Bates Motel: episode 10 "Midnight"

***SPOILERS***

I know I'm late on this one, my apologies. I've been extremely busy lately with other film related things. I've also decided that I'm not going to review shows in the same manor as I have been. I'm not really enjoying telling the entire episode, I feel that it lacks my personality and if you want to read a full synopsis you could always go to Wikipedia. I'm going to be making my reviews shorter and sweeter, still giving away what happens, just not every second of the show. I'd like to be able to elaborate on certain things.

The finale on Monday was kind of a let down for me, I expected more to truthful. I had already predicted weeks ago that Norman was going to kill someone and I know that I wasn't the only one. It would have been nice if they hadn't made it so obvious and did something left field that we didn't see coming, like having Norma kill someone. I feel that right now this show is afraid of killing off a main character and that hurts it and lessens it to me. If you know that they're always going to get out of their situations than there's no suspense, everyone is safe. What this episode needed was to go out with a bang and it didn't. 

Dylan buys Norma a gun and teaches her how to shoot it, so she can protect herself against Jake. There's some bonding between them that I enjoyed watching. He even calls Norma mom for the first time. I like this character development because I can relate to Dylan, how he always has a hard exterior because the past has dragged him around. And it's always good to see when those chains can be broken and happiness can be found. 

After Norma informs Sheriff Romero about the threat bestowed upon her, he later finds the money and informs Norma that he'd take care of it. Later, instead of Norma meeting Jake, Romero does and kills him. This was extremely aggravating and I highly consider this a cop-out. All of this suspense built up with Jake and this fear we've all been driven to by him is all for nothing because in the end, Norma doesn't even have to fight her own battles. The whole Jake storyline wasn't concluded properly and it makes you realize how minimal the threat was to begin with. Lackluster to say the least. 

Norman finally sees that Dylan and Bradley are bonding and although he puts on a cool facade, you see how enraged he is. He's destroyed emotionally and fueled with anger and despair. He takes Emma to the dance and she looks really beautiful, even if I say so myself. Emma leaves him with tears in her eyes when she notices all he's focusing on is Bradley, and he makes it obvious. At this point I'm really done with caring for Norman's feelings and he's a complete idiot for letting Emma go and for even looking at Bradley. He and she had one night together and he's become ridiculously obsessed. 
He needs to get over it, it's becoming quite annoying. I can only image how Bradley feels. 

After being punched in the face by Bradley's boyfriend, Norman walks home in the rain. He's soon intercepted by Ms. Watson, who takes him back to her house and tries to seduce him. He then has a psychotic break down and runs home where he and Norma are happy and all is well...NOT. The final shot of the episode shows Ms. Watson dead in her bedroom with her throat slashed.

All in all this wasn't a bad episode due to some character development that I liked. It was extremely uneventful though, and not the way a season should go out. I'll still be tuning in to the next season or course, but if it falls short like this I can't say I'll stick around any longer.

THIS EPISODE GETS 2 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5

THIS SEASON GETS 3 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5

Bates Motel: episode 9 "Underwear"

***SPOILERS***

Last night's episode was pretty intense, they got a lot going on right now with this show. Every character is in their own world and you've got their personal stories to go through as well as when they interact. Lots of layers of story here. They're building these characters to have rich and full stories.

The episode starts off with Deputy Shelby's body being taken out of Norma's house by the authorities. She tries to reason with the Sheriff about how she knows it's the weird guy that's been hanging around the hotel, but he doesn't listen. I don't think that he was being rude honestly, Norma's been a headache since arriving in town and she complains about a lot of things. He follows procedure and says he'll follow up, nothing more, nothing less.

Norma sees some of Dylan's co-workers smoking reefer on the hotel porch and snaps on them all and makes them put their joints out. In the fit she takes she reveals that she wants to move. Dylan and Norman express "here we go again" glances at each other.

While in town, Dylan bumps into Bradley who mentions to him that her dead father had a desk where he used to work beside the top boss. She and Dylan's chemistry begins to build and you can see in their eyes that they're totally into each other.

At the hotel, Norma receives a beautiful bouquet of flowers. After the excitement passes, she reads the card only to find that it's from Jake, the creep from room 9. The note reads "see you soon" and Norma tells Emma to lock up when no one's around. She also tells Emma to enforce her no smoking pot rule.

