Bates Motel (2013–2017): Season 3, Episode 1 - A Death in the Family - full transcript

Norman and Emma make decisions regarding their future; Norma informs Norman of his boundaries.

Norman.

(SIGHS)

Norman, it's time to get up.

Morning, honey.

You want toast? Here, I'll
do this for you. Thanks.

Give me the butter,
will you? (GASPS)

Sure.

So, what's up with Norman?

What do you mean?

Well, I just, I walked by his
room and his bed was made.

Oh, we were talking in my
room, and he fell asleep.



He was just so tired,
poor thing.

Hmm, don't you think
that's weird?

No, I don't think it's weird.

It happens all the time.

We just stay up late. What
difference does it make?

Norman's 18.

He shouldn't be sleeping
in the same bed as his mom.

You're overreacting.
He just fell asleep.

It's not a big deal.

All right, fine.
Okay.

I hear what you're saying.

Okay.

Here's your toast.
Thanks.

You headed up
to the cabin again?



Yeah, I got a lot to do.

I'm going to take this and
eat it in the truck. Okay.

I'll see you tonight.

Okay.

Okay.

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

Be careful.

DYLAN: Bye, Norma.

Hello?

MAN: Hi. I'm looking for
Norma Louise Bates.

Who's calling?

This is Ryan Pena from
the law firm of Hart,

Stebbins and Pena
in Boise, Idaho.

This is she.

Miss Bates, we're the
executors of the estate of

Francine Calhoun, your mother.

She died on the 17th.
My sincere condolences.

We're working here on the
disposition of her estate.

Um...

I'm not interested.

Pardon?

I'm not interested,
but thank you for calling.

NORMA: First day of school,
senior year.

NORMAN: It sounds horrible.

NORMA: School always sounds horrible,
but you'll get used to it.

I don't particularly
want to get used to it.

I liked being home all summer.

I know. I liked you
being home, too.

But you got to go to school.

Besides, it's good for you. You know,
meet new people, try new things.

Oh, by the way, my mother died.

Here's your lunch.

Wait, what are you talking
about, your mother died?

I got a call this morning.

Yep, she's dead.

And I'm only telling you this

because you might need to know
for some legal document someday.

Mother, I'm so sorry.

Are you okay? Do you want
me to stay home with you?

No, I'm fine. Like, I haven't
spoken to her in 20 years.

She doesn't mean anything to me.

(ENGINE TURNS OVER)

(ENGINE TURNS OFF)

I don't want to go in.

Norman.

Sweetie, what happened with
you and Miss Watson,

it's all in the past.

It had nothing to do with you.

No.

I can't. I'm not going.

(EXHALING)

Norman, stop being dramatic.

Come on, you're just
used to being home,

but you gotta rip off
that bandage and just go.

I'm not going.

Get out of the car.

(SEATBELT LOCK CLICKS)

(CROWD EXCLAIMS)

(SIGHS)

Go to school. It's going
to be fine, okay?

I'll see you later.

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

(KEYBOARD CLACKING)

WATSON: I'll sit with you while
you have your lunch, sweetheart.

I'm so glad you're back, Norman.

This year we're starting with the
modern poets, with T.S. Eliot.

(WATSON SIGHS)

You'll love him.

"We have lingered in the
chambers of the sea"

"By sea-girls wreathed
with seaweed red"

"and brown"

"Till human voices wake us,"

"and we drown."

(GRUNTS) Ah!

(PANTING)

DIXON: It's always beautiful
to watch it burn.

How many was that in total?

27.

Twenty-seven fields
burned down, 43 arrests.

Town is free of this trash now.

You should be a happy man.

Gunner?

Dude.

What are you doing up here?

Remo told me where to find you

before he blew town after all
that DEA crap went down.

He said you rented this land.
Told me you could use a hand.

I don't need any help.

(CHUCKLES)
He said you'd say that.

That I should come anyway.

We'll see.

(PANTING)
Mother! Mother!

What happened?
I was at school.

I was eating lunch alone,
and then...

Tell me.

And then I felt very strange,

and I thought that
Miss Watson came

and sat down next to me,
and started talking to me.

(BREATHING SHAKILY)
I'm sorry, Mother.

I mean, do you think
you blacked out?

I don't know.
It didn't feel like it.

It just all felt very real.

Okay, come here.

I'm sorry.

(SIGHING)

I ran all the way here.

Hi.

Hi.
Hello.

I'm looking for a room
for a couple of nights.

Do you have anything available?

Yes. Mmm.

