Bates Motel Recap: “A Boy and His Dog”

by Jessica Grafer:

Bates Motel Recap: “A Boy and His Dog”
Original Air Date (A&E): Monday May 6, 2013
Season 1 Episode 8

Emma is in the bathroom at school and coughing up a storm.  Poor thing.  She gets that under control but is still in the stall when some other girls come in the bathroom.  They start talking about how pathetic it is that poor, strange Norman Bates stares at Bradley with those puppy dog eyes.  Bradley is so nice.  She just was too nice to the loser and now he thinks he actually has a chance.  The trash talk gets so bad Emma can’t stay quiet any longer.  She comes out of the stall and tells the popular girls they better get their facts straight.  Emma doesn’t know if Bradley has sex with all of her pets but she certainly has had sex with Norman.  You also have toilet paper on your shoe.  BURN.  Way to go Em!  Don’t think this gossip is going to go over well with Bradley and her boyfriend though.  A good story travels quickly in high school and before too long Bradley confronts Norman in the hallway.  She tells Norman she wants to forget what happened.  Norman sees this as a good way to let people know about their relationship.  Problem is, Bradley has a relationship with another boy and she’s not looking to change.  Bradley wishes all of this would just go away.  Norman of course keeps his composure but decides he’s got to get out of there.  Miss Watson tries to stop him from leaving and Norman flips out.  Seriously shows his out of control side.

Norma is down at the cop shop trying to get Sheriff Romero to put in a good word for her so she can fill a vacant seat on the City Planning Committee.  She thinks maybe she can stop that new bypass by influencing the committee.  Romero says why?  We don’t owe each other anything.  You don’t know me, I don’t know you.  Don’t ever try to intimidate me.  We aren’t on the same playing field and you, Norma, have no idea what you’re doing.  Why Norma thought she and Romero were buds is beyond me.  I would’ve thought she’d try to lay low for a while.  Anyway, he puts her in her place and she leaves disappointed.  To add to her mood the principal from Norman’s school calls and wants her to stop in.

Dylan and Remo need to go to Cali and pick up some trimmers.  Dylan has to google “trimmer” to figure out they are the peeps who cut and prepare the pot.  It’s ok Dylan, you’re cute.  You don’t have to be that smart.  It’s an overnight trip and that night Remo gets stinking drunk.  He’s pissed Dylan is his boss, he has 23 years in the biz after all.  A bar brawl ensues.  It ends up being a draw.  Dylan was fighting with one arm remember.  They end up with a tentative respect for each other.  The next day they pick up the trimmers.  One guy is a guitar playing douche Remo remembers from last year.  He tells Dylan they should leave him behind, he’s a troublemaker.  Dylan wants to bring them all because that’s what Gil said to do.  Remo does what the boss wants and the douche and the rest of the trimmers get in the van and they start back.  Midway through the trip the guitar playing kid aggravates Remo with his singing voice.  Remo tells him to knock it off.  Danny (guitar playing douche) starts giving attitude.  I think Dylan wants to prove his allegiance to Remo.  Dylan tells Remo to pull over and he orders Danny and his guitar our of the van by gun point.  Not sure if there will be any consequences for dumping the kid.  He doesn’t seem like one to take a scolding or criticism lightly.

Norma goes to the school and it’s recommended Norman see the school psychologist.  The principal and Miss Watson are concerned with Normans instability and the fact that he seems to be emotionally unusual.  Norma prefers to take him to a private therapist.  The school is fine with that but they would like the name and number.  Norma practically runs out of the school.  She can’t just blow this off.  Norma and Norman do make an appointment with a therapist.  He asks Norman to tell him about his dads death.  Norman starts to speak but then Norma finishes it for him.  Then the therapist asks Norman how it felt to move to a new city.  Norman tries to answer but when he pauses, Norma finishes for him again.  The therapist tries to reschedule with Norman for next week but of course Norma says they’re busy and she’s not sure that will work.  He talks to Norma alone and asks her candidly if she’s ever been in therapy.  He ends up telling her that it appears she has a need to control things.  Usually that happens when deep down inside, you feel a loss of said control.  Norma freaks out.  How dare he analyze her?  He doesn’t know anything about her.  She’s totally in control and she feels great, dammit!  That’s the end of the therapy session.

Abernathy has been creeping Norma out.  Before the run in with the therapist, she decides to figure out what he’s doing.  Norma, indiscreetly, follows Abernathy to Summer’s boat.  He’s looking for something.  He catches Norma spying on him.  Abernathy seems to think Norma knows exactly what Zack Shelby was into and she knows what he’s looking for.  Norma says she has no idea what he’s talking about but Abernathy doesn’t believe her.  He tells her when she remembers to come talk to him in nine.  Well, after the therapist accusing her of feeling like she has no control, Norma decides to get control of the Abernathy situation. She bangs on the door of room nine and tells him to get out.  She doesn’t want him or whatever business he had with Summers going on here.  Abernathy tells her she better dial it down before he gets pissed.  Norma threatens to call the cops if he’s not gone in five minutes.  Abernathy leaves.

Norman has been working with Emma’s father Will.  He’s taken quite an interest in taxidermy.  Norma talks to Will about it maybe not being so great for Norman.  After all he already is different.  They don’t want Norman labeled a freak.  Not that you’re a freak, Will.  Way to stick your foot in your mouth yet again, Norma.  Will says Norman is happy when he’s there working.  He’s calm and it’s good for a child to have a hobby.  Norma seems to have given in and Norman spends a lot of time at Emma’s house.  Earlier Norman had told Emma to never tell his secrets again.  Emma hadn’t told Norman about the girls talking smack about him.  She didn’t want to hurt him.  However, Emma doesn’t want him mad at her, so she decides to tell him she was defending him.  Emma tells Norman that he is really special to her.  She knows that he might never be her boyfriend, but he is a very good friend of hers.  Norman makes her feel safe and she doesn’t want to lose him.  That’s why she had to tell those girls they were wrong.  Norman tells her that it’s all ok.  Emma practically tackles Norman with a big hug.  Norman hugs her back and that’s when dad walks in.  Will is happy with the hug.  He wants Emma to be happy and  he seems to like Norman.

Dylan brings the trimmers to the motel to stay.  Norman is ecstatic.  When she tells Dylan she got rid of the guy in room nine she acts all cocky.  I took care of it, she tells him, you were right he was a creep.  Cool, is all Dylan says to that.  Norma is in such a good mood she invites Dylan out to dinner.  Just the two of them.  Dylan accepts.  Even though he acts like he hates her and doesn’t care what she thinks, she is still his mom and you can tell how happy he is when she talks to him.  Norma goes up to get changed out of her cleaning clothes.  She was furiously cleaning room nine.  Trying to get all the ickiness out.  She walks into her room all happy when she sees the autopsied body of Zack Shelby laying on her bed.  Gross!  He’s got a smile on his face too.  Norma starts screaming for Norman but he’s not home.  Don’t know how Abernathy got Shelby’s body to her house so quickly.  The ties and connections in this town all seem to be toxic.  I wonder if anyone that lives there is untouched by the evil.

Jessica Grafer has loved the “darker” things since she was old enough to pick her own books. She is a contributor for DarkMedia who covers Revenge and Bates Motel. She loves to walk the book store shelves and pick up whatever catches her eye. She is a movie lover with a great range in her tastes, and appreciation for all genres. Jessica is a writer and has several things in the works. You can follow her quirky Twitter posts at @scarletbe and check out her blog.