Bates Motel (2013–2017): Season 3, Episode 3 - Persuasion - full transcript

NARRATOR: Previously on
Bates Motel...

How do you expect me
to have a relationship

with you under
the circumstances?

Norma never has
to know I'm here.

You're my son.

This is Annika, Room 4.

NORMA: When is the last
time you saw her?

EMMA: Last night. She was
going somewhere in town.

Norman drove with her
to show her where it was.

NORMA: Why did you lie to me?

You shouldn't have gotten
in the car with her, Norman.



Why?

Because you can't keep getting
into cars with questionable women.

You're being ridiculous.

I'm not.

I mean, look what happened
with Blaire Watson.

EMMA: Have you thought about
looking in her room?

Maybe something in there would
give us an idea where she's gone.

NORMA: What's the
Arcanum Club?

EMMA: It's a hunting club.
Very exclusive.

What does any of this have
to do with you, Norma?

There is a young woman.

She's a guest at my motel. She's
been missing for two nights.

When did you see her last?

Norman was the last
person who saw her.



He drove into town with her...
(BARKS)

and I haven't seen her since.

(FOOTSTEPS)

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION)

(SIGHS)

Thanks for getting
down here so fast.

Of course.

I'm sorry to have
to ask you to do this.

They, uh... They found her
floating in the tidal flats.

Okay.

(WHISPERS) Okay.

(SIGHS)

I think it's her.

I recognize the toenail polish.
God, I think it's her.

(NORMA INHALES SHARPLY)

(SIGHS) It's not her.

You're sure?

I'm sure. Yeah. Yeah.

(CAR APPROACHING)

What happened?

I threw up on myself in the car.

Ever smell the inside of a morgue?
It's nauseating.

It wasn't her.

It wasn't?
Nope.

Did the girl look like her?

Sort of. It was kind
of hard to tell.

But you're sure it wasn't her?

For the love of God, yeah,
I'm sure it wasn't her.

Well, did the sheriff say
anything about where Annika is?

Why would he, Norman? He doesn't
know where the girl is.

He's been busy with
the other dead girl.

You don't have to be
so snippy, Mother.

Annika is still missing.
It's not like it's nothing.

I don't wanna talk
about it, Norman.

I am sick and exhausted
of thinking about it.

And I have to
start school today.

I haven't been
to school in 20 years.

I'm probably going to look
like everyone's mother.

So just, please, lay off of it.

I'm sorry. I just want to
feel normal right now.

(SIGHS)

It's not our problem.

Okay? It's sad and it's messed
up, but it's not our problem.

So stay out of it.

Excuse me. I'm looking for
Business Marketing 101.

It's in the main building.
Main building.

All business classes
are in the main building.

Thank you.

I'm... I'm sorry, that's
actually where I usually sit.

Okay, well, there's a stack
of chairs right there.

You could just pull
one into the circle.

Okay.

(CHAIR DRAGGING)

I'm sorry, could you, um... Could
you just move over a little bit?

All right, guys,

welcome to Psych 101,
History of Psychology.

I am sure that, like myself,

none of you were drawn
to learn about psychology

because your own lives were
anything less than perfect.

But in the meantime,

I've got you and you've got me

so let's try to make
the best of it.

Are you leaving already?

I haven't even talked
about Mesmer yet.

A hypnotherapist.
He's mesmerizing.

I'm in the wrong class. I'm
supposed to be in marketing.

Are you sure you don't think
Psychology might be a good idea?

(SIGHS)

Still no word?

No.

You look good, Emma.

Do I?

I just get bored wearing my
usual clothes sometimes.

Alex.

This must be business

because you rarely come
here just to drink with me,

like, I'm pretty sure never.

But wasn't our meeting
a half an hour ago?

Was it?

I'm sorry. It's probably
my office's fault.

(SIGHS)

If you're on a clock...

A dead girl was found floating in
the tidal flats early this morning.

You need a better opening
line and a better tie,

but I wasn't going to go there.

So, about this girl? Was she a girl-girl?
Like a kid?

No, she was
a woman-girl.

Early twenties.
Blonde. Lovely.

Was wondering if you're missing
anyone from your little party?

Oh, I really wouldn't know.

There was a lot of
woman-girls there.