Um, yes, yes, yes,
yes, of course.

Come on in, please.

Of course.

Let me just get your info.

Uh, what's your name?
Annika Johnson.

NORMA: And I'll need to see
an ID and a credit card.

NORMA: Okay.

I'm going to put you
in room number four.

Here are the keys.

I'm just gonna take him
up to the house.

He came home early from school.

He just wasn't
feeling very well.

Um, but I'll be back down
later if you need anything.

I usually don't need anything.

Okay. Come on.

What you got there?

Uh, plans for a barn.

For the motel?

No, uh, someplace else.

You joining me for lunch?

No. No, no, it's just
a quick drop by.

I, um...

Well, I thought we'd continue
our conversation about,

you know, the future
of things around here,

and I'm going to have to take a
more active role, I think...

Sheriff, look,

I think I've had my fill

of what it's like to work
in the drug business.

As a boss, I mean.

I just want to have
my own little farm.

Okay?

And be legal about it.

And help people out who
have glaucoma and anxiety.

Thanks.

(CLEARS THROAT) And just
make enough to get by.

Okay? That's good enough
for me.

You know, 99 plants
legally with a permit.

I protected you.

I went out of my way to protect you.
I know. I know.

Okay, I really appreciate that.

I do.

Okay, but you know
if we're not working together,

then I can't protect you anymore.
You know that, right?

You'll be on your own.

Yeah, but what
I'm doing is legal,

so that shouldn't be
a problem, right?

It shouldn't be,

but doesn't mean it won't.

I'll see you around, Dylan.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

Hey.

Is your mom here?

No, no, no,
she ran to the market.

Can I help you with something?

It's just my ceiling
light's out.

I can take a look at it for you.

All right.

Ah.

Excuse me. Yeah, would you?
(CHUCKLES) Sure.

Can you hold it while I
change the bulb?

(CLEARS THROAT) Um...

You and your mom
seem very close.

Oh, yes, we are.

But, you know, she does have
a lot on her plate,

and no one to help her, so I...

Your dad's gone?

Uh, he died.

In an accident.

I'm sorry.

No, it's okay. He...

It wasn't a good situation.
He wasn't a nice man.

Well, maybe he knew my dad.

Your mom's very lucky
to have you.

Yeah, well, she's had
a lot of bad breaks.

I mean, even moving here
to start over.

Let me tell you,
a lot of people around here

have not been very nice to her.

And now they are
putting this new road in,

and we're afraid it's going
to wreck our business.

That sucks.

Yeah, sucks. It's...

Sorry. I shouldn't be
complaining.

I shouldn't be telling you any of this.
No, no, no. It's okay.

It's okay.

Ta-da.

(CHUCKLES)

So, why are you visiting us?

Work or...

Well,

I could give you the fake story,

or tell you the truth.

You've been so honest with me.
(CHUCKLES)

Um, I work at parties.

What kind of parties?

Big, expensive parties with a
lot of wealthy men at them.

Oh.

Should I not have told you that?

No, no. It's...

It's fine, I...

I understand.
I'm glad you did.

You seem like a nice girl.

I am.

Thank you for saying that.

(DOOR OPENING)

(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING
OVER STEREO)

(COCKS GUN)

DYLAN: Get out of the car.

(DOOR OPENS)

CALEB: It's me.

What do you want?

Stay there.

Look, I followed you up here
so I could talk to you.

I didn't want to go to the motel
'cause I knew you wouldn't want that.

Talk about what?

Look, I just wanted to
give you something.

All right, my mom, she died.

And there's some cash
from the sale of the house,

and I wanted you to have it.

I don't want it.
Dylan.

I don't want it.

Get back in the van,
turn around, and leave.

Are you sure?
Yeah, I'm sure.

Leave.

Okay.

(ENGINE TURNS OVER)

(ENGINE REVVING)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER TV)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER TV)

(CHUCKLES)

I've been thinking
about something.

What is it?

I don't think you need
to go to school.

I don't?

Well, I mean, you need to get
your high school diploma.

But I looked into it,
and you could home school.

You'd be okay with that?

I think so.

I mean, I don't think
school's been good for you.

And it's also a little
selfish on my part.

I'm gonna take a business class
at the community college.

Self-marketing.

You know, we have to be proactive
about this bypass happening.

We can't just sit by
and lose our business.

And so, I thought

maybe it's time that
I gave you a promotion.

A promotion?

I'm going to make you
motel manager.

(CHUCKLES)

No.
Yeah.

Yeah.

