Bates Motel/The Convergence of the Twain

The Convergence of the Twain
Season 5, Episode 2
Airdate	February 27, 2017
Written by	Alyson Evans & Steve Kornacki
Directed by	Sarah Boyd
← 5x01 Dark Paradise	5x03 → Bad Blood
Bates Motel — Season Five

The Convergence of the Twain is the second episode of the fifth season of Bates Motel, and the forty-second episode overall.

Starring: Vera Farmiga (Norma Bates), Freddie Highmore (Norman Bates), Max Thieriot (Dylan Massett), Olivia Cooke (Emma Decody)

and Nestor Carbonell (Alex Romero)

Guest Starring: Andrea Brooks (Joanne Carlson), Ryan Hurst (Chick Hogan), Kenny Johnson (Caleb Calhoun), Isabelle McNally (Madeleine Loomis), Austin Nichols (Sam Loomis)

Also Starring: Daniel Boileau (Clerk), Antonio Cayonne (Bruce Herman), Cameron Dent (Bartender), Lee Shan Gibson (Correctional Officer), Ash Lee (Dr. Nguyen), Shane Munson (Elizabeth), Gareth Rees (Barista #2), Hugo Steele (Inmate)

Plot Overview

Caleb returns to White Pine Bay to see his sister when he learns of her death. Norman learns who Nancy's husband is. After being attacked in prison, Romero contacts his lawyer.

Notes

Music

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - "Eine kleine Nachtmusik (2nd Movement)"

• Sam Cooke - "(What A) Wonderful World"

• Cookin' On 3 Burners featuring Kylie Auldist - "This Girl"

• Édith Piaf - "La vie en rose"

• Charles Aznavour - "Hier encore"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• "David Davidson" turns out to be Madeleine's husband, Sam Loomis.

• Chick has been routinely visiting Norman. Unbeknownst to him, Chick has begun writing about Norman and Mother.

Characters

• Norman shows up to the prison to let Romero know he's still alive.

• Dylan discovers Caleb left overnight and Emma tells him what she told him.

• Caleb returns to White Pine Bay and learns about Norma's death.

• Romero is assaulted in prison. Fearing that he's found out to have been a cop, he requests a transfer.

• Norman goes on a double date with the Loomis's. Sam threatens Norman if he reveals his affair.

• Mother follows Norman to the dinner and later goes to a bar to drink.

• Chick runs into Caleb. This leads Caleb to confront Norman, knowing he's responsible. Just as Caleb discovers Norma's body in the freezer, he is attacked by Norman, dressed as Mother. As Chick has followed him, he witnesses the attack, with "Mother" revealing to him that "she's" still alive.

Trivia

The Show

• Norma was born in 1974.

• According to Norma's headstone, she died in 2015. Adding the dates provided in the previous episode, this means nearly two whole years have passed between Seasons 4 and 5.

Allusions and References

• Seeing Caleb in the bar, Chick says aloud "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world." The line is taken from the 1942 film Casablanca.

Memorable Moments

• Caleb goes down to the cellar looking for Norman, upon discovering his sister's body in the freezer, he knocked out by Norman, dressed as his mother, complete with a wig.

Goofs

• The headstone gives Norman's birth year as 1995, which would make him 20 when Norma died more than a year ago. However, Norman was explicitly said to be 18 in Season 3 with Season 4 immediately following, therefore set the same year. Norman would only now be 20 or 21.

Quotes

• Norma: Pretending to be dead isn't as much fun as I thought it would be!

• Norman: Mother, are you smoking?

Norma: I'm dead. It's not like it's gonna kill me.

• Norma: She looks like me. Why are you having dinner with someone who looks like me?

Norman: I don't think she looks like you.

Norma: She's like me but ten years younger. Are you gonna be one of those guys?