Have you been watching Bates Motel on A&E? I watched the first two episodes and then my TV went on the fritz, so I watched the next three episodes online. My downstairs neighbor (my new best friend) fixed the TV on Sunday night, so I was able to watch the sixth episode last night on the big screen...and I'm so grateful that I was able to, since Episode 6 was fantastic!!
One of my best ladies had a huge issue at the beginning of the series with the fact that this story was being told in a contemporary setting, but I was rather excited about it myself. She has come around since it has a vintage feel despite not being a period drama. It may not be period, but the show is definitely dramatic! For those of you who watched it - HOLY MOLY that was probably the most exciting premiere I've ever seen!!! The fact that it quickly became about so much more than just the creepy relationship between a boy and his mother is also exciting.
If you haven't been watching, you can catch up with full episodes on the A&E Website. And I suggest you do so, stat! I also suggest you stop reading now!
***SPOILER ALERT***
The last few episodes have let the Officer Shelby story line take precedence over the Norman/Norma story line. I was not thrilled about that. Episode 6 brought some closure to that whole fiasco and shifted the focus back to Norman which is really why we all started watching in the first place. When I watched the series premiere, I couldn't decide whether Norman hallucinated finding his father in the basement or if he was the one who had actually killed him. Norma was simply too obvious a choice. While she clearly has MANY issues, I didn't think she was responsible for that situation. When Norman blacked out and ended up in the hospital in Episode 3, I think it was clear to everyone from Norma's conversation with the doctor that this was not the first time that had happened. We then got another hint in Episode 5 when Norman did not seem to remember attacking Dylan. So when Norman attacked Officer Shelby and then become catatonic and it was revealed that he was responsible for his father's death, I felt vindicated - I KNEW IT!!
Our poor little smothered Norman - we may not be able to blame his mother for all his problems after all... this reveal allows us to cut Norma a little slack. After that revelation, she shifted very quickly from a completely crazy, incredibly creepy, evil woman who smothers her son, to a slightly less crazy woman whose motivation is protecting her son at all costs. This was a turning point in our story and I'm VERY excited to see where this season will go!
There have been so many versions of the Norman Bates character throughout the years (in books, movies, and television) but if we want to stick with the most iconic version - Anthony Perkins' portrayal in the Hitchcock classic, we really know very little about him and his situation and we only know for sure that Norman goes on to kill once in adulthood. There are many incarnations of Norman Bates, so Bates Motel has a lot of room to play with the mythology of this fascinating character.
So Lovelies, are you watching? What do you think? Do you think it's as brilliant as I do??
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