Bates Motel Season 5 Episodes 1-2 Reviews: I'm A Caretaker For A Mentally Ill Person

As "Bates Motel" enters it's fifth and final season, the show keeps getting better and better. Norman passed the point of no return last year when he killed Norma in a murder/suicide gone bad. Some two years later Norma still appears regularly as a manifestation of Norman's warped psyche. There are three different "flavors" of Norma:

The Norma that spends her days cooking and cleaning for Norman. She is sequestered in the house after faking her own death (in order to dedicate herself solely to her son). Norman spends the majority of his time interacting with this version.
The Norma that does bad things which Norman then has to clean up. This is the Norma that appears when Norman blacks out. He is not aware of "her" actions until after the fact. The audience sees this version (ie "Mother") as Norman in a blonde wig. More on her later.
The Norma that is dead and stuffed in the basement. Some part of Norman really does know that his mother is dead. At the end of episode 1 we see him go to the basement to embrace her.

In other news, Norman meets a woman (Madeleine Loomis) who bears a striking resemblance to Norma. She is married but Norman knows something Madeleine doesnt. Her husband is cheating with someone we don't see (it's Rihanna) at the Bates Motel. Sam calls himself "David Davidson" when checking in. Norman later goes on an uncomfortable double date with the couple and their friend Joanne. San threatens to beat him up if Norman tells Madeleine about the affair. Will Norma-Lite survive the season or will Mother off her?

Romero is in jail for five years on a trumped up perjury charge. He contacts his lawyer after being beaten by another inmate. He wants to be transferred somewhere closer to his stepson. Speaking of which, Norman visits Alex to rub his nose in the fact that he's still alive. He thinks Alex sent a guy to kill him. Jim Blackwell had a nasty demise and ended up at the bottom of a well. While disposing of the body, Jim's phone rings. It's Alex was on the other end. Norman also still blames Romero for his forced stay in the mental hospital.

Caleb visits Dylan and Emma (who now have a baby) in Seattle. They are all blissfully ignorant of Norma's death. You can beat they'll head back to see Norman and something horrific will happen. I wish the show would just leave them alone. Somebody on "Bates Motel" deserves a happy ending.

Caleb heads back to White Pine Bay where he learns of Norma's death. He doesnt believe that Norma would commit suicide so breaks into the house to confront Norman. Really bad idea. He finds Stuffed-Norma in the basement but is bashed on the head by Mother. Chick is close behind. Norman/Norma says to him" "Well now you know Chick. I'm still alive." Is that the end of Caleb? Will Mother start confiding in Chick (who is secretly writing a book)? How ironic would it be it be if Chick ended up in the same freezer he repaired for their budding taxidermy business? Ha!

Grade: 4 3/4 (out of 5). A great start to the final season. Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga continue to knock it out of the park. Those two have some SERIOUS acting chops. The scene where Mother/Son talk to the bartender is an example. We see both flawlessly deliver the same lines. "I'm a caretaker for a mentally ill person" sums up the entire series in one sentence..