Bates Motel episode review — 4.5 — Refraction

Original air date: April 11, 2016
Director: Sarah Boyd
Writer: Erica Lipez

Rating: 7/10

In this episode, Norman is visited in the hospital by his mother, only he’s not actually. His doctor asks him if he was certain that had happened, or if it was possible that he could be remembering it a different way. This leads Norman to freaking out, and eventually his mother’s personality taking over and speaking with Dr. Edwards.

It’s a very intriguing scene, and Highmore plays it so subtly.

With her house being broken into, Norma wants some answers, but Romero assures her that this is because of him, though he doesn’t tell her much more than that. He continues to be vague about Bob Paris.

When she goes to get her stained glass windows replaced, Chick Hogan disguises himself as an artist to help her, but he really only wants information in finding Caleb, who had stolen money from him. She’s hesitant to help him, even though she obviously has enough against him.

The highlight of the episode is certainly the scene with Norman in therapy. The rest of it is pretty standard stuff, but that is certainly a standout scene, and I like that Norman is now forced to confront the possibility that he hallucinates conversations with his mother.