Bates Motel Season 5 Series Finale Review: This Is How It Ends

As Norman so aptly put it during the finale "This is how it ends". But before we dive into Norman's fate, let's take a quick look back. I had some serious reservations at the beginning of season 5. How could they kill off one of the two main characters? Would the audience stick around for life after Vera Farmiga? Obviously I didn't have enough faith in the show. "Bates" knew exactly what it was doing.

We see Norman descend further and further into mental illness. It's been two years since his mother's death. Norma may be stuffed and in the basement but she is still very much alive in Norman's mind. She's happily cooks breakfast. She wakes him up with a kiss. And when someone threatens his world, Mother quickly disposes of them.

Dylan, Emma and their new baby are blissfully ignorant of the goings on in White Pine Bay. They don't even know Norma is dead. Romero is in prison for perjury. He spends his days buffing up and planning revenge against Norman. Meanwhile town weirdo Chick has befriended Norman (because he's secretly writing a book about him). The dinner scene was especially hilarious. Chick tries to have a conversation with Norma despite the fact that he's talking to an empty chair.

We meet new hardware store owner Madeline Loomis. She is the spitting image of a younger Norma. Meanwhile Caleb (I had almost forgotten about him) returns to town. Things dont go well. Caleb is locked up in the basement by Mother. Norman tries to kill him but can not. Caleb escapes only to be accidentally run over by Chick.

The last few episodes of "Bates Motel" touch on the "Psycho" legacy but add a new spin. Rihanna makes a guest appearance as Marion Crane (originally played by Janet Leigh). She is having an affair with Sam Loomis. She thinks he's single but Sam is actually married to hardware store owner Madeline. Marion impulsively steals a large sum of money from her employer and is on the lamb. She arrives at the hotel and needs to freshen up. Uh oh. We know what's next. It's the most famous shower scene in the history of cinema. But the joke is on us. Marion survives. Norman convinces her to leave immediately. He's worried that Mother will kill her. Instead Norman catches Sam in the shower and stabs him over and over again. Way to fake us out "Bates Motel"!

It eventually all comes crashing down around Norman. The police dredge the lake and discover the bodies of Audrey (Emma's mom) and Jim Blackwell (the guy that was in jail with Alex). We learn that doctor Dr Edwards (Norman's therapist) has been missing for a year. The police check an old well and retrieve Sam's body. Norman is taken into custody.

And that takes us up to the finale. Romero comes gunning for Norman and breaks him out of jail (at gunpoint). He wants Norman to take him to Norma's body. She's currently buried in the woods. Alex cries over his wife's lifeless body, Oh the feels! Norman sneaks up on Alex and repeatedly whacks him in the head with a rock. He then shoots Romero at point blank range. Alex's last words are "You killed your own mother. You cant hide from that". True, but Norma is definitely giving it a good try.

Norman returns to the motel with Norma in his arms. He seems to have completely forgotten all the events after his/Norma's arrival in town. He calls Dylan to come over for dinner. Is Dylan a goner too? He calls Emma to tell her he loves her. This sounds very final. Luckily Dylan is not stupid and brings a gun. Dylan throws up upon seeing his mother's lifeless body at the table.

Norman wants Dylan to share in his delusion. His brother says "What I really want is something that can never happen. I want you to be happy". Norman responds with "If you believe hard enough, you can make it that way". Dylan isn't having any of it. Norman attacks him with a knife thus forcing Dylan to shoot his brother. Norman wants to join his mother in death. Remember, he tried unsuccessfully to do the same at the end of season 4 (when he gassed Norma and himself). She died but he survived. Norman dies in Dylan's arms. He envisions running through the woods and into Norma's waiting arms.

And in the final scenes of the series, Dylan and Emma and their now older daughter share a tender moment. Luckily the trauma of dealing with Norman did not destroy their relationship. I was seriously worried.

The camera pans over the cemetery. Norman is laid to rest next to his mother. While Norma's tombstone is very wordy, Norman's simply has the dates listed. What else is there to say? And across town, a realtor shows a family the "price reduced" house and motel. Life continues in White Pine Bay.

Grade: 5 Monsters (out of 5). Perfection! "Bates Motel" ends exactly as it should have. Norman finally gets his happy ending. He will spend eternity with his beloved mother. And the townsfolk can rest a little easier. Norman knocked off eleven people by my count-- his father, school teacher Ms Watson, Keith Summers (previous motel owner who raped Norma), Norman's girlfriend Bradley, his friend's father, Audrey, Jim Blackwell, Dr Edwards (presumed), Sam Loomis, Romero and of course Norma. Chick accidentally ran over Caleb. Romero knocked off quite a few people on his own including Chick. Please let me know in the comments if I've forgotten anyone.

"Bates Motel" has over five seasons taken us an excellent journey. They somehow managed the impossible and actually elevated the source material. They also succeeded in making us care about two highly dysfunctional and murderous characters. Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga deserve ALL the awards. I dont think we'll be seeing this level of acting again anytime soon.