You have fun?

I had a couple of drinks and I talked
to the people I needed to talk to.

No extracurriculars?

A little public for me.

I feel the heavy weight
of your judgment, Alex.

No, Bob. No.

I'm not here to pass judgment
on your sex parties.

I've got a great idea.

Let's play a little
game of "What's Worse."

Sex parties or letting the
town erupt into a drug war,

which leads to
the DEA showing up,

and burning down
the town's source of commerce.

I don't think you'd want to
have a vote on that one.

Wait. We are having a vote, the
election for the next sheriff.

You're so far from being morally
superior to me, it's ridiculous.

If, uh...

If you think I'm gonna
walk away from this crime

because of what went down in
this town these last few months,

that you're somehow entitled
to a free pass, you're wrong.

Enjoy your drink.
It's on the house.

Two more days and we're gonna
be able to frame the roof.

Truck's coming tomorrow.

What are you using?

White pine.

Oh, that's shit wood.
The rain up here,

you need something
tougher like cedar.

Could use redwood.

It'd be pricey though.

Yeah, redwood's way more pricey,

still not as good as cedar.

How much more pricey?

Uh, I'd say like an extra
grand, maybe $1500.

I don't have that kind
of money right now.

Call the lumberyard.
Change the order, okay?

I'll take care of it.

I can't let you do that.

(WHISPERS) Come on. Dude. He's
practically offering you the money.

Stay out of it.

Hey, it's no big deal.

I still got cash from
the sale of my mother's house

and I didn't do
anything with it yet.

So, look, let me
spend it on this.

I don't want your money.

Look, I got the money.
Take the money.

I don't want it.

Okay. No problem.

(DOORBELL RINGS)
(SIGHS)

Alex. I'm making dinner.
Come on in.

It's, um...
(CLEARS THROAT)

It's not really a social call.

What?

I need to talk to Norman
about the girl in the morgue.

Why? He didn't know her.

In case there's any connection
between her and Annika Johnson.

Norma...

Now why would
there be a connection?

I mean, what could
Norman possibly know?

It's not like he and this
Annika girl were friends.

You and I,
we didn't just meet, Norma.

You said yourself,
at that party,

that Norman was the last person

who saw Annika
before she went missing.

I said that he
drove her into town

and then he drove
back to the motel.

That was it.

What's the problem, Mother?

Sheriff.

There is a girl whose, uh, body we
found in the marsh this morning,

not Annika.

But she was around the same age
and, uh, I was just wondering

if she might have some
kind of connection...

Can I just ask you
a few questions, Norman?

Of course, come on in.

He really barely
even spoke to Annika.

I thought you
were making dinner?

This seems more important.

No, I can answer any
questions the sheriff has.

Go make dinner.

Okay.

But if you need me,
I'll be right here.

Yeah. I, I know where
the kitchen is.

So what do you wanna know?

ROMERO: Well, tell me about,
um... About Annika?

How much did you know about her?

Had you spoke to
her a little bit?

NORMAN: A little bit, yeah.

I had to go down one time
to change her lightbulb.

So when you spoke to her,

did Annika tell you
that she was a prostitute?

Not explicitly,

but I got
the impression she was.

I mean, she said she
was working at a party.

I didn't think
she was a magician.

But, yeah, I, uh...

I think she was trying to let me
know that she was a prostitute.

Why? Why do you think she would
have wanted you to know that?

I really don't know.

We were just talking. I...

Well, I told her about how hard

things have been for my mother.

Maybe because I
opened up to her,

she felt like opening up to me.

Maybe she's lonely.

God, yeah, I imagine that's
a pretty lonely life.

Yeah.

Yeah. No, I imagine it is.

Women seem to trust you.

They do?

Well, I'm thinking
of, uh, Blaire Watson.

She trusted you.

I like women.

Maybe from spending so many
years so close to my mother.

Yeah, maybe.

So did Annika seem anxious?

NORMAN: No more than
most women, you know?

Have you met my mother?

Did she say she
had any troubles? Uh...

No, uh...

No. She just said she was
gonna meet a friend.

She didn't say who.

You know, I drove with her
to show her where the bar was,

and then she asked me
to drive her car back.

