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What to say? The next-to-last episode of Bates Motel, Season 3, was interesting with… moments of mild excitement. To be fair, action wasn’t the driving force behind “Crazy,” but rather a lot of tip-toeing around the issues (aka, Norma running around being crazy) and setting up for the finale.
So what happened? Well, Caleb beat the crap out of Chick for setting up him and Dylan (or was it for pulling a gun on him?) and then taking 50 grand for the job. Caleb then gave the money to Dylan so that he could give it to Emma’s dad so that she could be moved up on the list for a lung transplant.
Here’s the thing, I might be behind on my medical ethics, but isn’t it illegal to pay your way to the top of the list for an organ transplant? If it isn’t, it damn well should be. Also, didn’t Caleb return to White Pine Bay because he had received a substantial inheritance from his mother and wanted to give it to Dylan? If that’s the case, why did Dylan need to do the gun run?
After delivering the money, Dylan pays a visit to Emma, waking her from her midday slumber. She hacks up phlegm, he cleans her up, and they have an “almost” moment… because there’s nothing sexier.
Norma Loses It:
Once again, Vera Farmiga turns in a spectacular performance, and without her, and her ability to do a 180 on a dime, this episode could have very well been a total flop. At this point, Norma is desperate: desperate to believe her son is normal, desperate for the upper hand over Bob Paris, desperate to get back the flashdrive, desperate to hate Romero, desperate to maintain control. And it all culminates in a crazy breakdown atop the pile of dirt from the pit in the motel parking lot.
Just as Norma collapses from her emotional breakdown, her brother, Caleb, arrives on the scene to tell her that he’s leaving and to ask her to give his guitar to Dylan. Most importantly, however, he tells Norma the truth about Norman, about the time Norman came to his hotel room and was acting as if he were Norma. He tells her that Norman is going to end up hurting someone, but not before he prefaces that statement by telling her “I know you don’t like looking at the truth.” Ouch!
But that statement from Caleb is the crux of Norma, her denial, her deception, her need to control. Does it set the stage for the finale or Season 4? We’ll have to wait to see.
Everyone Is In Denial:
Norma isn’t the only one in denial either. Norman flat out tried to pin his father’s death on his mother, denying his actions, in the scene in the basement taxidermy workshop, when Norma was getting rid of the evidence of Norman’s macabre hobby. Granted, Norman is reeling from Bradley being reintroduced in his life.
But why is Norma suddenly concerned about Norman’s extracurricular activities? Well, now that Bob knows the truth about Norman, thereby harnessing all the power and control that Norma thought she had, she needs to protect herself and her son; she’s worried that he will initiate an investigation in order to retrieve the incriminating flashdrive. Unbeknownst to either of them that Romero has turned it over to the feds.
Romero is also in denial about his feelings for Norma. When he discovers her in his home searching for the flashdrive he says, “I hate you,” which furthers Norma’s earlier comment about him acting like a third grader. But it’s here that he tells her that he turned the flashdrive over to the feds and basically forces her to confess the truth about Norman. And, in an awkward moment of weakness for both of them, they nearly kiss before Norma retreats once again.
Why Bradley?:
Perhaps this episode’s reason for being was the sequence that began with Norman and Bradley getting steamy in the motel room. While engaged in some heavy kissing and undress, Norman begins to hallucinate his mother, sitting and making disapproving comments at the bedside. So, unable to continue, Norman bolts out of the room only to find his mother waiting for him outside the office. She tells him that they have enough troubles without taking on Bradley, and mother and son walk toward the house arm in arm… only, this is the Norma in Norman’s head… and Norman can’t tell the difference!
Oh, the anticipation!
Miscellaneous Questions:
-What will Chick’s role be?
-Why doesn’t Dylan want Emma to know that the money came from him?
-Why have the writers brought Badley back?
-Will imaginary Norma tell Norman to kill Bradley?
-Will Norman tell Bradley’s mother that she’s alive and has returned?
-What will Bob do with the information about Norman?
-Will we see James again?
Rock Hard \m/
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