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- Marion is not his girlfriend; she's the other woman much to her surprise. After running into Loomis and his wife in town, Norman sees through his charade. Later, when he returns to the motel after breaking Marion's heart, Norman strikes when he is most vulnerable -- in the shower.
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May 7, 2014 · To say that Norman is an unreliable narrator in the film and the book that inspired it is an understatement at best. Through his eyes, we see a repressed, shrewish, near incestuous harpy hell-bent on bending a weak-willed son to her whims.
Mar 18, 2023 · In a scene that betrays her deathgrip on Norman early on, Norma lights up the new Bates Motel sign after dark and, in an eerie haze of neon, tells him she decided on blue because it’s his...
- Overview
- Biography
- Personality
- Physical Appearance
- Killings
- Trivia
Norman Bates was a smart, sensitive, quietly funny, handsome and sometimes shy young man with an intensely close bond with his mother, Norma Bates.
At the start of the series, he is resistant to starting over in a new town, but changes his mind as he begins to spread his wings.
History
Norman lived in Arizona with his parents, Norma and Sam. Norman killed Sam when he was beating Norma, but didn't remember the event afterward. Norma made it look like it was an accident, where a shelf fell on Sam, in order to protect Norman.
Season 1
After Norman found his father's body crushed under a shelf in their garage, the two remaining Bates moved to White Pine Bay. There, they planned to start a new life and run an old motel together. Soon after their move, Norman was befriended by Bradley Martin and Emma Decody. The former owner of the motel, Keith Summers, believed that the property was rightfully his, and after stalking Norma, he then raped her. While raping Norma, Norman comes in and saves her, but Norma then killed Summers out of rage. Norman and Norma covered up Summers' death by dumping his body in a river but were still suspected by the town's sheriff, Alex Romero. One day, Dylan Massett showed up at Norma's doorstep, saying that he has no other place to stay. That night, Dylan got a call from Norma, who was programmed in his phone as "The Whore". Norman saw this, and confronted Dylan. A fight broke out between the two. Norman was easily overpowered by his older brother, who threatened to hurt him "bad" if he ever struck him again. Nevertheless, Norman grabbed a meat tenderizer and swung it at Dylan, who evaded it and gave Norman a black eye. Norman kept two items from the cover-up from Keith Summer's death: Summers' belt (as a "memento") and Jiao's diary (found under the carpet of room 4). While Norman and Emma worked on a school project together, she found the diary in his room. She later did some research and found one of the locations depicted in the diary. As they agreed to investigate, Emma kissed Norman. They eventually discovered a large marijuana field (the one where Dylan later works at later on in the show), and they were chased away by two armed guards. Sleep-deprived, Norman hallucinated revealing images of his teacher, Miss Watson, tied up. He later passed out in the classroom. Norma visited him at the hospital to make sure he wasn't hurt and then took him home early. At home, Norman looked under his bed and realized that Keith's belt, his "memento" from the attack, was missing. He admitted to Norma that he had kept it, worrying her. She later told him that Deputy Zack Shelby secretly took the belt in order to protect Norma and her family. Norman warned her that Shelby is a shady person, but she ignored his warnings. Afterwards, Norman and Emma decide to continue looking into the mystery of the sketchbook. That night, Norman saw Norma in his room, telling him that he had to retrieve the belt from Shelby. He then broke into Shelby's house and accidentally stumbled upon Jiao, the girl who drew the sketchbook. Norman heard Shelby entering the house, and tried to escape in a panic. Dylan distracted Shelby, buying Norman time to escape. Norman later denied breaking into the house when Dylan asked him about it. Norman told Norma about Jiao and the belt, to which Norma replied that Norman "sometimes sees and hears things that aren't there". Norman then went fishing with Shelby (despite not wanting to go) but the trip was cut short when Shelby left to investigate the discovery of Keith's severed hand in the lake. Norman told Dylan about Keith and Jiao; Dylan promised to help him, and they bonded. Bradley sent Norman a text, and Dylan advised Norman to go visit Bradley at her house. They ended up sleeping together. After Norma was arrested for the murder of Keith Summers, Norman bailed her out. Dylan proposed that Norman should live with him. Emma and Norman found the girl from Shelby's basement in Keith Summer's boat and took her back to the motel. Norma didn't believe Shelby was guilty until Jiao identified him as the man who was assaulting her. Dylan and Norman found Summers' belt and disposed of it in the harbor. After Shelby found Jiao at the motel, he held the Bates family at gunpoint and assaulted Norma, which caused Norman to angrily attack him. Dylan killed Shelby to save the family and Norma revealed the truth about Norman's father's death to Dylan: Norman killed him in a fit of rage by hitting him over the head with a blender after seeing his father beating Norma and had absolutely no recollection of it. She told Dylan that Norman needed to be protected. Norman grew close to a stray dog, whom he named Juno. He headed to Bradley's house to declare his love for her, only for Bradley to tell him they are not meant for each other. Enraged, he headed home and witnessed Juno being hit and killed by a car, leaving him devastated.