She was planning
on indulging. Alcohol.

And when you dropped her off, did
you see the person she was meeting?

No.

Okay. I want to show
you a picture

and you tell me if you saw anyone
outside the bar or arriving

that looked like this at the time
that you dropped Annika off.

No, I've never seen that woman.

Have you interrogated all
the weirdos in this town?

Because I'm sure any one of them

can tell you much more
than what we know.

There's no "we" in this, Mother.
He's asking me questions.

I'm almost done.

Did Annika ever mention a
place called the Arcanum Club

or a guy named Bob Paris?

No.

No.

I'm really sorry.

I wish, uh... I wish we could
have been of more help.

All right. Well, if you
remember anything else,

if anything else comes to mind about
your interaction with Annika Johnson,

you call me right away.

Of course, Sheriff.

We will.

Have a nice dinner.

(DOOR CLOSES)

How can you treat me like
that in front of someone?

I'm just looking out for you.

No, I know exactly what
you're doing. Stop it.

Oh, really,
Mr. Smarty Pants?

What am I doing
that you know so much about?

Why did you tell Sheriff Romero

that I was the last
person to see Annika

before she went missing?

I didn't!
No. I heard you!

I don't know, Norman.
It just came out.

But at a party?

It just hardly
seems like party talk.

And why were you
at a party, hmm?

Maybe that would help us
understand all this.

Was that possibly the night
you were all dressed up

and decided to go
knock down the bypass sign?

Yes.

So why did you go to
the party that night?

Maybe because I told you that
Annika was here to work at a party,

and you wanted to look for her?

And that for some
reason Romero was there,

and you got all agitated

and felt like you had to tell him
what you were worried about.

That's really the point
of everything, isn't it?

What you're worried about.
Norman, stop it.

No, no. Maybe you should
stop telling lies about me.

I wasn't the last
person to see her.

I dropped her at that bar.
She met a friend.

Okay, Norman.

I think one of us has a problem.

And I'm tired of the
assumption being that it's me.

Hey.
Hello.

Is Dylan here?

No. He's not. Do you
want to leave a message?

I've got his delivery.

I could sign for it.

It's not that kind of delivery.

Whoa, that's a lot of...

Real magic hemp.

Prime seedlings.
Ready for transplant.

Um, if I give you the directions, can
you bring them up to Dylan's farm?

No can do.

The less I know
the grow spots, the better.

You take the delivery
or I take 'em back.

Either way is cool.

(REGGAE MUSIC PLAYING)

Oh, shit.

Hey, Emma.

Hey.

Uh, what are you doing here?

Some burnout delivered
your plants to the motel.

I didn't think Norma would want
to find them on her motel porch.

Uh...

No. No, probably not.
(CHUCKLES)

GUNNER: Hey, Emma.

Gunner?

You look great.

Thanks.

What's he doing here?

Uh, he needed a job.

You know him?

Ah, he just stayed at the
motel for a bit last summer.

Oh.

Well, this is a nice little piece
of land you got here, Dylan.

Yeah. Yeah.

It's pretty, isn't it?

Very pretty.

And it's all yours.

Hmm.

CALEB: Hey, Dylan?

Hi, I'm Emma.

Hey. How are you?

This is, uh, is my uncle, Caleb.

Norma's brother?
Yeah, that's me.

He's just in town for a few days

so he's helping
me build the barn.

Emma, uh...

Emma works at the motel.

Ah.

Uh...

Motor's shot, so we're going
to need a new circular saw.

Okay. Yeah. Cool. I'll
make note of that.

Okay.

I'm going to go
work on the joists.

Your uncle's staying here?

Yeah.

What's he like?

I don't know. I never
really knew him before,

but he seems okay.

How long is he staying for?

Uh, I'm not sure.

Does your mom know?

No.

I just heard they
don't get along.

Look, would you
mind not mentioning

to anyone that you saw him here?

Of course. I won't
say anything to anybody.

Norma or Norman.

I promise.

Thanks, Emma.

Will you excuse me?
Excuse me.

Pardon me.

Hi. I'm glad I saw you.

Don't tell me. I parked
in your parking space.

Oh, I'm non-tenured.

I don't actually rate
an assigned parking spot.

Okay.
So what can I do for you?

