometimes and she always makes me smile.
- Vera Farmiga pleading with Norman to (literally) sleep with her one last time (“Just for a night…because I’m so sad”) made me laugh hysterically. In case you couldn’t tell, I love that woman.
- Olivia Cooke needs to be given more to do. She was great in the first season but completely underused last season. Remedy that now, please.
- Happy to be doing these reviews for you guys for the next 10 weeks! I’ll also be reviewing A&E’s “The Returned,” which airs after “Bates Motel.” Look for my review of that later tonight!