Norman sees Bradley in the school hallway and they give each other nice, lighthearted smiles. As Bradley walks further away and Norman passes her, we see his expression change to a hurt and angry look. Making it obvious that he's only pretending to turn the other cheek, he still has feelings for her.

Norman tells Norma that he's not going to move and she brushes it off.

Emma has to tell a boy from Dylan's crew to stop smoking weed while Norma's away and instantly has a connection with him. The first thought that goes through my head is that Norman has really screwed up! The one chick that actually dug him is moving on now while he tortures himself over wanting Bradley. Now he's not going to have any girls but his mother...hmmm...

Norman finds out that his short paper is being entered into a contest and that his grade point average is 4.0. This puts him in good spirits.

Dylan meets with Bradley and agrees to sneak her in to her father's office so she can collect some things. When they arrive, Remo comes out guns blazing, not knowing that it's only Dylan. He agrees to let them go in the office for 10 minutes. It doesn't take even that long though, Bradley sees letters confirming that her dad was cheating on her mom and leaves.

Norman brings home his completed Juno, he's doing good at taxidermy. Norma is creeped out but tries to show support. Dylan has a more open reaction, which I thought was funny. 

Norman has a dream about drowning Bradley and later searches it on the web for dream analysis. Dylan comes into the room and sees the computer screen, and asks who Norman was drowning in his dream. Norman reluctantly reveals that it was Bradley he was drowning and although he plays it off cool, you can see the look of concern on Dylan's face. He's really beginning to see that something is off with Norman. This was a really good bonding scene between them though, which only means that the writers are doing that so they can tear in down in front of our eyes when Norman discovers Dylan and Bradley's relationship. 

Emma gets a weed cupcake from her new friend and eats it, getting completely stoned. She comes up to the house in the middle of a big argument between Norman and Norma, in which Norman called his mother crazy and got hysterical.

Once the realtor tells Norma she can't get her money back or sell the house, he recommends that she walk away from her investment. Norma reacts violently and beats him up with her purse.

Upon getting into her car, she's greeted by Jake in the backseat who holds a gun to her throat. He tells her that he doesn't care what happened between Shelby and Keith and her, he only wants the hundred grand Shelby owed him. He tells Norma to have it tomorrow night by 9 or he'll be visiting her and killing her sons first.

Good episode and I'm really stoked to see what happens next week for the finale. I predict death. If I were to guess I'd say Jake's going to die but at a high cost and it won't be easy.

THIS EPISODE GETS 3 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5

Bates Motel: episode 8 "A Boy and His Dog"

***SPOILERS***

Since I'm doing Hellraiser Madness Week I had to figure out a time to squeeze in the review for tonight's episode, even if it means doing 2 reviews a day. And tonight's episode covered a lot of ground, though it was still technically another filler episode.

Norman starts hanging out with Emma's father and learning the skills of taxidermy since his dog died in the previous episode. He seems enthused to learn the hobby. I like how they're incorporating things from the original film, building Norman up to be how he is and as we all know him to be. They're really going in the right direction here.

Norma makes a visit to the sheriff in an attempt to get a recommendation for a seat in the city council, so she can stray the citizens away from the idea of building a highway that'll jeopardize her motel business. When it doesn't go as she wanted she attempts to threaten the sheriff, but he quickly puts her in her place and she backs off. 

Dylan and Remo get send on a job and the air is still stiff with awkwardness between them. At a bar, they have out their differences and it breaks into a good old fashioned bar room brawl. After beating the resentment they have towards each other out, Dylan begins to see things from Remo's point of view. Remo's anger stems from being outranked by Dylan even though he's had his job for 23 years. Dylan is considered more reliable in the big bosses eyes.

After seeing the weird man in room 9 standing outside the motel and starring at her, Norma goes to do the housekeeping in his room. There he mentions how in town he heard about what happened with she and Deputy Shelby and his death. He then goes on to explain to her that he knew Keith Summers and knew about a sex trade going on. You can tell that he's just prying, trying to see if Norma reacts and gives him any reason to suspect her as being involved. It ends up working and Norma lets her nerves get the best of her and breaks a lamp due to trembling hands.