> Emma's father, Will, taught Norman taxidermy after Norman took his dead dog to him. Upon the school principal's request, Norma had Norman meet with a psychologist, who suggested Norma may have control issues over her son. Norman and Emma decided to go to the winter dance as friends. At the dance, Norman repeatedly eyed Bradley, which caused a heartbroken Emma to leave and Bradley's boyfriend to punch him. Finding Norman walking in the rain, Blaire Watson offered him a ride in her car and brought him to her house, where she cleaned his face. She then went to her room to change leaving her door open. A hallucination of Norma convinced Norman that Blaire Watson was seducing him and told him what he must do. He soon rushed home and he told Norma that Blaire Watson was going to drive him, but the next thing he remembered was running home. In her room, Blaire Watson's corpse is shown on the floor with her throat slashed and in a pool of blood.
Season 2
Four months passed since Blaire Watson's death. Norma started to worry about Norman, who was spending his time practicing taxidermy and obsessing over Blaire Watson and her unsolved murder, including frequent visits to her grave. During one visit to the graveyard, Norman saw an older man at Blaire Watson's grave and took a photo of him assuming he could be her killer. He showed the photo to Sheriff Romero, who took the opportunity to ask Norman about his whereabouts on the night of her killing. After Bradley murdered Gil she snuck over to Norman's house to ask him for help. Norman hid Bradley in the basement where she confessed to Gil's killing. When a stoner named Kyle was arrested after his semen was found in Blaire Watson, another unidentified semen sample was also found. To bond with Norman, Norma signed them up for the community musical. A problem arose as, at the same time Norman was supposed to be driving Bradley to a bus stop to flee town, he had a rehearsal. Norman therefore had Dylan take her instead. While helping out with the community musical, Norman made a new friend, Cody Brennen. When Dylan defended Caleb to Norma, she claimed that he repeatedly raped her during their childhood. Norman tackled Dylan to the ground until Norma intervened by ultimately revealing that Caleb was Dylan's father. In the aftermath of Norma's revelation, Norman's imagining of her rape by Caleb put him in a blank trance and led him to Caleb's motel room. His fractured psyche caused him to lash out at Caleb in Norma's persona. Caleb hit him and left the motel room. Cody picked up Norman, who initially came out of his trance, but didn't remember anything. Norman admitted to Cody about having had similar blackouts in the past. She took Norman to her secret tree house, where they had sex. Norman and Cody encountered Gunner and Emma on a day out at the lake. The four of them went swimming, and Cody, Gunner, and Norman decided to swing into the water on a rope. After Emma nearly drowned while attempting this, the swim ended as Norman berated Gunner. Norman had another blackout while with Cody. A worried Cody told Emma, who informed Norma when Norman was about to get his driver's license. Worried, Norma prevented him from getting his license by revealing this fact (as it would be unsafe for him to black out while driving). Norma drove Norman home, and he made her pull over to let him out. He angrily told her that he was walking home, and she accepted this. He went to Cody's house and their heated discussion woke her father, who became abusive with her. Norman accidentally pushed him down the stairs to their basement, breaking his neck and killing him. Norman was questioned about Mr. Brennen's death and his DNA was taken for processing. Before she left to go live with her aunt in Indiana, Cody told Norman that Norma was hiding something from him and he must get answers from her. Norman was released as the death was ruled an accident, but Romero later learns that Norman's DNA matched the semen found earlier from Blaire Watson's body. Norman became distant with Norma. He yelled that their relationship had changed and would never be the same. While Norma was with George, Norman was abducted by an intruder. Nick Ford's henchmen kept Norman in a hot box in a field. While trapped, Norman's sanity slipped, causing him to envision his mother promising to protect him, and he recalled the blackout he had at Blaire Watson's house: he sliced her throat while they engaged in sex. Romero informed Norma that Norman had sex with Blaire Watson, and Norma told him that Nick Ford kidnapped him. Dylan and Romero went looking for Norman and were alerted to his shouting from the hot box. He was transported to hospital where he told his mother about his "dream" of killing Blaire Watson. She told him to rest and not think about it. Romero insisted on giving Norman a polygraph test. At home, Norman prepared a list of things he checked off after completing – packing up his taxidermy hobby, telling Emma about Norma's rape and Dylan's paternity, and dancing with his mother. Meanwhile, he took a gun and bullets from his mother's drawer. Norma found him wandering in the woods with the gun and she was able to talk him out of killing himself. Wanting to flee the country with her sons, she ultimately allowed the polygraph, wherein Norman was asked if he killed Blaire Watson. His mother's persona re-emerged and he answered "no". He passed the polygraph with a knowing smile to himself.
