‘Bates Motel’ episode 8 review: Norman gets therapy – will it help?

On this week’s episode of “Bates Motel” Norman is really starting to unravel. After Emma tells everyone that he and Bradley slept together, Bradley tells Norman off and he becomes unhinged when his teacher tries to calm him down. The school principal calls Norma saying that not only will Norman be suspended for his behavior, but also that he should be seeing a therapist. When Norma takes Norman to therapy, the doctor notices that Norma answers all of the questions for Norman and suggests that she get some help for her controlling nature over him.

Norma is starting to realize that her decision to let the man in room 9 stay at the motel was a bad decision as his creepy nature starts to put her off when he starts asking questions about Shelby’s death and Keith Summers. She follows him to the pier and sees him searching one of the boats, but he discovers that Norma has followed him and he confronts her, saying that Keith Summers was only a “bottom rung” guy in the business and that he is in a top level position. The next day she returns the man’s money and tells him to get out of the motel. He threatens her, but packs up and leaves the motel (surely this is not going to be the last time we see him.)

The city’s proposal to put in a new by-pass will take the Bates Motel off the map, so Norma goes to Sheriff Romero asking to be put on the city counsel to try and stop it from happening. When Romero says he won’t help, she tries to blackmail him, but he threatens to “burn her down to the ground” and she realizes that she is in over her head.

Dylan goes on a road trip with his new employee who won’t stop riding him about the fact that he’s been in this business for 23 years, but the promotion went to Dylan. While in a bar they get into a fist fight which leads to them moving into a new phase – friendship or at least some sort of mutual understanding of each other. Dylan brings some “work” people to stay at the motel for 2 weeks and Norma is thrilled that he’s brought her some business. It leads to a really nice moment between Norma and Dylan where she asks him out to dinner to spend some mother/son time together. Unfortunately nothing ever goes well at the Bates Motel and when Norma goes into her room to change she discovers the autopsied body of Shelby laid out on her bed.

With only two episodes of “Bates Motel” left, do you think that Norma will be able to get out of this mess with the man from room number 9? Leave us a comment and tell us what you expect to see happen during the final two episodes.

Photo: A&E