Motel manager?
Yeah.

You would be in charge of everything.
You'd run the motel.

What do you think?

All right, Mother. I'll be motel manager.
(CHUCKLES)

I'm gonna go to sleep now.

But I think you should
go to your bed.

I should?

I can. I do it
all the time, but...

(SIGHS)

Well, it was just that Dylan
said something to me, uh,

that it's not good for you
to be sleeping in my bed,

or on my bed,
like sleeping in here.

What's Dylan got to do with us?

Well, he's a man.

And I'm just your mother,

I don't always know what's good
for you in a manly kind of a way.

I mean, you are 18 years old.

So you don't want me
sleeping in here anymore?

No, it's not that
I don't want it.

No, no, you just don't
think it's good for me.

Maybe not.

Okay.
Okay.

Good night then, Mother.

I love you, Norman.

I know.

(DOOR SLAMS SHUT)

Shit.

Damn it.

(GRUNTS)

I thought you left.

Yeah, well, where was I supposed
to go in the middle of the night?

I drove a couple of miles down
the road and bedded down.

Now it's day,
and you're still here.

Yeah, well, this morning, old
Millie wasn't feeling too good.

She started, but overheated
after a couple of miles.

Hey, you got
a spare radiator hose?

On me? On my person? No.

Yeah, well, don't worry about it.
I'm sure you got stuff to do.

Nothing more important than
making sure you get out of town.

Hey, how far a walk is it to
the nearest auto parts store?

It's a ways.

Can I get a ride?

All right.

Thanks, man.

Hey, did you know I owned Millie,
my van, three different times?

The last time I thought
I'd sold her for good,

but when I got
back from Costa Rica,

my buddy Tommy... I don't
want to make small talk.

Look, you don't
have to be so angry.

What were you expecting?

I don't know what
I was expecting.

Just...

It was a bad idea coming here.
I'm full of them.

And now my mother's gone,

I don't have any more family.

It's a strange feeling.

Look, before I leave, I just
had one thing I wanted to say.

What's that?

I know I'm your dad.

I thought so much
about it since I was here.

That's why Norma
ran away from home

and married that
kid from high school.

I now know that's
what must have happened.

I don't care.

Look, do you know my mother,
she was crazy.

I mean, she was literally crazy.

And my dad, our dad, he was the
most violent man I've ever known.

There was no place safe for us.

For me and Norma.

Except

with each other.

I'm taking you back to your van.

(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)

Sheriff?

Off duty, huh?

What can I do for you?

We both just lost our jobs.

You know, what with the
DEA coming over here

and burning up all the fields.

Yeah, well, at least
you're not in jail.

That supposed to be funny?

Now, my understanding
was that you were supposed

to be protecting us.

And this town.

All right,
let me get this straight.

So you both worked
in the drug business,

and now you're shocked
that the DEA showed up?

This town's been growing
weed for nearly 40 years.

You screwed up.

You screwed it up for everybody.

I hope they run
your ass out of town.

I wish you weren't a cop.

If I wasn't a cop, what?

I'd kick your ass,
you piece of...

(PATRONS GASPING)

(DOOR OPENS)

Hey, Emma.

You're not busy, are you? I have
something I need to tell you.

Everything okay, Norman?

Yeah. Yeah,
I just, uh...

You should know I'm not coming
back to school this year.

My mother's
letting me home school.

She needs help around the motel.

I've been made manager.

Oh.

Actually, there's something
I need to tell you, too.

I got some bad
news at the doctor.

Are you okay?

My lung capacity is diminished.
Like, a lot.

And that's not the reason
why I'm telling you.

I just... I hate to hear that
you won't be at school anymore.

I'm sorry, Emma.

I wish I could leave school.

Well, why can't you?

You know, we could
study together here.

Would that be weird,
if I home schooled, too?

I don't want you to think I'm
copying you or anything.

No, I'd like it.

You were the only reason
I liked school anyway.

This is so great.

I mean, if these are my best years,
I want to spend them with you,

and your mom and Dylan.

I think we should date.

What?

Will you go out with me, Emma?

Are you saying this because
you think I'm dying?

It's not imminent. No, that's not why.
It's just...

Time.

Really?

Really.

Don't you think?

It's been time for a while.

(CHUCKLES)

Hey, Norma.
Hi, Dylan.

Sit down, I gotta
tell you something.

Your grandmother died.

(SIGHS)

I'm sorry, Norma.

I guess it doesn't make a
difference about anything, but...

I don't know, I just
thought you should know.

You okay?

