As many of you already know Norman’s behavior has been extra strange lately, constantly envisioning his dead mother, Norma, and even dressing up as her before performing cruel acts. The latest victim to experience this was Dylan’s father, Caleb, after he learned the truth about Norma’s death.

In the next episode, fans can expect to see the following unfold.

Norman helps Chick with a project; Romero makes his move; an apologetic Madeleine reaches out to Norman.

Bates Motel Season 5 Episode 3 airs tonight on A&E. In the meantime, check out the gallery above for an early peek.

According to Bates Motel executive producers and writer Carlton Cuse, many actors were pitched for the role, but Rihanna stood out the most out of all them. Plus, the pop star was already a huge fan of the show.

Cuse said,

We were very concerned about it because we wanted to make sure that we could do our own version of it. Funny, we ran all these things, people pitching actors who looked like [Janet] Leigh. We wanted to define that character in our own way. I read this article in which Rihanna said that she was a fan of Bates Motel. I said to Kerry, “What about Rihanna?” And Kerry was like, “She’ll never do it.” I was like, “She can’t say no unless you ask the question.

The eight-time Grammy Award winner gladly accepted the role to help expand her career as an actor and will check-in as Marion in the fifth and final season of Batel Motel, putting a newly reimagined and contemporary spin on the iconic character. Entertainment Weekly shared exclusive images of Rihanna, which can be viewed right below.

Season 5 premieres on Monday, February 20th at 10:00pm ET on A&E.

Rihanna as Marion Crane

Rihanna as Marion Crane

Rihanna checks in to play the role of ‘Marion Crane,’ putting a newly reimagined and contemporary spin on the iconic character.

Season 5 will also introduce a new couple in town, Madeleine Loomis, played by Isabelle McNally (House of Cards) and her husband Sam Loomis, played by Austin Nichols (The Walking Dead), as well as Sheriff Dana Greene, played by Brooke Smith (Grey’s Anatomy) become entangled in Norman’s life causing a chain of events that could blow the lid off Norman’s secret life.

Lastly, fans will be greeted by familiar faces when Caleb Calhoun (Kenny Johnson) and Chick Hogan (Ryan Hurst) return with agendas of their own.

Season 5 premieres on Monday, February 20th at 10:00pm ET on A&E.

According to a recent report from Yahoo!, Bates Motel Season 5 will premiere on Monday, February 20th at 10:00pm EST on A&E. The date has been apparently confirmed by other sources as well. The final season is expected to enter Psycho territory with Rihanna’s take on Marion Crane, previously played by Janet Leigh and famously known for the “shower scene.”

Executive producer Kerry Ehrin said,

The episodes that she’s in were very much designed to be like a collision between Psycho and Bates Motel, and really it’s the first and only time we’ve ever truly stepped into Psycho.

The fifth season of Bates Motel stars Vera Farmiga (“Norma”), Freddie Highmore (“Norman”), Max Thieriot (“Dylan Massett”), and Nestor Carbonell (“Sheriff Alex Romero”), as well as Ryan Hurst (“Chick) and Kenny Johnson (“Caleb”).

Stay tuned to Yell! Magazine for much more updates to come.

That’s right! A&E made a big announcement during the San Diego Comic-con this week, revealing that Rihanna is tapped to play the iconic role of Marion Crane, formerly played by Janet Leigh.

We wanted to thrust the iconic role into a contemporary spotlight and redefine it in a meaningful and exciting new way. We also heard Rihanna was a fan of the show, and we were huge fans of hers, so it was the perfect collision of creativity and fate.

So I’m assuming fans of Psycho will get a chance to see a reenactment of the classic shower scene, which redefined horror back in the 60s and also influenced the slasher genre in a big way.

The exciting final season of Bates Motel is expected to return on A&E in 2017. Production begins this fall in Vancouver, Canada.

Stay tuned to Yell! Magazine for much more updates to come.

For a sneak peek preview of the next episode, then we encourage you to check out the video clip above. Bates Motel returns this Monday on A&E at 9:00 PM ET.

Preview

This season Norma becomes increasingly fearful and desperate, going to great lengths to find Norman the professional help he needs. This further complicates their once unbreakable trust while Norman struggles to maintain his grip on reality. Sheriff Romero (Nestor Carbonell) once again finds himself drawn back into Norma and Norman’s lives. Will things finally heat up between Norma and the other man in her life, Sheriff Romero, and just how much further will he go to protect her?

Both Bates Motel and The Omen series will premiere on Monday, March 7th at 9 PM and 10 PM ET/PT respectively on A&E.

In the meantime, check out the trailers embedded on this page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSx5hDYoEgk

Norma said it to Dylan at the top of this episode, the Season Finale of Bates Motel, “People are generally disappointing, honey. They can’t help it and you can’t let it kill you.” And that statement can just as easily be applied to the writers/showrunners who cobbled together this season’s conclusion.

This was a very disappointing end to an otherwise great season. What a sloppy way to tie up loose ends that really didn’t mean anything anyways… just kill everyone. Imagine the writing process in the boardroom:

-“What do we do with Bradley if she survives?”
-”Dunno, just kill her.”

-”What do we do with Bob Paris if he survives?”
-”Dunno, just kill him.”

Although these events will lead to things to come next season, killing wasn’t the only sloppiness going on.