In the school bathroom, Emma hears the popular girls talking about how Norman is weird and how pathetic he is. When they start saying that Bradley would never touch Norman, Emma snaps and makes her presence known by telling off the girls and revealing that Bradley slept with Norman.

Dylan and Remo pick up some new people to take with them on the job they're heading too. Remo shows no patience for one of the men joining them and wants to leave him. Dylan lets the guy stay because it's his orders to bring everyone. Remember, Dylan is the reliable one. But after so much traveling, Dylan sees that Remo was right and that their new co-worker is rude and disrespectful. Dylan forces him out of the van at gunpoint and leaves him there in the middle of nowhere.

I like how we're seeing a new side to Dylan and Remo. They're good together and I can see them becoming good friends. Always have to watch for that though, whenever someone gets close something bad happens. I've seen too many TV shows to fall for that one. I am curious to see if Dylan will be reprimanded by the big boss for not obeying his direct orders. Remo is going to end up being a bad influence on Dylan.

Back at school, Bradley approaches Norman and asks him why he betrayed her and told the whole school about their little one night stand. After telling her he didn't say anything to anyone, Bradley tells him it should have never happened and storms off, leaving him in tears. One of Norman's teachers sees this happening and goes to stop Norman from leaving school only to see a violent side of him that scares her. He crudely smacks her hand away after screaming at her and leaves school, which isn't a good move.

Norma is called into the school by the principle and asked to come in and talk about Norman's behavior. When she arrives, she is greeted by Norman's teacher and the principle who tell her that not only is Norman suspended for 3 days but he also has to see a therapist now. Norma suggests her own doctor and not one of the school therapists.

Norma follows the weird man from room 9 to a boatyard and watches as he goes through Deputy Shelby's boat looking for something. As she's leaving, Norma is cut off by the man and he tells her that he knows she's following him and that he knows of her involvement with Shelby. He scares her off nearly causing her to trip as she runs. He also tells her that he knows she knows more than she's letting on.

In therapy, the psychiatrist can barely get through to Norman due to Norma sitting in on the session. She answers all the questions for Norman and controls the conversation. After getting nowhere with Norman, the doctor speaks to Norma in private where he tells her he wants to see Norman alone and suggests she seeks psychiatric help. Norma doesn't like this and puts the doctor in his place. You saw her insecurities peek through, she is too prideful to let someone tell her she needs help.

When she arrives back at the motel, Norma stomps down to room 9 and tells the man that she demands he leaves. She threatens him with the cops and he complies, but he lets it be known that it's not over and that Norma opened a can of worms that she didn't want to.

At Emma's house, she confesses to Norman about why she told all the girls about he and Bradley sleeping together. They hug and make up, possibly showing that they may end up dating in the future. 

Dylan arrives at the motel with his van full of workers and asks Norma if she'd be willing to give them rooms for 2 weeks while they're in town to work. Norma shows excitement and thanks Dylan. She and Dylan bond and make plans to go out to dinner once the guests are checked in. Once Norma enters her home she sees Deputy Shelby's corpse lying on her bed with his autopsy scars and a cotton ball in his missing eye. Norma screams for Norman and Emma and the screen fades to black.

I believe Norma is going to think Shelby's body is the works of Norman possibly, thinking he's done it in one of his blackouts. But I think it's apparent that it was the mysterious man from room 9. I want to see where this storyline is going with the man in number 9. He's a creepy character that doesn't seem like someone you'd want to get involved with or screw with. But Norma loves her drama...

With only 2 episodes left, one can only speculate what will happen but I see a few deaths going down more than likely. At least one big death. I was impressed with tonight's episode, we got lots of character development but I'm ready for the temperature to turn up. Hopefully we'll get some heat the next two episodes. I'll be watching.

THIS EPISODE GETS 3 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5

Bates Motel: episode 7 "The Man in Number 9"

***SPOILERS***

Now that Fox's "The Following" has ended my Monday night lineup is pretty weak now. But at least I still have Bates Motel, but nothing beats the lineup of the that was. I'll be anxiously awaiting next year when they're both on and my Monday tradition continues.

