Ep 5. Ocean View

Norma Bates is a strong-willed mother and the owner of a motel named Bates Motel. Her teenage son, Norman, has a complicated relationship with her. In episode 5 of the first season of Bates Motel, titled "Ocean View," things get even more complicated.

The episode begins with Dylan, Norma's estranged older son, visiting her and Norman. Dylan is interested in the town's drug trade and wants to invest in it. Norma is horrified and tells him to leave. Meanwhile, Norman is dealing with his own issues. He has been having blackouts and cannot remember what happened during them. He also starts having strange dreams that involve a young woman jumping off a cliff.

Norma's life gets even more complicated when she learns that the town council wants to build a bypass that will divert traffic away from Bates Motel. This will hurt the motel's business and Norma is determined to fight it. She attends a town council meeting and argues against the bypass, but her efforts are unsuccessful.

As Norma struggles with the bypass issue, Norman continues to have strange experiences. He meets a young woman named Bradley who reminds him of the woman in his dreams. They spend time together and Norman starts to develop feelings for her. However, his blackouts continue and he becomes increasingly worried about what he might be doing during them.

When Norma learns that the bypass is definitely going to be constructed, she becomes desperate to find a way to save her motel. She comes up with a plan to get a wealthy developer to invest in the motel and make it a high-end resort destination. She contacts the developer and arranges a meeting, but things do not go well. The developer turns out to be a sleazy man who only wants to take advantage of Norma.

As Norma's plan fails, Norman's situation becomes worse. He has another blackout and wakes up next to a dead dog. He has no memory of what happened. He becomes afraid that he might be the one who killed the dog. He confides in his therapist, Dr. Edwards, who advises him to keep a journal to document his experiences.

As the episode draws to a close, Norman is seen writing in his journal. He writes about his blackouts and how scared he is. Meanwhile, Dylan tries to convince Norma to let him invest in the drug trade. Norma refuses, but Dylan warns her that he will not go away.

Overall, "Ocean View" is an intense and suspenseful episode of Bates Motel. It captures the tense relationships between the characters and the complex issues they are all dealing with. The episode sets up future conflicts and storylines, making it an important installment in the series.