Article originally published as BATES MOTEL Review on Seat42F.
This article contains light spoilers from the season premiere.
BATES MOTEL begins its third season on
A&E with “A Death in the Family.” Don’t worry, it’s not one of the
main characters who has passed. But the death is important because it
affects one of the players deeply, and helps shape a likely season-long
or longer arc, providing some rich acting opportunities.
I liked Bates Motel
from the beginning, but it’s really taken awhile to find its legs. By
necessity, Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) can’t start out being a total
psychopath, yet there are many hints, some very blatant, about who he
is becoming, and he’s more than hinting at his tendencies. The series
will have to end with all the other main characters dead or having
abandoned Norman, so there is no happy ending to be had. This is a
madmen’s descent into total craziness.
“A Death in the Family” lets us feel
that very strongly. When a new guest (Revolution’s Tracy Spiridakos)
comes to stay at the motel, Norman is very odd around her. When a new
school year starts, he resists it the way a small child would. When his
mother sets a boundary, he is indignant and petty, but eventually gets
what he wants. This is a boy no one is helping escape his destiny, and
he’s becoming more and more comfortable with his oddities. It’s a wonder
the townspeople, especially those who would remember him from high
school, aren’t more leery of the small business owner during the movie
this series is a prequel to, as his antics get quite public.
There is one scene in particular that
illustrates who Norman currently is. He makes a decision that would seem
quite natural for any other teen, but that feels creepy or worse from
him. Based on the dialogue uttered by the other character in the scene,
it seems like Norman may be seeking control. His actions are definitely
much, much more selfish, rather than those a normal person would have in
this situation. He’s manipulative and not attuned to others’ feelings.
This is brought out even more when he then does something that runs
counter to this decision later and he doesn’t notice. This is a pivotal
moment for BATES MOTEL, likely signaling the impending doom of someone
because Norman won’t be able to get out of them what he seeks, and this
person probably won’t realize the true extent of the danger they are in
until it’s too late.
Highmore continues to bring something special to this part, and I hope it doesn’t keep him from getting other work after Bates Motel.
At this point, I can’t imagine anyone else in the role Anthony Perkins
made famous. Highmore has that mix of terrifying monster and naïve
innocence that make his character so compelling, even if one wants to
stay far away.
It’s interesting that Norman goes so
dark at a time when his home life is going so well. Norman, Norma (Vera
Farmiga), and Dylan (Max Thieriot) are living in relative harmony, the
latter two being respectful of one another and even offering assistance
and advice. Of course, they both also have their own things that they
focus on, which is how Norman slips through the cracks, but really, how
much attention does a normal eighteen year old need? It’s only because
Norman is so different, and his family can’t see it through their
affection for him, that he is further lost to them.
There’s also development on the local
drug plot, which involves Sheriff Romero (Nestor Carbonell) and Dylan. I
am relieved that this is a comparably small portion of the hour,
though, with it certainly not being Dylan’s primary plot. For any serial
drama to make a certain number of episodes a year, there are usually
some subplots less interesting than others. The drug trade is one of the
lesser ones, but as long as it’s not focused on too much, it doesn’t
really hurt the show.
Like I said, I like BATES MOTEL, but “A
Death in the Family” may be the most interesting episode of the show
aired since the pilot. It does some really neat things with some of the
characters, and feels like it’s moving the story into the next, more
murderous stage. I think there is a very limited lifespan this show
should go, maybe four or five seasons max, but season three looks to be a
very good one to watch.
BATES MOTEL airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on A&E.
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