Bates Motel - S3E7 - The Last Supper

Previously on Bates Motel, ‘Norma Louise’

Dylan stops by the motel to chat with Emma. He hasn’t yet told Norma about Norman, but he will. In the meantime, he wants to take Emma out to dinner for helping with his family drama. She agrees. Quickly. Maybe too quickly. Speaking of family, her father arrives and demands that she come home. She’s still recovering from being up all night with the Bates boys. Emma is embarrassed, and Dylan is apologetic. Her father doesn’t blame Dylan, though. He blames Emma for not knowing her limitations.

Norman stares frostily at Norma as she picks up her new cell phone. He presses to know where she was the other night. She says she simply drove around and then stayed in a motel. He doesn’t believe her. She insults his budding manhood by telling him the way he’s staring at her is not masculine and unattractive. He looks like he wants to beat her to death with her new phone.

Outside the store, Norma turns on her new phone to find dozens of messages from Dylan and Romero, who tells her about being shot. Speaking of that, Bob Paris finds Marcus Young’s car (complete with dead Marcus) in his driveway. The note on his shirt acts as his official withdrawal to be sheriff. Well, his dead body kind of makes it more official.

Norman is shocked and annoyed to find Romero in her house and brushes off his concern that she’d been gone for 36 hours. He wants to know where the flash drive is, and she tells him.

Dylan visits Emma’s dad at his shop. Did I know and forget that he’s a taxidermist? Anyway, they have a chat about Emma’s health. She maybe only has a few years left, and he’s not happy with how she’s taking risks and possibly shortening that time. She’s on a transplant list, but probably won’t live long enough to make it to the top. For $20,000, the father has heard she can be bumped there, but he doesn’t have that kind of money. Dylan says he’ll be in touch and leaves. So, the father seemed to offer up that information a little too easily. Does he know about Dylan’s alleged drug dealings? Was he slyly asking for the money? He didn’t seem at all surprised when Dylan offered.

Romero heads up to the farm and after a bit of threats he gets Gunner to open up the flash drive. Romero goes through the ledgers and spies something interesting. He leaves with the drive, instructing Gunner not to tell Dylan he has it. Romero next confronts Bob about his mother’s name being on the account. Romero’s dad set that up; not his mother.

We Need To Talk About Norman

Dylan finally sits down with Norma to talk about his brother. She makes excuses at first, and even says that keeping him home will keep him safe. Dylan tells her what she already knows: Norman needs professional help.

Romero visits his father in prison and demands he has his dead mother’s name removed from the ledger. They rehash old demons: son blames father for mother’s death; father claims son is just like him and refuses to see that things weren’t his fault. Nothing is accomplished.

Caleb asks Dylan if he thinks Norma would mind if he stopped by the house. Nope. Why the hell would he even ask? It was one hug. Chick walks in and wants to talk about Caleb doing that job for him. Caleb says his circumstances have changed, but Dylan is interested - especially when he hears it pays $25,000, which is $5,000 more than the amount Emma’s dad low-key asked for. Caleb puts his newfound daddy foot down, even after he learns what the money is for. He won’t let Dylan take the risk. I’m assuming he’s going to do it for him. Oh, by the way, Chick gives up a bit more info about the job: gun running - relatively low-risk gun running as gun running goes.

Life Decisions

Finnigan stops by unannounced. He’s worried about Norma, but she says she’s fine. After a bit of pushing, she admits that she’s worried about Norman. He offers to help, but Norma means right now. She quickly ushers him downstairs and introduces him to Norman. Then she leaves the two of them alone and I became worried about Finnigan’s life expectancy.

They chat about Norman’s taxidermy and the buzzing he hears that goes away when he’s doing it. Then things escalate faster than you can say, “You wuddn’t ready for this, doc.” Norman wants to know what it was like when Finnigan slept with this mother. Finnigan tries to get the conversation back on track to something not completely creepy and gross, but Norman is relentless. When Finnigan asks Norman why he cares so much about his mother’s sex life and if maybe he wants to sleep with his own mother, Norman proceeds to choke the shit out of him. And for some reason, the doc doesn’t even fight back! When Norman lets him up, Finnigan hauls ass upstairs. He tells Norma she needs to get that boy some help.

Now, if that man doesn’t immediately head to the cops and report that attack, he’s a damn fool.

Norman lies, of course, saying that Finnigan said horrible things to him, but he can’t repeat them. For some reason, she doesn’t push. Well, we know why. She doesn’t want to know. Norman says he feels as if they are growing apart and she promises they are not. They will spend more time together.

Romero calls Norma for a ride. He’s drunk off his ass. Meanwhile, Emma is headed out to dinner with Dylan and her father is furious. She explains that her time is going to pass no matter what, and she doesn’t want to spend it locked in the house. Dylan is important to her and she wants to spend as much time as she can with him. Wait. What now? When did that happen?

Norma brings Romero back to the motel and insists he rest in one of the rooms. Before he passes out, he tells her about his mom. Then they almost kiss. Then he tells her she’s beautiful. This show is such a tease with these two.

Most Awkward Dinner Party EVER 

Norma’s making dinner and she insists Dylan bring Emma. Then she goes outside to cut some fresh basil or something, and find Caleb standing on the steps peeping at her like THAT shit is normal. She tells him they can’t be friends, but when he tries to leave she invites him in for dinner. Like you do with friends.

I’m going to highlight all the awkward moments in the dinner party below:

Dylan and Emma sit in the living room on their date/not date/whatthehellisit when Norma comes in with Caleb and announces he’ll be joining them for dinner. Emma hugs him hello like he’s not Norma’s rapist/brother/babydaddy. Caleb notes there’s a piano and asks if Norma still plays. Play something for me, Norma, he says. She does. And she sings. And then he sings with her. Dylan watches with a happy smile. Emma as well. Then Norman enters and watches like … well.. a psycho.

“You brought him into our house?” Norman whispers.

“I didn’t. She did,” Dylan replies.

Norman seethes.

Then Romero enters to say he’s leaving and Norma insists that he stays. When Caleb attempts to sit next to Norma at the head of the table, Norman stands so close to him he practically phases into the man. Caleb takes the hint and a different seat. Norma makes a speech, Dylan makes a toast, and everyone clinks glasses. Then Caleb stands up to make a speech blessing Norma and I practically died of awkwardliosis. It’s a thing. Look it up.

Later that night, after everyone has gone, Norma is asleep in her bed. Norman enters and gently runs his hand along her body and oh, my god, this show!