Bates Motel
Season 4 Episode 2: “Goodnight, Mother”
Directed by Tim Southam
Written by Kerry Ehrin and Torrey Speer
Starring Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot, Nestor Carbonell, Olivia Cooke
A&E
Air Date: Monday, March 14th, 2016, 9pm

Last week on Bates Motel, Norman was found talking crazy in a field and remanded to a city psych ward. Romero (Nestor Carbonell) got rid of his Bob murder evidence, but kept the cash. Norma (Vera Farmiga) tried to sell her body to a random (and gay) doctor to get Norman (Freddie Highmore) into the fancy hospital, then proposed to Alex to get his insurance. Neither worked but the doctor does give her hope of an appointment. Emma (Olivia Cooke) got lung transplant surgery and her long-lost mom showed up. Emma’s dad told her to get lost, so she went to the motel and checked in. She wanted Norma to give a letter to Emma. That was a no. Norman let her in later on and strangled her. That also was a no.

Warning! Spoilers below.

Bates Motel 4.2 “Goodnight, Mother” review: Norman awoke after a bad episode (yeah-no kidding). The last thing he remembers is being locked in his mother’s room. But then has a vision of his “mother” locking Emma’s mom in the freezer. He asks his mom about her “grocery shopping.” I can see where this is going. He does check the freezer. What do you think he finds?

Norma digs around in the muddy pool-hole, but finds nothing. Norman takes charge and starts bossing her around. He really thinks she’s the crazy one. I mean, he’s right, but not in the same sense.

The tubes come out of Emma. It was a bit scary for a moment but air came through. Emma’s dad says Dylan (Max Thieriot) is too good for what he is doing, and that he really needs to think about his future if he wants it with Emma. I completely agree. Plus, they are adorbs!

Alex feels bad he rejected Norma, and tries to fix it like he always does. He goes to the fancy hospital to bribe admissions lady and announces his intent to marry Norma. She is so happy when he tells her, until she realizes the commitment papers went to the office fax where Norman is working.

He starts hallucinating his dad now, complete with full affection. His dad tells him that he didn’t kill him – Norma did. He’s really afraid of her now. He accuses her of killing Emma’s mom, Bradley Martin, and Ms. Watson. It is during those accusations that the full extent of Norman’s transgressions are revealed to Norma. You gotta hand it to her though, she takes it with aplomb. Farmiga is brilliant in this role.

This episode had me pausing when I got too nervous – which was every 5 seconds for the last 15 minutes of the show. I definitely thought it was going to end way differently than it did. And then even when that was revealed, I still did not know the path of the last 3 seconds. Man… this show is so entertainingly full of surprises!

Some thoughts:

– Be prepared for the #1 most uncomfortable scene of the series to date.

– I don’t know about this fancy insane asylum. I keep picturing it having a basement lair a la Dr. Strange.

– I’ve been thinking about the possible death order. I think:

1) Caleb (Kenny Johnson) trying to save Dylan and Norma.
2) Romero
3) Norma stepping in front of Dylan.
4) Dylan

– I think Emma is going to make it.

– A Psycho remake is in order once the 5th season is over.

Bates Motel airs Monday nights at 9:00pm ET on A&E.

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Bates Motel: Season 4 Episode 2 Exclusive Sneak Peek | Mondays 9/8c | A&E

Check out this exclusive sneak peek of #BatesMotel Season 4 Episode 2 airing Mondays 9/8c