Spoilers

“Check Out”

Norman is starting to show more of his dark side… going as far as to speak as if he were Norma in an tense confrontation with her brother, Caleb.

The whole Norma-Caleb-Dylan mess has threatened to push Norman from his tentative mental balance. We know where the character of Norman Bates ends up, but this Norman has become such a favorite that it is harder to see his ultimate downfall.

It is a credit to Freddie Highmore to be able to take one of the most well known movie murderers and make him a developed and complex character.

And Norma is just an amazing character too. For someone who just winds up in a wheelchair in the attic, Vera Farmiga has filled her with such a delicate and complicated life. Norma and Norman are complex characters that could have easily been just echoes of what the big screen counterparts were like, but they are rich, fully developed and entertaining.

I ache for Norma-Dylan and their relationship. I can understand the anger that Dylan feels but I want them to put it aside and bond as mother-son. Watching him storm away and Norma painfully watching is a tough scene.

Bates Motel also is willing to develop a secondary character such as Emma, and give her a storyline separate from the Bates clan (at least at the moment). Then, there is Alex Romero as well making his way through the dangers from the town. These characters are as great as a anyone on the show and that was not expected.