Bates Motel
Season 4 Episode 6: “The Vault”
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi
Written by Scott Kosar
Starring Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot, Nestor Carbonell, Olivia Cooke
A&E
Air Date: Monday, April 18th, 2016, 9pm

Last week’s Bates Motel saw Norman (Freddie Highmore) try to throw himself into therapy. He did sneak a phone message to Norma (Vera Farmiga), then hallucinated that she visited him. Dylan (Max Thieriot) went on a legit job interview, and he and Emma (Olivia Cooke) grew closer. Chick (Ryan Hurst) started stalking Norma. At first she didn’t realize it, but then he confessed. Norman turned into Norma during therapy with Dr. Edwards (Damon Gupton). Norma asked Alex (Nestor Carbonell) if he killed Bob Paris, and he didn’t deny it. She was overwhelmed with gratitude, the magnitude of that washing over her.

Spoilers below.

Bates Motel 4.6 “The Vault” review: Norma and Romero are so ridiculously happy, I feel terrible for them. The fall is going to be so bad.

Norman is having bad dreams. Dr. Edwards finally reveals what others were afraid or did not realize enough to tell him – that he takes on another persona when he blacks out, and that persona is Norma. That version of Norma wants to protect him from Dr. Edwards.

Norma meets with Chick. He takes turns admiring her and bothering her, making her feel like he wants to hurt Caleb for the both of them, and threatening her with exposing the truth. He is such a complex, yet insane character. His unpredictability makes his screen time really magical. Chick seems like he was psychologically (and maybe physically) tortured in the past.

Dylan visits Norman and confesses about him and Emma, which Norman is genuinely happy about. Norman asks about his father, whom Dylan describes as unhappy, angry, and not nice. The picture is becoming clearer about how Norman started to become so crazy. It really was his father’s fault. As much as Norma is too clingy with the mothering, she and Norman only had each other.

Dylan tells Norma about the visit, and that he’s moving to Seattle. She’s a bit put out, but also tries to press him about Caleb. She ferrets out where he is and calls him. And there is Kenny Johnson! It is as emotionally charged as all their conversations are. It does cause Caleb to reach out to Dylan and you can see the yearning on Dylan’s subtle face.

In therapy, Norman is hypnotized into remembering his childhood. Tears and all. Then momma comes.

Dylan comes to pack his stuff.

Norma: “Ok, have fun leaving me.” Manipulative mama. Dylan finds the letter and bear from Emma’s mom. He is on the case. This will not end well at all. I know I keep saying that, but such foreshadowing!

Norma talks to Dr. Edwards and tells him of the abuse and why she has to protect Norman from remembering. It was an awful memory. Norma(n) says he will have to do something about it, if Dr. Edwards doesn’t want to stop.

Norma pulls a gun on Chick, then screams like a crazy person to go ahead and tell. He doesn’t, so she tells Alex everything. For a second I thought she was going to go back to old Norma, who lies about everything. But she came through, and so did he.

Norma: “So just go pack your bag.”
Alex: “Ok. Where we going?”

I heart Normero!

Delicious episode. It pulled at my emotions like no other. These actors are incredible, and the writing is completely clever.

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

Image Gallery

Videos

Bates Motel: Season 4 Episode 6 Preview | Mondays 9/8c | A&E

Check out the Season 4 Episode 6 preview for #BatesMotel, Mondays 9/8c followed by Damien 10/9c

Bates Motel: Mother Reveals Part of Norman’s Past (S4, E6) | A&E

During a session with Norman’s therapist, Mother appears and reveals a piece of Norman’s past buried deep in his psyche in this scene from Season 4, Episode 6, “The Vault.” #BatesMotel