Look, I just wanted
to apologize.

For what?

For being a dick yesterday.

Look, I should have just
told you I was the teacher.

I got pissed off because you
wouldn't get out of my seat

and so I resorted
to passive-aggression,

which was inappropriate
and I apologize.

Okay, I guess we're
all dicks sometimes.

It's the first day. My
emotions got the best of me.

My ex-wife always used to say,
"First days are the worst days."

Look, I'm sorry if
I embarrassed you.

You didn't deserve that.

That's kind of you.
Thank you. (CHUCKLES)

Are you okay?

Yeah. I am.
(CHUCKLES)

It's no big deal.

But thank you for apologizing.
That's actually very nice of you.

Look, if you've been under a lot
of stress maybe I could help?

(CHUCKLING)

Uh...

I don't think you could help me.

Now, that is what everybody says
before they've tried therapy.

You're kind of pushy.

Guilty.

So, I got this theory called the
"Secret Club of the Damaged."

It's, um, people who have
had crappy upbringings,

who can sense it
in other people.

It's like an aura around them
that we can sense immediately.

Look, I don't know
you from Adam,

but I see a kindness
and sensitivity in your face.

Also hurt.

I don't know if you've never
tried therapy before,

or if you've had a ton of
it, but if it's the former

and if you've ever thought about

just sitting down
and talking to somebody

about all the stuff

you've been carrying around
with you your whole life,

then maybe you
wanna give me a call.

(ENGINE STARTING)

DEPUTY WALKER:
I got her real name.

Lindsay Davis. Twenty-two.

Born in Omaha. Living in LA.

She flew into
Portland four days ago.

Travel records show she's been
commuting into White Pine Bay

one weekend a month
for the past 11 months.

We found her profile
on a high-end escort service.

How high-end?
$10,000 a weekend.

Well, that cuts down the list.

MARCUS: Sheriff Romero?

Yeah?

I just flashed my credentials and
your gal up front let me in.

You might want to
tighten up on security.

I'm Marcus Young.

Running for sheriff?

That's right.

I thought it'd be
nice for us to meet.

Why would that be nice?

So we could talk.

Give us a minute here.

I love this town.

You moved here from where?

I was a lawman for 11 years
in Stokely, Missouri.

Southern part of the state...

Last four years as sheriff.

But I'm not new
to White Pine Bay.

I've been up here fishing a
bunch of times over the years.

My daddy's got
a lot of friends here.

Your daddy's friends
thought it might be

a good idea for
you to come up here

and run for election, huh?

I understand this
isn't fun for you.

Being a sheriff,

it's like being
a football coach.

You play out your string
for as long as you can.

But eventually you're gonna
have some losing seasons

and then it's time to move on.

Well, there's only one
problem here, Marcus.

I'm not moving on.
I'm not going anywhere.

And you're not going to be the
next sheriff. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

(CHUCKLES)

Oh, I hope you catch some fish.

And I hope you haven't sold
your house in Missouri.

Condo.

Pardon me?

It's a condo.

I rented it out
to my cousin Carl.

Well, I got some
work to do now, Marcus.

I'm glad you
could see the office

but this is the last time
you're ever gonna be in here.

Why don't you show yourself out?

Fair enough.

But thanks for
letting me swing by.

It was good to meet ya.

The homicides,
they're always tough.

But if I can be of any
assistance, just holler.

(GUITAR STRUMMING)

(SINGING) We all came out
to Montreux

On the Lake Geneva shoreline

What the hell is this, huh?

I told you I didn't want you
buying me any lumber.

I didn't buy any lumber.

Then where did that come from?

I got no idea, man.

I just went down to the
river to catch some fish

and when I got back, presto
chango, it was there.

Don't give me that shit.

Oh, maybe Gunner bought it.

Gunner doesn't
have a pot to piss in.

Yeah.

He's a good kid, but he
smokes too much weed.

We probably shouldn't let
him use the power tools.

Look, this is my farm.

I would have
figured out some way

to get the money for the lumber.

I know you would have. That
has nothing to do with it.

I just wanted to
give you something.

Just let it be. Please?

Have a seat, brother.
You want a beer?

Okay, do you
wanna talk about it?

Talk about what?

