Bates Motel on A&E - Anyone Watching? *

Pointless in that after developing the characters over multiple episodes, they were simply killed off. At least in the case of Chick and Dylan's dad. Their deaths had little emotional or narrative impact.

 

I didn't understand why Romero killed Chick. That seemed really out of character but maybe I'm missing something.

 

Chick just told him that Norman dug up Norma...and then continued to push his buttons by calling them perfectly worthy adversaries for his book...or something along those lines. Alex was already pretty unhinged, had been been in jail and been beaten, had killed before....and really hated Norman because he knew he killed Norma, and Norman came to the prison to taunt him.

 

The final episode was unsatisfying. I would have preferred something along the lines of Dylan suffering a psychotic break after learning about his Dad and seeing his Mom's corpse. Then killing Norman and assuming his identity. With the grand finale of him butchering the most vile character in the whole series....Emma.

 

Have you sought counseling?

 

No one would have seen that coming.

 

Maybe he could have cut off Norman's face and used it as a mask?
I'm just spitballin' here

 

Actually something like this did cross my mind. In my alternate ending Romero killed Norman. Dylan finds out about his father, sees Norma's body and learns Norman is dead. He then decides to take over the hotel and live in the house. Emma refuses and takes off with their child never to be seen again. Dylan continues the Bates family tradition.

 

I don't want to sidetrack the Bates Motel discussion, but the ONLY parts of LOST that didn't really happen or took place in purgatory/limbo/whatever were the so-called "Sideways" flashes in Season Six -- and, I suppose, Hurley's various hallucinations. But everything else on and off the Island was real and did happen and did matter.

 

Yes, I'm a fan of "Lost" and wasn't even as put-out by the finale as other fans. Yes, only the "side-verse" or whatever was something that apparently didn't literally happen.

How much the other seasons and events "mattered" is up for debate, though. The finale rendering the rest of the series in some ways moot is a big reason I think "Lost" won't be remembered as fondly as it could have, and perhaps why a show as popular as it was has weirdly faded from memory and pop culture so quickly (recent Funko Pop figures notwithsanding).

As the finale was unfolding, I had a strong sense that all of the mysterious Dharma stuff, that part of the mystery done so well on the show, kinda didn't really matter. I almost laughed out loud when Jack's dad then literally said moments later "It all mattered." To me, it was painfully obvious that the showrunners were aware that not only would the "'it's not purgatory" purgatory "sideverse" annoy fans, but that the overall tone of the finale was one that left open a strong feeling that all of the mystery stuff with Dharma and all of that didn't really matter. And as much as they wanted to make some sort of point about how it was about something more/different/bigger than a creepy X-Files-style mystery organization, they were also coming off of hanging the entire series' deal on stuff like Dharma. Big "Dhama Initiative" boxed sets, elaborate fake DVD bonus features, etc. I'm not singling out just the Dharma thing, but that's an example of something that was rendered pretty darn moot by the finale.

Now, I'm an adult and I can just enjoy those episodes and it's okay. But "it all mattered" from Jack's father in that finale has to be one of the most annoying, bull**** moments of all time for such a huge finale.

Back to "Bates", I'd say Chick and Caleb in the final season were effectively red herrings (as were other characters like Marion Crane). Some red herrings like that can work well. Characters like Rihanna as Crane work well in that mode because we haven't been "living" with that character for multiple seasons. On the other hand, at various points Chick and especially Caleb have been integral parts to the plot of the show, and certainly the emotional state of main characters Norma and Norman. So, to relegate them to some degree in the final season to red herring, arguably anti-climactic deaths was a bit strange to me. Not a huge deal, but not like the 100% ideal way I would have wanted to see it go. But that's okay; the showrunners shouldn't do everything just the way a fan wants it (though the happy ending for Dylan and Emma does smell like that a little bit).

 

OK, I have a good idea of where you're coming from regarding the LOST finale, and as I said, I don't want to sidetrack the Bates talk. Suffice to say that we differ in our reactions to the LOST finale -- I had my own issues with Season 6, but the "Sideways" wasn't one of them and the finale definitely wasn't one of them. To me, it DID all matter -- and what mattered more than the relevance of DHARMA and the other mysteries was the fate of the characters. But that's me, and I'm probably in the minority, so I'll stop there.

Back to Bates -- I enjoyed the show, but to me it never merited being a "big" show in this era of "Too Much TV." It was a solid, entertaining show -- elevated beyond its true station by the wonderfully unhinged performance of Vera Farmiga, imo -- and it wisely told its story in a concise 50-episode run and got out of there. I don't regret watching it, but honestly, now that they crossed paths with the Psycho timeline this season, if they had decided to keep going for some reason, I probably would have checked out. As it was, it ended well and will be remembered as a fine show.

 

Romero's one track mind was certainly understandable. He knows Norman is a murdering, arrogant little s**t who killed his wife.

 

That was as much emotion as I wanted to see for Chick. Bang. Shut up.

Dylan's dad? Yes, without making Dylan aware of it, that seemed abrupt.

 

I've seen this mentioned before. I don't understand the hate for Emma.

 

just finished the series last night. Having not read any comments here for months. I absolutely loved the final season. And the entire series. One of the best and fullfilling endings ever.

I loved that they overlapped the blueprint of Psycho without copying the story so any comparisons plotwise to the original film is really without warrant. They were free to pursue any direction they wanted. 5 seasons was perfect.

 

Lots of my college students followed it early 2os. Maybe 5 or 6 of my older friends

 

More people died in those last two episodes. Actually Dylan and Emma are the only ones who made it out alive. I don't see it as a cheap way out. Everyone else is dead.

 

Wow. Totally opposite for me.

 

Highmore has a new series on ABC in the fall.

I hope the show does well but it seems like he's so similar to Norman in this (same American accent, same mannerisms and way he presents himself) that I fear he's going to wind up getting typecast. I kept seeing him "as Norman Bates" in this, which means I sure as hell wouldn't trust the guy with a scalpel lol

Hope it does well and gives him a hit though

 

Looks interesting, but, yes, it seems he's somewhat the same character with the same mannerisms.

 

I guess we can look at it as a spinoff where Norman is sent off in the afterlife to redeem himself by becoming a doctor? LOL

 

The average network hospital show viewer has probably never seen Bates Motel, though.

 

Hmm, doesn't look like something that many people will be drawn to. I would have liked to see him do something 180 away from Norman but glad he's got a gig.

 

Well there was Peter Pan when he was 10?

 

I'm just about to start season three. The modern day setting threw me a little at first. I was expecting it to take place in the 1940s/1950s. Vera Farmiga's portrayal as Norma Bates is strangely attractive in a slightly scary sort of way.