-”What do we do if Emma doesn’t get the lung transplant?”
-”Dunno, have Dylan kiss her and persuade her to have the procedure done.”

Of course we all wanted Dylan and Emma to kiss, and not just because Norman’s reaction will be devastating when he finds out, but also because they just seem right for each other, even if Dylan is the sweetheart bad boy. I don’t think, however, that we wanted their first spit swapping to be like it was, which was a bit melodramatic.

The most interesting thing to come out of the exchange between Dylan and Emma was her statement about being able to continue to live in “denial” if she chooses not to have the transplant. If you remember, denial was a big theme in the previous weeks, but mostly in Norma’s denial of Norman’s condition.

But Norma’s denial has been pushed aside by the ever-growing threat of Norman’s condition, and it seems she’s heeded Caleb’s warning from last week. Norma sought some in-patient treatment for Norman, and when she told him he visibly got upset and left the room saying that she’d lost faith in him. This then resulted in his packing to leave town with Bradley. Norma struggled to stop him, falling down the stairs in the process. In the end, Norma did the exact opposite of what any sane person would do, she hit Norman over the head, knocking him unconscious, dragged him down to the basement and tied him up.

Does Norma then call the police? No, she calls Dylan, who, upon his god-like quick arrival finds that Norman escaped the basement. It’s also Dylan who reveals to Norma that she’s lost more control, longer ago than she realized when he tells her that Bradley is alive and that both he and Norman had a hand in her faked suicide.

And Norman has gone off to meet Bradley to escape his mother, when who shows up in the car’s backseat? Norma! Or rather, imaginary Norma. Ultimately, imaginary Norma asks Norman to speak to Bradley directly, and when he lets her, imaginary Norma (i.e., Norman) kills Bradley. And then it’s Norman who has to dispose of the body… and considering that the car he put her in is only a few feet from the shore, right beside a dock, it won’t be long before Bradley’s corpse is discovered.

And when Bradley’s body is discovered, Romero, if he’s still around, will likely sweep the incident under the rug for a couple of reasons: 1) he has strong feelings for Norma, and 2) he’ll be dealing with covering up his own crime, being that he shot Paris with the DEA hot on Paris’ tail. Perhaps the DEA will trace the call Romero made to Paris warning him, putting Romero on the lamb and possibly seeking help from Norma. Or maybe he’ll just take the money he jacked from Paris and take off, which would be the smart move. Get out of Dodge.

Basically, the season ended with Norman having another major blackout and everyone who was a minor factor this season either dead or gone. Big Woop!

What did you guys think of the Season Finale? Sound off in the comments section below.

Rock Hard \m/

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/

After last week’s packed episode, this week’s “The Pit” almost felt like someone hit pause on Bates Motel. However, that doesn’t mean it was without incident.

It should be said that Vera Farmiga possibly turned in her best performance in the series so far. Where last week she was essentially a wreck, running around like a chicken with her head cut off, this week she was the polar opposite, calm and extremely happy with simple solutions all around (“Just be happy you’re getting a pool.”).

However, she did have a fit with Norman, essentially ending with her saying, “You’re going to kill me, Norman.” She immediately back peddled, saying that she didn’t mean it, but the damage had already been done to Norman’s fragile mind and sensitivities. Also, how haunting is that bit of foreshadowing about Norma’s demise?

Norma’s outburst also caused the Norma in Norman’s mind to surface, and boy what a temptress she was. Of course, this plays into James’ direct question to Norman about him wanting to sleep with his mother. And Norman confessed this “revelation” to his mother, and she masterfully played it off as confusion caused by teenage hormones. It was actually an endearing scene, but you can’t help but feel that Norma was motivated by fear and the need to snuff that fire.

The flirting between Dylan and Emma increased a bit, which led Emma to break up with Norman. Although Norman doesn’t know the real reason why she’s chosen to abandon him. Interestingly, last week it was the men in Norman’s life invading his “territory” and this week it’s the women throwing daggers.

While on the topic of women, Bradley showed up at the end of the episode. As Norman chased his dog down the street, he came upon Bradley, standing in the rain in the middle of the road. What is up with that? Last we knew of her was that she killed Gil for killing her dad and she left town, leaving behind a suicide note and a letter for Norman telling him that he was the best person she’d ever known.

What is the possible twist here?

Dylan and Caleb end up taking the gun-running job from Chick. When father and son get to their destination, the buyers reveal that Chick is dirty and attempt to kill Dylan as a message to Chick for Caleb to deliver. But Caleb saves the day and a gunfight ensues. So, this advances the subplot and we’ll see what happens to Chick when the boys return home.

Oh, and Romero had his heart broken by Norma, who refuses to tell the truth about how her husband died. The truth had come to Romero via Paris who had tortured the information out of James. Oh, Norma, if only you could have kept your mouth shut. Does this mean that Romero is done helping Norma with regard to the flashdrive?

And before we leave you today, let’s address this episode’s namesake and ask, what is up with this pool pit? Obviously it’s way too deep for a pool, a fact that the writers made sure we understood. So, what’s going to go into the pit? Is Paris planning to bury Norma in her car?

How did you like the iconic imagery in this episode, such as the rocking chair and the silhouette in the window?

Rock Hard \m/