This episode of Bates was pretty crazy. Not as good as last weeks, but still good nonetheless. If anything this was a filler episode, because they open a lot of new doors in this episode that we know are coming into play later.

Dylan comes downstairs to be greeted by Norma who's making breakfast and in an extra chipper mood. Dylan accepts breakfast and is actually happy around Norma for all of a minute. Once he tells Norma he's still moving out she storms off in a hissy fit.

Norman is visited by Emma but refuses to see her. He has his mom tell her that he's under the weather. Norma sees the hurt in Emma's eyes and sympathizes with her. Norma has Emma take her out to run some errands and offers to buy Emma lunch.

Meanwhile, Dylan sees an unknown car parked and staring at the motel. Dylan gets smug and let's the strange man know not to invade on them. The man asks where Keith Summers is, and when he's told Keith passed away he suddenly leaves. 

Out on the town, Emma tells Norma about Norman's relationship with Bradley and Norma's interest is piqued. Emma takes Ms. Bates to Bradley's yoga class where Norma scopes her out with envy. I really like how Norma is looking out for Emma and likes her, I like Emma too. The character development is going to go well, I can see it.

Later, Norman and Dylan see Bradley while leaving the store and she and Dylan instantly give each other "the look". I can see this turning into something  and that's not good for Norman nor his blackouts. We all know what Norman is capable of.

During this episode Norman also finds a dog and somewhat adopts it, even against Norma's wishes. I was nervous when Norman first found the dog because he had a hammer in his hand. As you all know, killers often start off with killing animals before progressing to humans. I thought the dog was a goner. Good to see I was surprisingly wrong.

While Norma is tidying up, she sees the same man Dylan dealt with earlier and he's fishy, not to be trusted. You know something's off with him from the start. He asks if he can have the same arrangement he had with Keith Summers: where he rents room 9 and all other doors in that block every couple of weeks. Norma agrees pleasantly but she knows something is off with him. When she asks him what he does for a living he simply says "sales". Why Norma didn't kick him off the property I'll never know...I guess she wanted the business.

Norma has it out with Norman about his liking Bradley and Norman explains that he really likes her. Against his wishes Norma presses him on the issue and he storms out of the house, desperate for his individuality and freedom. 

Later, Dylan explains that the guy in room 9 isn't normal and demands that he go to his room so the man can fill out his information and give his payment. Yet again, Dylan feels him out. Letting the man know he's not playing games.

Norman goes to Bradley's house and spills his feelings only to be turned down and told pretty much that it was a "fling" and nothing more. Norman wasn't wanting to hear he got a booty call, he wanted a relationship. After utterly crushing him, Norman walks home crying. 

When he arrives back at the hotel he sees the dog he's adopted and calls it to him. As it's on it's way it is suddenly run down by a car. Norman runs to the little dogs aid and Norma helps him get the dog inside. He then tells his mother that she was right in her assumption of he and Bradley's relationship and that Bradley isn't right for him.

As I said earlier, not the best episode but a still solid. I think Dylan and Bradley are going to hook up and I think that is so wrong. Not only is it breaking bro code, but Dylan's pushing Norman to have a normal life so for him to stab Norman in the back like that is only starting a fire. I hope Dylan gets burned too. Up until this point I've really liked Dylan, but if it goes the way I'm predicting I won't like him much longer.

I'm most interested in the man in number 9 and what his tie is to Keith Summers. I'm guessing he is the big boss guy that Keith and Shelby answered to. The Bate's think they're safe now but I think it's only going to get worse from here on out. And that includes their personal lives with each other.

THIS EPISODE GETS 3 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5

Bates Motel: epidsode 6 "The Truth"

***SPOILERS***

The "Bates Motel" is certainly on of the best shows on right now and even though it was off to a somewhat slow start, it looks as if it's picked up for good.

In this episode Norma is faced with the reality that the girl Norman found is in fact a victim of her precious Deputy Shelby. She acts erratically and panics, jumping into her car to speed off and look for Shelby. But before she can do anything irreversible, Norman jumps into the moving car and luckily talks sense into his mother.

