The truth is defined as an act of being honest. For a long time I questioned Norma’s honesty when it came to her and Norman’s past. Until this episode, entitled The Vault, we’ve only unmasked a small glimpse of what occurred prior to their life in White Pine Bay and what the truth is. In what I consider television's finest hour, Bates Motel took the show to a whole other level with the most compelling and astonishing acting and writing I have ever seen. It’s completely maddening how incredible this show is and how little recognition it gets. Vera Farmiga's deliverance of Norma’s heart wrenching confession is beyond extraordinary while Freddie Highmore is stellar as he continues to unravel Norman’s bone-chilling past.
Last week we were left wondering what Norma was going to do with Chick’s proposal to help him for keeping her secret safe. Throughout the episode we watch as Norma struggles with what she was going to do. Does she give up her brother who hurt her in one of the worst ways imaginable, does she kill Chick, or does she do the unthinkable for her, and tell the truth? I was hoping for the latter and I was not disappointed in any way. First, I have to mention the shocking confession of love. Norma and Romero have come a long way but I never expected these two to actually verbalize their feelings for each other. We had that amazing moment last episode between those two in which what wasn’t said was so powerful. Just when I think it’s impossible to top that the writers outdo themselves. The dialogue was outstanding as Norma first tells Romero that she loves him and then moments later goes completely but very understandably so, crazy on Chick. This is one of my favourite scenes of the entire series. Chick’s reaction probably caught everyone off guard as he just tells Norma to enjoy her window followed by a peck on the cheek. All the while, Romero was at a complete loss as to what was going on.
It’s what occurs after Chick leaves that has me in awe of both the writing and acting talent in this show. The confession that I’ve long waited for, Norma tells Romero everything and she does so in the most vulnerable and raw way imaginable, with the ugly truth. It was completely heartbreaking as she confessed to once being in love with Caleb, that he was Dylan’s father, and he raped her once she tried to end things between them. Even more heartbreaking was when she told Romero that she never loved anyone enough to feel obligated to tell them the truth. As Norma was able to keep it somewhat together you can see the devastation she was experiencing at the thought of what this would do to Romero and the thought of losing him. I never expected when I started watching Bates Motel that I would witness one of the greatest love stories unfold. Even if you're not a romantic it would be hard for anyone to keep it together when Norma told Romero to pack his bag and he just responds with “Okay, where are we going?” Again, this entire scene was just one of the most breathtaking moments I've ever seen on television.
Norman spent more time in the great Dr. Edwards office again this week. These scenes are becoming more and more spine-tingling. This time, we witness Norman transition easier than ever into “Mother”. Freddie Highmore's ability to re-create “Mother” is unbelievable, his mannerisms are spot on and it honestly couldn’t be more convincing that he is “Mother”. Even though it was very emotional and extremely upsetting to watch, it was paramount to see what happened in Norman’s past that causes him to transition into “Mother”. And with that we finally learn of Norman’s mental Illness diagnosis, Dissociative Identity Disorder (D.I.D). In Norman’s way of coping with all the traumatic events that occurred in his past he has created a defence mechanism, “Mother”. As she talks to Edwards, it's clear that she is there to protect Norman, but as we’ve seen in the past “Mother” will go to great lengths to do so. She pleads with the doctor not to reveal what she's shared with him to Norman or else she will have to do something about it. That line should not be underestimated by any means and I have a strong feeling that she will regret confiding in Dr. Edwards.
Another significant event that materialized in this episode was when Dylan discovered the stuffed animal and letter in Norman’s room. That led him to looking into previous guests at the motel and learning that Audrey had checked into the motel. Now the question is does he think she returned home or is actually missing? I’m sure we’ll see him dive deeper into that mystery next episode. In addition to this, we saw Romero hand off the key to Rebecca. I can’t help but believe this is only going to cause trouble for him. There’s no way that storyline is over and done with just yet. What do you think? Will we see Dylan investigate Audrey’s disappearance and will Romero regret handing over the key? Whatever the case, I'm sure we are in for a rollercoaster of a ride next Monday.
About the Author - Alexandra
Alexandra is an avid TV, film, and music fan from Canada. She attended film school and was a camera operator for a local sports show. Growing up she watched shows like Due South, Pretender, X-files, Early Edition, and Frasier. Her favourite shows are Bates Motel, The Mentalist, and The Closer. Alexandra will be reviewing Bates Motel, Proof, The Whispers and Masters of Sex.
