Bates Motel: A Danger to Himself and Others

"A Danger to Himself and Others" is the first episode of season four of the psychological thriller series Bates Motel, and the thirty-first episode of the series overall. It was directed by Tucker Gates with a script written by Carlton Cuse. It first aired on A&E on Monday, March 7th, 2016 at 9:00 pm. In this episode, Norman Bates disappears after his most recent psychotic break and eventually ends up in a county hospital where he is being kept for forty-eight hours for observation. Norma tries to get him out, but the hospital refuses to release him. Emma Decody goes in for her lung transplant surgery, and the mother who once abandoned her makes an unexpected and unwelcome visit.

Synopsis
Norman Bates awakens in a field shortly after having killed Bradley Martin. He is full-on crazy and arguing with an invisible version of "Norma" that he believes is standing next to him. A farmer approaches him and tries to calm him down. Norman lashes out, so the Farmer drops him by punching him in the nose. When Norman awakens, he is strapped down to a hospital gurney in a medical center in a neighboring county.

Norma Bates eventually receives word of Norman's state and prepares to drive out to the hospital with Dylan, but Dylan has other plans. Norma leaves without him.

Dylan Massett and Will Decody bring Emma Decody to a fancy upscale hospital to have her lung transplant surgery. They both sit in the waiting area as she undergoes surgery. Emma's estranged mother, Audrey, shows up and Will and she get into an argument as Dylan watches in silent discomfort. At the county facility, Norma speaks with Doctor Louise Palma who tells her that they are keeping Norman for forty-eight hours for observation. The Doctor is shocked to learn that Norma was aware of Norman's history of blackouts and never sought treatment. She even says that Norma could be charged with negligence.

While waiting for Norman to be released, Norma returns to the posh mental health facility she visited earlier to try and have Norman admitted as a resident. However, without medical history, money and most importantly, insurance, there is little chance of her getting Norman in. Morever, there is an incredibly long waiting list. By happenstance, Norma catches one of the facility's senior administrators, Gregg Edwards, outside the building and begs him to let Norman in. He is patient but firm with Norma, but tells her to come visit his office and he'll see what he can do.

As all of this is going on, Audrey Decody rents a room at the Bates Motel. Norma is not sure how to feel about this woman and doesn't entirely trust her. She lets her stay in a room for a night, but after Audrey tries to get Norma to help her reconcile with Emma, she tells her she has to leave. At the hospital, the doctors tell Dylan and Will that the surgery was a success, but they need to keep Emma overnight for observation. Dylan sneaks into her room to visit her.

As the forty-eight hour mark passes, Norman is released to Norma's care and she brings him home. He appears to have no memory or knowledge of what has happened and is relieved to be back. NOrma is worried however and locks him in his room. The following morning, she goes off to see Alex Romero. She asks Romero to marry her so she can have insurance so she can get Norman admitted to the psychiatric center. Romero naturally turns down her proposal of marriage.

Audrey returns to the Bates manor house and rings the doorbell. Norman Bates, having busted through the locked door is in "Norma" mode again and is wearing her bathrobe and answers the door. Audrey takes note of Norman's femininity, but has no idea that he is another state of mind. He invites her in, and Audrey tells her about her inability to deal with Emma's illness. The subject of child abandonment is a sensitive one in the Bates household, and not one to be tolerated. As such, Norman attacks Audrey and strangles her to the point of death.

Notes & Trivia

 * Bates Motel is based on the 1959 novel Psycho by author Robert Bloch, which was adapted into a feature film in 1960 by director Alfred Hitchock. The film spawned three sequels, as well as a television movie in 1987, also titled Bates Motel.


 * This episode had a viewership of 1.546 million people, which is down by .125 from the previous episode.


 * First episode of the season. The events from this episode pick up only a few hours after the conclusion of the season three finale.


 * A fifteen-minutes "Bates Motel Catch Up" special aired prior to the season premiere, giving snapshots of events from seasons one through three.


 * This is the final appearance of Bob Paris. He appears as a corpse only in this episode. Paris was killed by Alex Romero in "The Psycho".


 * This is the first and only appearance of Audrey Decody. She is strangled to death by Norman Bates in this episode.


 * Scenes of Norman Bates murdering Bradley Martin by beating her head against a rock is archival footage taken from "The Psycho".

Quotes

 * Norma Bates: I need insurance. You have insurance. So I thought maybe you could marry me. It's not like you're doing anything else.