So last episode when Normal told Norman he had to go get the belt from Shelby’s place apparently it wasn’t really ‘Norman’ who was doing it. It was crazy psycho Norman in some kind of murderous trance. Because just s he was walking towards Shelby’s Dylan happened to be driving by and sees him on the street. Instead of calling out to him, he followed his brother. Usually I would think that was unreasonable but considering the fact that Norman just tried to kill Dylan recently in a similar murderous trance?

Well. Maybe don’t call out to your crazy brother.

While Norman was downstairs with the Chinese sex slave, Dylan sees Shelby come home and tries to divert his attention. He rings the doorbell and pretends that his bike is out of gas. It buys Norman enough time to get away from the girl who is desperately clinging to him. Dylan then drives home and beats Norman there. On the porch he tries to ask Norman what’s up but he blows him off. C’mon, Norman. Dylan just wants to look out for you.

But, he might not have been ‘Norman’ at the time anyway. So there’s that.

Norman goes to Emma’s place the next day for some reason. Maybe to tell her about the girl in the basement. Maybe not. Unfortunately, she is sick and can’t come to the door. Her father tells him that she’ll be happy be came by, though. Then has a man to man talk with him about his daughter and how she’s sick and how he knows that Emma has a crush on Norman. He just asks Norman to be a decent guy.

Unlike Shelby who is awkwardly banging Norman’s mom. Rather, fingering her in a police car. I really just… don’t understand this at all. I really don’t. They go have sex in a room at the motel and, honestly, Norma seems way too into it. To the point that I really have no idea who is manipulating who. When they are done with their pillow talk Dylan is awkwardly sitting outside the room they were having sex in and sort of stares down Shelby. I really sometimes wonder what the hell is going through Dylan’s mind half the time. Like, his mom is crazy. I feel like she would kill him. What’s his game?

He buys groceries for the house and says he wants to contribute. Norma actually smiles when she sees that… until Dylan asks her about Shelby. Though she can’t really argue when Dylan tells her to be careful and that he doesn’t trust Shelby.

Norman doesn’t either but he has reasons. The guy is banging his mom and, you know, he has a Chinese sex slave in his basement. Shelby even super awkwardly tries to explain to Norman that he likes Norma and wants to get to know Norman better. Even offers to take him fishing. Which Norman obviously doesn’t want to do. Until he mentions a secret spot with lots of fish and I think Normal realizes that he can probably make him disappear.

Freaked out, Norman tries to tell Norma that he found the girl in the basement.

But Norma tells him that it’s nothing. It’s all fake. He didn’t see anything and he tends to see things. A lot. That he hallucinates things, hears things that aren’t there. She tells him that it happens a lot and that she’ll protect him. She also claims to have never told him to go find the belt. But when she sleeps over at Shelby’s house that night she goes down into the basement to check.

And holy shit. Nothing is there…?

The next morning Norman checks his ankle and the scratches from the Chinese girl are still on his ankle. He tries to show Norma but it’s not entirely clear if she even sees the scratches or just thinks he’s crazy. She makes him go fishing with Shelby which seems like a terrible idea. The two spend the time talking about Norman’s abusive father and how Shelby wants to be a part of Norma and Norman’s lives. He wants to protect them. He just wants Norman to trust him. And he needs to know he can trust Norman.

The fishing trip is short lived, though. Shelby gets a call and has to go to work. The sheriff found Keith’s hand. Rather, a fisherman did. It’s probably for the best that they left. They were fishing off a cliff or something and crazy Norman could have pushed Shelby off the ledge so.

Meanwhile Norman goes back home and gets a text from Bradley. Whose dad died, by the way. There’s a cross on the side of the road and she leaves flowers there and everything. I’m not sure that prospective visitors to the Bates Motel will appreciate that but hey. Bradley clearly needs the comfort of something and Norman is all too happy to offer it. They go get food and stuff at the local diner, talk about loss and death, and Ed Sheeran croons in the background. They have a nice little moment until Bradley brings up the severed hand that was found.

Way to kill the moment, Bradley.

I mean the whole moment is ruined when he runs home and tells his mom about the hand only to have the cops show up to take her down for questioning. Sheriff Romero knows she did it. He has this feeling anyway. He tells her that they’ll type the carpet fiber on the watch that was found with Keith’s hand to the carpet from the motel… once they find it. Unfortunately Norma has no idea where it is either. It’s in a dump somewhere in the county and she can’t get it. Norman is so pissed off at her for freaking out now. He told her to tell the cops.

They go home and she cries. Norman walks away. Goes down to the motel and talks to Dylan. He tells Dylan everything. What Keith did, what Norma did, about keeping the belt, about Shelby… everything. He even tells him about thinking he found the Chinese girl in the basement. Dylan tells him that he will help Norman. He’s so sorry for leaving Norman alone to deal with their crazy mother by himself.

Dylan even helps him with his girl issues with Bradley and encourages him to have fun and go hang out with her. So he does. Norman Bates goes to Bradley’s house after her family is asleep. And they have sexy times. Whooooo. Go Norman!!

Of course at that moment Norma wakes up and is like “NOOOO MY BOY IS GETTING LAID.”

She goes to his room and when he’s not there confronts Dylan. Who tells her that he’s getting laid. She attacks Dylan and he just holds her so she can’t hurt him or herself. Then the doorbell rings and it’s the cops. Who arrest her.

Not a bad episode all things considered.

I really like Dylan as a character. I really do. I’m just hope bad things don’t happen to him. Though, considering we all know where this story is going I feel like terrible things will happen to him. Poor Dylan.

Also, I’m assuming Norma just didn’t find this girl and that she does exist. She is in Shelby’s basement. She’s just behind a fake wall or something that Norma didn’t see. Because that would be one hell of a lame way to get rid of a story arch.

Oh, question.

Did we all just forget about the body that was hanging and on fire like last episode or something…?

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