Freddie Highmore Goes Full On Psycho in the Final Season of ‘Bates Motel’

Alex Aronson

For nearly five years viewers have been enthralled with the A&E drama, “Bates Motel.” Both a critical and commercial success, the series now enters its fifth and final season – in a trajectory that has been planned by the show’s producers and creator since the inception of the series.

At the start, the final season of “Bates Motel” does everything right. The season picks up two years after the events that transpired at the end of season four. Norma has been dead for a few years now and the audience is quickly privy to Norman’s functionality and day-to-day routine. He is managing the motel by himself and even begins to mingle with a new romantic interest in town who bares an eerie resemblance to his late mother.

Norman, portrayed by British actor Freddie Highmore, is in a fragile state. On the exterior, he is happy and content – but on the inside, he is truly lost. He’s in a constant battle between his own psyche and the psyche of his late mother. Still struggling with blackouts, Norman must make sense of lost time when he discovers the dead body of an unknown man in his basement. Highmore truly has grown into the character of Norman. He portrays the confused character with a sense of true compassion, finely balancing the line between innocence and cold-blooded murderer. When Norman switches to the psyche of his mother, Highmore quickly adapts to the change. For Highmore, the delicate impartiality between all these various elements is amplified and exhibited in season five. He truly gets a chance to shine.

Dylan (Max Thierot) and Emma (Olivia Cooke) have left to start their new life in Seattle. Oblivious to the events that have transpired back at home, the couple is happy and doing well. An unexpected visit by Dylan’s father, Caleb (Kenny Johnson), manages to shake things up. It will be interesting to see how the three individuals react to the death of Norma, should they ever receive the news.

Sheriff Romero (Nestor Carbonell) is serving his time in prison for the perjury he committed at the end of season four. Things are not easy for Romero in prison, especially once his fellow inmates discover his status, as an ex-cop. Romero is vengeful and will do anything and everything in his power to avenge the wrongful death of his wife, Norma. His number one target is Norman. This makes for an interesting dynamic between the two and will surely serve as an intriguing driving force throughout the entire final season.

Luckily, the death of Norma Bates does not mean the end for Vera Farmiga, as her character lives on in the mind of her son Norman. Farmiga, who has garnered several Critics’ Choice and Emmy nominations for her role as the overbearing and protective mother, is alive and well inside the house. She faked her death to be able to devote all of her time to Norman. Of course, this is all in the mind of her psychotic son, as in reality she is far from alive. The mother-son relationship has always been the core of the series. Farmiga’s performance manages to bring a warm light to the otherwise wet and gloomy world of  “Bates Motel.”

Fans will be pleased with the final season, as the Norman Bates saga comes full circle. The series was intended to be a precursor for the events that take place in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic, “Psycho,” but it seems that the show might be rewriting a bit of history. In an unexpected turn of casting, Rihanna will be playing Marion Crane – an iconic role from the original “Psycho” most notable for her character’s infamous shower death scene. While one might criticize the show for remaking such sacred territory, with what could appear as stunt casting, the show has earned its own merit by interpreting the material in a captivating, fresh and interesting way with a slick presentation. “Bates Motel” did not overstay its welcome and has proved its own worthiness.

“Bates Motel“ season 5 premieres on A&E Feb. 20 at 10 p.m. ET. New episodes can be also streamed on A&E.com.