Caleb
After last weeks surprise entrance of Norma’s peadaphile brother Caleb, it looked as though we would see sparks flying when Norma learned of him trying to get back into her life. We also said goodbye to Bradley, as she got on a bus to flee the murder she committed in revenge for the death of her father. Dylan’s new boss was on the rampage, killing his business rivals, thinking it was they who killed Gil, with only Norman and Dylan knowing the truth about Bradley.
This episode shows the series is now getting into its stride as the multiple story strands start to become more interesting. The new characters we’re being introduced to are pretty intriguing and judging by next week’s trailer, have a lot more to them than meets the eye.
- Bates Motel
- Created by
Anthony Cipriano - Cast
Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot - Episode Release Date
17 March 2014 - Ed’s Grade: B+
Last week, Dylan got Bradley to write a suicide note before getting on her bus to leave everything behind, and we begin the episode with Emma showing Norman the newspaper headline which tells of how the police found Bradley’s clothes and suspect she’s dead as no body has been recovered. Emma is upset but more so for Norman as she knows he had feelings for her, but Norman isn’t acting as though he’d just lost a friend.
Norma performed extremely well at the audition for ‘South Pacific’ last episode but when she goes to the theatre to see if her name is on the list of successful candidates, she discovers the part has went to someone else. The woman who loved Norma’s audition (whose character name I can’t find but is played by Rebecca Creskoff) meets Norma as she storms out of the theatre. She explains to Norma that she’s quit because the part Norma should have won went to someone else because of friendship and not skill. She also tells Norma she finds her an interesting person and invites her to a party. At the party Norma is introduced to lots of people but the fact this woman has taken an unusual interest in Norma seems a little strange, however, going by next week’s trailer, she may have a hidden reason for her behaviour.
*****
Caleb makes his way to the motel where he meets Dylan, and tells him who he is after Dylan gives him the once over. Norma returns home in a good mood having just been invited to a party, but her mood soon changes when she sees who’s waiting for her in her kitchen. She screams at Caleb and throws him out, with Dylan staring on not knowing what’s happening. Caleb and Dylan meet up later in a bar where Caleb feeds Dylan a line about a great deal he wants Norma to buy into that will make them all rich. They talk about Norma with Caleb telling Dylan how their father abused her and how he was too young to stop it from happening. Dylan ends up getting the cash Caleb needs, eleven-and-a-half grand, with Caleb promising him he’ll make a small fortune on his investment.
Emma has a party to honor Bradley, where she meets a boy who appears to be interested in her. Norman meets a strange girl who goes to his school, Cody Brennan (Paloma Kwiatkowski, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters), and Norman watches as Cody makes out with some guy she meets. While the couple are kissing, the guy starts to feel up Norman’s leg, with Norman brushing his hand away. After it happens a second time, Norman gets up and tells them he’s heading home, buy Cody insists on walking him home. When Norman complains to Cody about what happened, Cody tells Norman they thought he was gay and expected him to be into that sort of thing. She tells Norman it’s the way he dresses that makes people think he’s gay.
After finding more dead bodies murdered in retaliation for Dylan’s new boss (Michael Eklund) killing the rival men last week, Dylan and Remo (Ian Tracey) bury the corpses. After the party Norma attends, while waiting on the valet bringing her car, she meets a man who claims to have been at the meeting where she tried to get her objections heard about the new bypass. The man’s name is Nick Ford, and gives Norma his card after she asks for his number. It’s clear, to me at least, Nick isn’t who he appears to be and may turn out to be another creep or someone dangerous to the Bates’.
Arriving home in a good mood, Norma walks in to the house, where Dylan begins to tell her what a great guy Caleb is, and how Caleb told him what happened between Norma and her paedophile father. Extremely upset, Norma tells Dylan how it was Caleb who raped her for years, with Dylan calling her a liar, but when Norman, who happens to know the truth, comes home, the brothers begin to fight. Norma screams at the boys, telling Norman, “he can’t help it, it’s his dad!” I actually suspected Caleb was Dylan’s father about half way through the episode.
TV Review by Lead Entertainment Writer, Ed Blackadder