Norman seems like he is a bright young man and appears polite around others. He is also protective of Norma and feels guilty about disappointing her. He has lots of anger and occasionally lashes out at Norma or Dylan, but always comes to regret it due to his close and emotional bond with his mother. He also seems to feel a unhealthy sexual attracti...
Norman is a Caucasian male with brown hair and blue eyes. Norman’s usual style is comprised of a button down shirt, with or without a sweater or jacket, paired with khakis, loafers, and his messenger bag. His style is classic and comfortable.
As a high school student, Norman knows he is different and is always trying to fit in. His school style is classic, casual, and inconspicuous.
•Sam Bates (unknowingly): Hit over the head with a blender. (in First You Dream, Then You Die)
•Blaire Watson (unknowingly): Throat slit. (in Midnight)
•Jimmy Brennen (accidental): Pushed down a flight of stairs. (in Plunge)
•Bradley Martin (unknowingly): Head bashed repeatedly on a rock. (in Unconscious)
•Audrey Ellis (unknowingly): Strangled with her own scarf. (in A Danger to Himself and Others)
•Norma Bates: Carbon monoxide poisoning. (in Forever)
•Every season starts with Norman waking up in his bed, except for Season 4, where he wakes up in a field.
•Norman was famously portrayed by the late Anthony Perkins in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho, a role which he reprised for three sequels from 1983 to 1990, with Henry Thomas playing a younger Norman in the latter. Vince Vaughn portrayed him in the 1998 Gus Van Sant remake of the Hitchcock film.
•In the original novel by Robert Bloch Norman was much older (being in his 40s) and was overweight and an alcoholic. However, Hitchcock changed this to a more handsome man to make the character appear more sympathetic and give him the normal boy next door look. This in turn led to him casting the handsome Anthony Perkins, who he would always address as "Master Bates" during filming.
•During an argument with Norma in the Season 1 episode The Man in Number 9, Norman states that he is nearly 18 years old. As his headstone in the series finale says that he was born in 1995 and a promo clip released prior to the final season shows party hats he has celebrated his 22nd birthday by the start of the final season which starts in October 2017. However, a prop card for the 2015 San Diego Comic Con that shows his driver’s license lists his birthday as February 14, 1995 - three years to the day that Freddie Highmore was born. This would also put it in line with the winter formal in the Season 1 finale as the US normally holds them between December and February.
Mar 18, 2013 · The new A&E drama series Bates Motel gives viewers an intimate portrayal of how Norman Bates’ (Freddie Highmore) psyche unravels through his teenage years.
- Senior Author
Feb 7, 2020 · Norman murdered his mother out of jealousy, but was shown in Bates Motel to experience symptoms before. A character as nuanced as Norman Bates can't be written off with such a singular pathway, but it shows just how interesting characters can be when they're steeped in truth that's sometimes stranger than fiction.
Apr 24, 2017 · In Dylan’s head, in the very last scene with Norman, he wanted Norma to still be alive. He wanted her to see his kid and for them to be one big happy family.
