Bates Motel - S5E6 - Marion

Previously on Bates Motel, “Dreams Die First”

The meeting of Norman Bates and Marion Crane (Rihanna) seemed destined for tragedy, and not just because of the infamous shower scene in Psycho.

She arrives on his doorstep on a cold and rainy night, hoping to connect with her boyfriend, Sam. He’s just come to the realization that his mother is only in his head. Because she’s a pretty girl, Norman is his soft-spoken, charming self. He checks her in, gives her a steep discount, and even offers to make her a ham sandwich. In the kitchen, he’s confronted by Mother, who thinks Norman’s just upset because he knows about her one-night stand.

Norman admits that he finally understands she’s not really his mother; she’s only there because of the pretty girl staying in the motel. He sets out to prove he doesn’t need her and that he’s not a danger to anyone. But Norman cannot deny what has become his nature. As he creepily strokes a stuffed bird, he tells Marion that love is a trap and danger lies in not knowing if the person you love is even real.

This waters the seeds of doubt Marion already has for Sam and their relationship. When she finally gets Sam on the phone, she hears Madeleine in the background before he hangs up. While Marion tries to wash away her anger in the shower, Norman watches from the office and masturbates. Marion asks Norman for Sam’s home address from the ledger, and he reveals that Sam is married before giving it to her. Marion goes full bad girl RiRi on Sam’s car before roaring off in her own car. Having witnessed the confrontation, Madeleine locks Sam out of the house.

Dylan calls and confronts Norman about their mother’s death. More than not being told for two years, Dylan doesn’t believe Norma committed suicide. Later, Norman isn’t sure the conversation is real and he refuses to eat the dinner Mother has prepared. She taunts him at first. Then she plays the victim and wonders why Norman is being mean to her. Finally, she screams and wrecks the kitchen, refusing to stop until Norman admits she’s real.

Norman’s control is put to the test when he finds Marion packing to leave. She cries over Sam, resting her head on Norman’s shoulder. He resists the urge to hurt her, and helps her to pack and leave instead. This, of course, is a twist of the events in Psycho. However, we still get our shower scene.

Mother admits Norman created her to deal with all the things he couldn’t, like his father’s abuse. If he wants to know the truth, that means feeling the pain. She pushes him, bringing up his father, until Norman explodes. He kills Sam, who came to the motel looking for Marion, stabbing him repeatedly in the shower. It made all the sense in the world for the show to put its own mark on that iconic scene, yet it was still a pleasant surprise.

Marion Crane has to be the most trusting soul in the world. She fell for Sam’s lies, and despite his awkward creepiness, she made a genuine connection with Norman. She even overlooked all the panting and sweating he was doing when he told her to leave, and still hugged him goodbye.

Not enough can be said for the work Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore put into these roles. You legitimately forget that Mother isn’t a living breathing character. Farmiga masterfully delivers all the different aspects of Norma’s personality in the blink of an eye. It’s going to be interesting watching them interact now that Norman believes he and his hallucination are on equal footing.