5x06 Marion

What the hell!

The last years people are talking a lot of feminism, so why did they put a man to do the most classic scene in one of the Best horror movies in history? Why?

This episode was good and everything is nicely done, but at a moment just started to look like the classic and then suddenly they changed? Ok, it's good to change otherwise we would be watching 5 seasons to rewatch the same thing in the final season and that would be probably boring, but that end? Seriously? I didn't like Austin in The Walking Dead, he died there for a really good reason (cuz he was an asshole in the whole season and he just appears in bates to do the same shit?!) and I was expecting Bates Motel to do the Classics with a lot more fun and suspense you know? Hitchcocks Psycho was supposed to be in black and white cuz people in that time could be terrified with the shower scene, but now? C'mon, we have Vera Farmiga in the cast, one of the most famous actresses in horror movies at the moment, why didn't she make it? Why wasn't Rihanna's death? Where's the blood? The scream? The suspense? The soundtrack? Of course they wouldn't use the same soundtrack but they could elevated a lot. The whole season till now has been incredible, but I had higher expectations for the shower scene!

To me, this episode is one of TV’s masterpieces, and it’s also one of the most important for Norman’s story. Sure, Rihanna’s appearance as Marion grabs attention—she’s already iconic thanks to Psycho—but what really stands out is Norman’s psychological journey. Things get way more intense in this chapter, where he tries to deal with his own mind and push away that “Mother” who keeps haunting and manipulating him.

What impressed me the most was how emotionally lost Norman is. He’s always fought against these two parts of himself, but now he’s finally facing the truth: it’s not just knowing something’s wrong, it’s realizing he’s powerless against it. The loneliness and this need to control his relationships are what made “Mother” always try to protect Norman from his own pain. But in the end, this only leads him to make decisions that turn out to be more destructive than anything else. Norman’s no longer killing like some puppet in his mother’s hands—he’s doing it on his own, which is a huge shift for the character we’ve known up until now.

The show has always been great at exploring themes like loneliness, control, and trauma, and in this episode, that’s put front and center, especially when Norman talks about how pain shapes our choices. He gets that his suffering is what’s behind all the destruction he causes, and hurting others is his way of trying to ease his own agony. It’s sad but also very human, right? Who hasn’t tried to get rid of their pain, even if the way we choose to do it is bad? That’s what’s happening here. And Norman’s heading down a tragic, irreversible path.

Another thing I really liked was how the episode played with the audience’s expectations, especially with the twist on the famous Psycho shower scene. Instead of killing Marion, the show takes out Sam Loomis, which was a big surprise. It shows how Bates Motel managed to create its own story, stepping away from the original material. It was a smart move because it made the season more unpredictable, something that’s been a hallmark of the narrative. The scene of Sam getting what he deserved, after betraying both Marion and Madeleine, was pretty satisfying for anyone expecting a more traditional outcome.

What intrigues me the most now is where this new version of Norman is headed. He’s aware of what he’s doing and still chooses to follow these murderous impulses on his own. That totally changes how we see the character. Before, you could say he was under the influence of his illness, but now he’s kinda embracing his dark side to try and escape his emotional pain. That just makes his tragedy even deeper and sadder.

But this decision to make Norman act consciously could be risky for the show’s ending. One of the reasons we felt empathy for him was because he didn’t have control over what was happening. Now, with him taking the reins, the story might lose some of its emotional depth and become more straightforward... But I hope the show manages to keep the balance and psychological complexity that’s made Norman such an interesting character so far. I trust these writers!

Also, the direction in this episode was flawless. Phil Abraham really kept the classic Bates Motel style while adding some subtle Hitchcock nods without going overboard. The tension in the scenes with Marion at the motel was really well done. Even knowing the story was heading in a different direction from Psycho, the episode did a great job building suspense about what was going to happen.

Overall, this episode was a fantastic experience for someone like me who’s a fan of the show. At the same time, it left a few big questions hanging for the season finale. What’s gonna happen to Norman now that he’s embraced violence to escape his trauma? How’s this going to affect his future? The episode leaves us with this bittersweet feeling—like, we get that Norman might be lost forever, but we’re also on the edge, waiting for a conclusion that’s going to leave a mark on all the fans.