3.3. Persuasion The great tragedy of Bates Motel has always been watching flawed people with the best intentions make a nightmare situation worse with every action, and this week we saw yet another nail driven into the eventual coffin of the Bates family. Norman is overcome with rage at the judgement that surrounds him and it seems only a matter of time before that rage destroys another life. He may not have killed Annika Johnson, but the next girl probably won’t be as lucky. Although ‘lucky’ is really the wrong word to use in regard to poor Annika. The immediate assumption is that she ran afoul of the Arcanum Club, and her dying return to the Bates Motel may bring the central characters colliding into this new, mysterious world. I honestly don’t know how to feel about that idea; sure, the Arcanum Club is vaguely interesting and I like Kevin Rahm turning up in anything, but Bates Motel doesn’t have the best track record in subplots that aren’t directly related to Norman’s growing psychosis. Still, I’ll reserve judgement until I know more. Elsewhere, Persuasion was kind of a slow episode. We got Emma dressing up to catch Norman’s eye, we got a glimpse of the conflict over the sheriff’s office yet to come and we got the promise of Norma seeking some much needed therapy. But, while there was not a lot of forward momentum, it was the Norma/Norman stuff that kept the show nice and compelling this week, with brilliant performances on both parts. Freddie Highmore managed to depict Norman’s explosive anger without veering into overacting and Vera Farmiga’s ability to perfectly play both the batty, damaged real Norma and the cold, smirking Mother of Norman’s imagination is astounding. Norman is turning more and more to the dangerous split personality that we know will eventually consume him; the only question is when ‘Mother’ will start to become apparent to those around him, and who, if anyone, will survive the introduction. So far Bates Motel isn’t really breaking new ground in season three, but with more consistent writing and performances it has become a lot easier to trust in the story and go along with the ride. Even in quieter instalments the sense of creeping dread and stellar acting keeps things interesting and promises some brilliant stuff to come. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