I've known you for a while.
I can tell when you're upset.

But if you don't want to talk
about it, then I understand.

(SCRIBBLING)

I don't think my
mother trusts me.

Why do you feel that?

She's just always
second-guessing me.

She made me manager, but she wants
to micro-manage everything.

I ordered some new
comforters for the rooms

and she told me I
was being extravagant.

What happened?
Did you have a fight?

No, it's fine.
It's not just that.

I can't put my finger on it. It's
just different lately, that's all.

(SIGHS)

I just feel outside of her,

like she's annoyed
at me all the time,

like I can't do anything right.

Your mother can be
a controlling person.

Sometimes she's
a little demanding.

I mean, not to me, but I've
seen her treat you like that.

You have?

Sometimes, yeah.

She thinks there's
something wrong with me.

That I'm bad.

I don't think she
thinks you're bad.

I know you're not bad.

And you know you're not bad,
so you're not bad. Right?

I don't know, Emma.

If someone is always looking at you
like you've done something wrong,

talking to you like
you've done something wrong,

treating you like
you've done something wrong,

then you start to believe that
you've done something wrong.

Norman, you need to calm down.

That's easy for you to say.

Okay? No one has been silently
accusing you of something,

twenty-four hours a day.

It's enough to drive
anyone out of their mind!

Enough to make you
think that you did it!

Did what?

I can't explain it, Emma. It's useless.
I'm done talking.

Stop walking away from me!

Norman, stop it!
You need to calm down.

I can't stop it! It's her!

Why are you
glaring at me like that?

This isn't okay, okay? You don't
get to treat me like this.

What the hell
have I done to you?

You want to know, Mother?

I was completely willing to take

full responsibility
for Miss Watson.

I tried to. I wanted to.
You wouldn't let me.

What does this have
to do with anything?

Because I stayed in this
world for you, Mother.

And now you're talking to other
people about me, behind my back.

You're treating me like I killed this girl.
Just make up your mind!

I don't think that you
killed anyone, Norman.

Don't lie to me!

(PANTING)

Norman.

What game are we
playing today, Mother?

(SCREAMS)
(GASPS)

I didn't kill Annika.
I drove her into town!

I know, Norman. I know.

I know. I know, too, Mother.

I know, too, because I remember
everything about that night.

I've gone over and over it
a thousand times in my head.

I didn't black out.
I didn't do anything wrong.

I know.

I know. I know.

Don't touch me!
(GASPS)

Go away!
Please get out of here!

(BOTH PANTING)

(PANTING)

Did you kill her?

Mother, stop it.

I'm just trying
to help you, kiddo.

I can't remember if I did.

It's all starting
to blur in my head.

Remember when you were
trapped in that box

and you couldn't get out

and you thought
you were going to die

all alone buried in the ground?

You remembered everything
in there, didn't you?

You told me you
killed Miss Watson.

I did.

I think you should
get in the bath, honey.

I think you should get in the
water, put your head under.

Hold your breath.

Recreate the feeling of
being trapped in that box.

Maybe then you'll remember
how you killed Annika.

Norman, can I please
talk to you now?

Norman? Are you okay?

Norman, answer me right now!

Oh, Norman! Norman!

(GASPING)

Norman, breathe!
(GASPING AND COUGHING)

Breathe!
Breathe, honey. Breathe.

Oh. (PANTING)

I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry, Mother.

Just rest, honey.

I just need to run
down and close the office.

I'll be back and I'll get
you a cup of tea, okay?

What if I did kill her, Mother?

I'm going to be right back.

(PANTING)

(CRYING)

Oh, God. I'm so sorry.

I don't know what to do.

I'm so sorry.

(CAR APPROACHING)

Annika?

Oh, my God.
You're alive. You're alive.

Are you okay?
Are you okay?

Oh, God! Oh, God.

(GASPING)

Oh, God.

Use this.

(GASPS) Oh, God.

Use it. Do something
with it. It's important.

Use it for you and your son.

What?

No. Oh, God. No, no, no.

No. Annika! Annika!

Okay.

(PANTING)

OPERATOR: 911.
What is your emergency?

Someone's been shot. I'm at
the Bates Motel. Highway 88.

Please send someone.
I think she's dead.