Norman and Norma are conflicted with their options. Clearly turning Deputy Shelby over to the police is the best and most logical option. But Shelby still has the belt that is evidence that Norma killed Keith Summers earlier this season. So turning Shelby in may only cause her own demise. That is until Dylan steps up and offers to help Norman find the belt, to rid them of any ties to the murder.

While on the way to Deputy Shelby's boat, Dylan tells Norman about his new place and how he wants Norman to live with him and get to have a normal life away from his mom and her smothering. Norman seems to accept.

Once they're on the boat, they instantly begin to search at a steady pace. 

Back at the house, Norma is waiting for her boys to get back and hoping they have good news about finding the belt. Instead, Deputy Shelby pulls up and starts talking sweet on Norman. This is a bad situation seeing as Norma has Shelby's kidnap victim only a few rooms down the lot.

Meanwhile, Dylan and Norman are chatting while searching the boat and Dylan has an idea it's in the pipe overhead. After unscrewing it we see he's right.

At the hotel, Norma isn't enjoying Shelby's love making too much. You can see she's got other things on her mind. But when Shelby pics up on it, she instantly cheers up and offers Shelby a second turn. That is until Shelby hears a noise from the house and realizes that someone is in the hotel with them, he can hear the water from someone taking a shower a few rooms down.

Back at the boat, Norman and Dylan get rid of the belt by throwing it into the lake. Absolving them of any future blackmail or guilt. Dylan tells Norman that Norma killed his father. Then they begin to head home.

At the hotel, Shelby walks by each one of the rooms to the hotel until he finds the one where the water is coming from. Then he knocks and demands the door be open. Norma instantly comes up with a paper thin lie saying that it is a painter she said could stay. Just as they begin to argue the door opens and Shelby sees his kidnap victim. She screams and runs off into the woods and he pursues.

Finally, Norman and Dylan show up and before Norma can tell them the chaos going on, Dylan tells her the belt is gone forever and that Norman's moving out. You see the light in her eyes dim and defeat her. She then tells them what's going on with Shelby and the kidnap girl, before Shelby comes back and holds them at gun point. He walks them up to the house where they can "figure this out".

At the house, Shelby babbles on and on. Blaming Norman for this all happening and then he begins to scream at and slap Norma. Meanwhile, you see Norman sort of spacing out and losing focus. He looks like a drone. Something tells you that he's about to make a move. After Shelby hits Norma so hard she falls out of her chair, Norman jumps up and grabs Shelby, knocking the gun out of his hand and Dylan is quick to retrieve it. Shelby knocks Norman out and then gets into a shootout with Dylan. Dylan takes a slug to the shoulder and Shelby takes on in the leg.

Amidst the gunfire, Norma brings Norman outside and gets him into the car after calling the police. 

Shelby is searching the house for Dylan, who's upstairs hiding while he reloads his empty gun. Dylan begins to ascend the stairs.

In the car, Norma realizes she forgot her keys in her bedroom, so she and Norman are stuck. All the while, Norman is in his dream state still and we hear 3 gunshots. Everything goes silent as we're awaiting to see who is the survivor between Deputy Shelby and Dylan. We see someone come out of the house and as they get closer we begin to realize who it is-Deputy Shelby. Only he's shot twice in the chest and stomach and once in the right eye. He aims his gun at Norma and Norman in the car but falls dead before he can do anything.

Soon after, Dylan comes from the house and greets his mother and tells her this time they're going to tell the truth to the police. No more games with lies and deceit. Only Norma tells him it's not that simple. Norma retells the beginning of the very first episode with Norman's father dying and explains how it didn't go down as we were lead to believe. It turns out Norman went into his dreamlike phase that he's currently in, and killed his father by hitting him upside the head with a blender as result of Norma being beat up by his father. Norma set it up to look like he fell in the garage and Norman doesn't remember anything other than waking up to finding his father dead. 

Dylan asks Norma what's wrong with Norman and she says she doesn't know, but he needs to be looked after. This leads us to believe that Norman won't be moving in with Dylan as we all already expected.

Solid episode of this show and probably the best one yet. Can't wait for next week. I really like how they're going into Norman's blackouts more and more, building to his inevitable breakdown. And I'm really curious as to what happens with the police and the Bates' after Shelby's death.