"Bates Motel" A and E Series 1 Episode 9 "Underwater" 2013 review

"Why do crazy people keep gravitating towards me?" cries Norma. The funniest line of the night. Her confrontation with Ra'uf and the rest of the stoners was hilarious. One told her to "Chill".
An irate Norma does a Ruth Buzzi/Artie Johnson "Laugh In" tribute (attacks the real estate guy with her hand bag). Seeking consolation, she beds down with Norman.
Norman bonds with his teacher, Miss Watson (with dress and make up like she stepped out of the early 1960's). Dylan and Bradley also do some bonding. Olivia Cooke plays a funny scene after Emma has scarfed a 'herbal' cupcake.
The old killer in the backseat routine is used in the final scene. Come on, Norma, always check before getting into your vehicle.
Next week's series finale should be a doozy.

"Bates Motel" Season 1, Episode 8 "A Boy and his Dog", A and E , TV series, review, no spoilers

How appropriate for Mr Decody, Emma's taxidermist dad, to have a Hitchcock like English accent. Norman has a new hobby - taxidermy ... things are fitting in nicely now. What about when he exploded with his well-meaning teacher. Freddie Highmore plays the tortured Norman like a tightly wound spring  The strength of this series lies in the talent of two leads, Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore.

I liked Emma's (Olivia Cooke) high school toilet confrontation: Emma - 1, Mean Girls - 0.
Mr Abernathy also showed his true colours, went from quiet menace with Norma to popping a little surprise in her bed. Intrigued by sleazy Sheriff Romano's mention of the "big boss" to Norma (if my ears didn't deceive me). Isn't the actor a dead ringer for Anthony Perkins? Dylan, the prodigal son, is turning out to be Mr Nice Guy. Yes, I googled "trimmers".

"Bates Motel" Episode 7 "The Man in Number 9" Series 1 TV show review

This show had a different pace from last week's episode. It focused on character development rather than action. Lots of interesting tidbits, though. Liked the spooky noises in the night at Norma's place. The stray dog and Norman were a great team. Also liked Norman's erotic bedroom fantasy with Bradley. Mr Abernathy (Jere Burns) is a great creepy addition to the mix.
I enjoyed the Hitchcock reference of the cheesy back projection in the car with Norma and Emma. Hope it was intentional rather than a question of budget. Both Norma and Nancy Drew (Emma) are obsessed with Norman. Who knew they would be a team?
The unrequited love scene at  Bradley's door and the dog-meets-speeding car scene cemented Norman's downward spiral into residency at Chateau Weirdo.
Next episode?
Dylan and Bradley hook up? Norman takes pooch to Emma as she has a taxidermy connection. Referencing "Psycho" 1960.
Mid series questions:
What's the story with the sheriff covering up for his deputy? What happened to Jiao? What sort of "sales" is creepy Mr Abernathy group-booking Bates Motel for?

Why my wife hated Episode 6 of "Bates Motel", "The Truth", review

This is a guest post from my wife:

What a disappointing load of bollocks this episode was! I've loved this series so far so I'm really pissed off that this was such a shallow, obvious piece of crap.
I love it when I'm watching a film or TV program and I say, "Wow, I didn't see that one coming!" Well, this certainly didn't happen here. I saw the ending coming as soon as Norma (Vera Fermiga) went to a motel room for a bit of nooky with her dodgy lover.
It didn't make sense! Norma should so easily have said to the deputy, "Sorry, the boys will be home soon" or "Take me now, here on the patio" or even "Not tonight, I have a splitting headache."
But no, off they toddle to do the dirty in the motel room close to Jiao, the escaped sex slave. STUPID STUPID STUPID. Norma would not have done this.
The other predictable bit of writing came with the obvious physical similarities between Dylan and the bent cop, Shelby. You knew that at some stage there would be a confrontation between these two and we wouldn't know which one would make it after the shootout.
What a disappointment. Perhaps the writer(s) have used up all their good ideas. I don't know whether I'll be watching again. Maybe just one more time, to see if this was just an anomaly.

"Bates Motel" Episode 6 "The Truth" review, spoilers, TV series

A bit of a hotchpotch this episode.  It didn't make sense for Norma to allow the horny deputy to get so close to Jiao's motel room. This is totally not like Norma. Why didn't they bonk in the main house? This was a bit of a script setup.  The shootout scene in Chateau Bates was a bit over the top, but good fun. Norman spends a good part of the episode in a glassy eyed, trance like state, poor love.
I suppose this episode nicely establishes the bond between Norma and Normette. The police investigating the 'accident' in the garage must have been slack. Mr Bates was struck by Norman on the back of the skull. The metal shelves hit him on his front, below the head. Was the mortal blow supposed to be falling against the garage floor?
Best bit: Watch how Norma hesitantly hugs Emma, like she is gradually learning a new emotion.
Bro Dylan summed it up beautifully to Norman: His "father was a bastard and Norma is insane".
Nice to see some well recreated Bates scenery from the 1960 movie - the Victorian turreted house still grabs me, the internal staircase, the motel walkway. No basement scenes yet. I'm sure Carlton Cuse (creator) has factored that in.