It's her hair ribbon.

She used to...

She used to tell
me how she wore it

to a dance in high
school with a blue dress.

(LAUGHS)

You know, it's the only memory I
have of her where she sounded happy.

She gave it to me
when I was little.

And, um, I...

I always kept it.

I always hoped that she
would be that person again.

What was wrong with her
that she wasn't happy?

I don't know.
She just wasn't healthy.

And it was something
that was never discussed.

She...
She took a lot of pills.

I don't even know
where she got them.

And she was sedated a lot.

(CLANGING)
(RACCOON CHITTERING)

Hey!

Get out of here! Hey!

(SIGHS)

(SHOWER RUNNING)

Norman, get in the house!

What the hell were you thinking?

You can't do stuff
like this, Norman.

You are the motel manager now.

You can't be skulking
around in the dark

peering into guests' bathrooms.

It's not normal.

You're right.

I'm so sorry, Mother.
It won't ever happen again.

(NORMA SOBBING)

Mother.

Mother. Mother, I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry. I was just picking up
trash that some raccoon got into,

and I saw her through the window.
It didn't mean anything.

I know it was wrong of me, but it's
nothing more than what it looked like.

I'm not crying because of that.

I'm crying because
my mother's dead.

(SOBBING)

It's stupid, I didn't
even really know her.

I think that I am just grieving
because I never had a mother.

And now you're growing up.

I may be growing up,
but I'm not going anywhere.

Okay? You know that, Mother.

I love you.

I love you, too.

I'm going to slide over a bit.

Why?

I just thought you were going to lay down.
Just for a minute.

(STAMMERING) Oh...

I thought we weren't
doing that anymore.

Just for tonight.

Because I'm so sad.

Move over, you silly woman.

(LAUGHS)

(SIGHS)

CALEB: Another minute.

Hey, dude.

Hey, did you know your uncle
knows all about construction?

No, I didn't.

He's built houses and a
couple barns in Costa Rica.

How lucky is that?

You were leaving.

Yes, true, but the van...

It wasn't the right hose.
It needs another part.

They ordered it for me,
so it should be here

tomorrow or
the day after, latest.

And so you decided
to drive back up here?

That's bullshit.

Whoa.

Take a walk, Gunner.

All right.

How do you expect me
to have a relationship

with you under
the circumstances?

Norma never has
to know I'm here.

Please.

You're my son.

Just let me be with
you a little while.

I won't ever ask you
for anything beyond that.

EMMA: Looks like we can
take all the same classes.

We have a quiz in English next week.
We better get started.

I'm excited.
This is going to be fun.

This is very empowering.

So, uh,

how are we going to do this?

Home schooling? We're
just going to sit here...

No, dating?

Well, I guess we're just
gonna go places together.

Like a normal date.

I've never been on a date.

Ever?

What about Bradley?

We never...

We never dated,
you know, that's...

Yeah, that was
something different.

Well, if you accomplished
all that without dating,

may she rest with God,

then you should do
just fine on a date.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
ANNIKA: Hello?

Hi. May I help you?

Um... Oh, Emma, this
is Annika, Room 4.

Nice to meet you.
That's a beautiful dress.

Hi. Thank you.

Um, I'm wondering,
could you tell me where

a restaurant called
Olive & Anchor is?

I looked it up online, but I can't
quite figure out how to get there.

It's in the village.
It's very nice.

Yeah, but it's
a little bit hidden.

It's down one of
the side streets, so...

Well, actually,
I have to go to town anyway

to pick up that new
thermostat for Room 7.

So...

I was going to walk,
but why don't I drive with you

and show you where it is,
and then I can walk home.

That's very nice of you, Norman.

How can I say no to that?

You can go now?

Yeah. I'm the manager.

Um...

I'll be back in an hour or so.

It was nice to meet you.
Bye.

Shall we?

(DOOR CLOSES)

NORMAN: So, you're working?

Is that where you're going?

It's a kind of work.

Why do you do this kind of work?

You know how your
mom takes care of you?

Well, I didn't have that luxury.

So I'm doing this to get some money
saved and make a living, that's all.

I'm sorry.

Don't be. I'm fine.

It's just people.
People's bodies.

Once you start
touching somebody's body,

the rest of it just
kind of melts away.

And then you're just there.

Two bodies.

Sometimes it even feels good.

It's just sex.

Sex is sex, we all need it.

Do I turn up here?

Not here. No. Not yet.

Turn down that road up ahead.

(ENGINE TURNS OVER)

(LOCK BEEPS)