This show just keeps on surprising me. Especially with this episode.
Norma gets arrested and cleared. Emma and Norman find the rape hostage and rescue her. Then Norman proves to Norma that the girl wasn’t a hallucination. basically the major plot points have been neatly handled. I can’t wait to see what happens next. Does the rape girl get kidnapped again? Does the missing carpet sample get returned to the police? This show keeps me guessing.
This show gets better and better.
executive producer Kerry Ehrin has been discussing each episode after it airs. Some interesting insights into the characters.
don’t read this unless you’ve seen this weeks episode (ep 5). Theres also links to the commentary on the earlier episodes.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/deconstructing-bates-motel-ep-kerry-439807v
That link broke. Heres a good one.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/deconstructing-bates-motel-ep-kerry-439807
I found three commentaries so far. Its late and I don’t feel like digging out the first two episodes.
Commentary Episode 3 What’s Wrong With Norman?
The UK will soon be watching Bates Motel. A&E has already renewed it for season 2.
Welp, there goes my theory that Normie might’ve just hallucinated the girl in the basement.
Gee Whiz. I’ve never seen writing this good on tv before. Every plot point they setup seems like something they’ll focus on throughout the season or even the entire series. These writers knock down these plot points quick. Who killed Norman’s dad? You could spend the entire series waiting to find out. What should Norma do about Deputy Shelby? I thought that would be the season cliffhanger. Heck just finding that sex slave girl usually would take the entire season in most drama series.
It’s incredible that these writers immediately create new conflicts for Norma to deal with right after resolving the old ones. It’s like a roller-coaster ride every week.
I won’t spoil anything until tomorrow morning.
I agree and was telling my wife the same thing last night - “You know, on another series, whether Norma gets released from prison or not might have lasted to the end of Season 1. Remember in Lost how Season 1 ended with Jack and Locke looking down the hatch? In Bates Motel, that would have been episode 3.”
However, next week looks like we’re moving into Monster of the Week status, where the story might shift to “Norma and Norman now have to deal with crazy people who rent rooms at their creepy hotel.” Let’s hope they can keep it moving, but a bit of a slowdown might be in order - get too much happening too quickly and it has the chance of being preposterous.
I wonder if this motel will cater more to people staying several days or weeks? We have a few of those here in my city. Semi-homeless people that can’t rent apartments. That might avoid the monster of the week.
I thought it odd that Shelby went nuts hearing the water running in the motel. He didn’t know if Norma was renting rooms yet.
I’m curious how the Bate’s will avoid jail this time? They just killed guy liner sheriff’s deputy. The same sheriff thats been trying to get her for that motel owners death. They really need that drugged up sex slave girl to backup their story. Otherwise, they are in deep doo-doo.
They just throw the belt in the water right next to the boat? Somehow I don’t think that’s nearly as good an idea as big bro did.
More silencing in the most recent episode that I watched. Just curious about what’s going on.
I think A&E usually bleeps out profanity. I recall seem bleeps on Dog the Bounty Hunter.
Still not noticing any silent swears, but again, I watch a late night replay.
I never understood what the big deal about the belt was. Once the cop took it, there was no connection to the Bates anymore. What is he going to say? That he found it during the search and was hiding it this whole time?
I find myself wondering if I believe Norma’s story about who killed the father…
He could always find it in her trunk after a traffic stop.
The whole belt thing has been pretty overblown. Finding a guy’s belt in a house he used to live in? That sure proves the new people murdered him.
Bad Guy Sheriff obviously has a hard on for her to be guilty of the previous owner’s murder.
In regards to the cursing, I don’t notice it being bleeped out either, and I watch the original airings (DVR’d, usually.) It doesn’t make sense for A&E to pay for a show only to have the producers not follow A&E’s standards and practices in regards to acceptable language.
The “reality” shows are a bit different as people aren’t speaking from a script (mostly.) For example, in Storage Wars, when the buyers are speaking to the camera, that’s scripted (or at least the producers tell the buyers what they are to speak about: “Since you bought the locker, set up your thought process”, “what were you thinking when Brandon said that, Dave?”, stuff like that.) The auctions themselves aren’t scripted, and of course they will swear during them. And, yes, the swears will be bleeped out. But I haven’t noticed this happening on their scripted programs…
Overall a somewhat flawed episode. There were some good touches.
I couldn’t believe any motel owner would hand over keys to a room without making the guest sign the book and provide ID. Especially since this creepy guy was caught trying to enter a room with an old key that he shouldn’t have. Then Norma agrees to rent this weirdo a block of rooms for cash knowing about the previous sex trade operation? Norma isn’t that stupid. This is one time that I think the writers are stretching too far here. It’s just not believable.
I kept waiting for Norman to see Dylan at Bradley’s house. That would have been a big blow to Norman. But getting dumped is still bad for a fragile guy like Norman. Then he loses a dog that he likes the same evening. A double whack on Norman’s fragile psyche. I did think the dog’s death would have been more powerful if they had waited a few episodes. The dog really wasn’t Norman’s pet yet. It’s going to be so sick and creepy seeing that stuffed dog in Norman’s room. If Fluffy starts talking to Norman than I may have to stop watching. 
Norma is so thrilled that her problems with rapist guys death are over. She can start fresh. Then Norma gets slapped down by reality when she discovers the locals don’t like her. Norma is never allowed to be happy and optimistic more than a few hours. The writers were clever in creating dramatic tension when Bradley followed angry Norman into the woods? It had me on the edge of my seat.
Would the show risk involving Dylan and under age Bradley? She’s a high school girl and jail bait for Dylan. I kind of hope they don’t go in that direction.