NB Series producer, Mark Wolper, is following in his dad's footprints (David L. Wolper, super producer of TV blockbusters in the 1970's and 1980's like "Roots" and "The Thorn Birds", many movies - the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and "L.A. Confidential").

"Bates Motel" Episode 5 "Ocean View" TV series, A and E, recap, review

Emma Decody (Olivia Cooke), super sleuth (Nancy Drew avec wheelie oxygen tank) is back. I've missed her. She shares Norman's taste in dorky sweater choices (crap stripes, Fair Isle?).  She finally tracks down Asian sex slave, Jiao. Emma asks Norman to clean up Jiao's vom back at the Bates Motel .... Norman, steer clear of the shower, that comes LATER.

Norma is becoming a real worry for Norman.  Looking unusually normal, he comes swaggering home (sans crap sweater) from an amorous night with Bradley, only to meet unforgiving, guilt-trip-inducing Norma, fresh out of the slammer. Poor Norman, a psycho in the making. The scene in the Mercedes with Norma and Normette is a beauty. Two exceptional actors (Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore) show their stuff.
Dylan (is it me, or does his top row of choppers look different since the last ep) is the voice of reason in this affair. The two bros looked cute on the motor bike. Dylan has no time for Norma. For good reason. Who will she top in the next episode?  Loverboy, Deputy Shelby, the only one who knows about the incriminating evidence?

"Bates Motel" TV series, "Trust Me" Episode 4 review, spoilers

A very eventful episode.  Norma feels a cop - or does she cop a feel? Hot sex in Motel Unit 5. Norman gets lucky as well with Bradley. Half bro Dylan is turning out to be Norman's ally and a very appealing character.
Everytime Norman inhales strongly through his nose, you know he is thinking nasty thoughts, watch the interplay between shifty Sheriff Shelby and Norman in the street after dark. That poor Asian girl is still waiting for Norman to rescue her, but the Boy Wonder is getting his leg over with Bradley (Nicola Peltz). Peltz seemed to be channelling Mia Sara ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off') in the chocolate sundae scene with Norman.

"Bates Motel" Episode 3 "What's Wrong with Norman?" review

Norman's half-bro Dylan (Max Thieriot) is more mellow in this episode. Must be all the drugs he and his gun toting buddies are guarding in the fog strewn forest. He brushes off Norman's apology for trying to kill him ("No sweat"). He tells Norman that he "should get out more" and not call Mrs Bates "Mother" all time.
 Dylan enters the family kitchen with the line, "Good morning, Mr and Mrs Bates". Perhaps he should have called Norman, "Master Bates"?
Okay, in high school that joke was hilarious. I'll get back to my crappy review.

Norman has a meltdown at school, prefers to watch 1930's movies in his spare time and still has two teenage girls clamouring for him.
Norman discovers a doozy of a secret in the sheriff's basement while looking for the incriminating bloody belt. The last 10 minutes of the episode moved like the clappers. I am officially hooked.
Still waiting for more info on Norman's dead dad's "garage accident".

"Bates Motel" Episode 2 "Nice town you picked, Norma" review

"Nice town you picked, Norma" sums up the episode.
A whole can of worms has been opened in ep 2. This town has as many skeletons in its closet as "Twin Peaks". Sorry, that was a crap sentence. The writing in this episode is a LOT better.This is a pretty smart series, so far.
For a start Momma Bates' (Norma.... who knew?) first born appears, Dylan (Max Thieriot). What a charmer, not.  Needless to say the bros don't kick it off. Norman has a new study-buddy (Emma) with cystic fibrosis (terminal, as Norma indelicately enquires on their first meeting). Emma is a great little detective, as well as a William Blake fan. It is hard to run from rifle toting dudes when you have an oxygen bottle strapped to you.
Momma Bates is being seduced by dodgy Deputy Shelby, who hints at the underbelly of his town. Don't f**k with the city fathers. Well for a start, they have some sex slavery ring going on - see sketches of semi-naked Asian girls from last week - Norman found a pad last week in a motel room (No 4?). Two people have been incinerated in a 24 hour period - one in a BMW 7 series, another hanging artistically in the town square. Nice location photography in British Columbia, by the way.
The labyrinthine plot has nods to Psycho.  Check out the Norman's girlfriend's taxidermy store. The whole of the Bates' house and motel is stuck in a 1960 time warp - that decor in the kitchen!  Norman watches a classic black and white movie in his room.
Weird observations:
Is it just me or is Vera Farmiga looking more and more like Felicity Huffman? No relation, the former having Ukrainian parents.
The sheriff resembles Anthony Perkins circa 1960's - that haircut.

Bring on next week, it's gettin' good. Can the scriptwriters maintain this cracking pace? I am wearying of "The Following", it's running out of puff....Ryan better catch some high ranking dudes pretty fast, perhaps in ep 10...but I digress).