Norma Bates

Norma Louise Bates (née Calhoun) was the resilient, beautiful and mercurial mother of Norman Bates and Dylan Massett. She was emotionally complex and, as a single mother, utterly devoted to her son. She constantly juggled her own needs and some serious baggage while also trying to create a new home in a new town for herself and Norman.
==Biography==
===History===
Norma had a horrible childhood experience because her father was abusive while her mother was always sedated. Norma was forced to be under the danger of her brother Caleb Calhoun. When she was 13 years old, Caleb would force Norma to have sex with him every single day. This would last until the day she left home with John Massett, whom she later married. John raised Norma's son Dylan Massett as his own, unaware that Caleb actually was Dylan's biological father.
About 17 years before the start of the series, Norma cheated on her then-husband, John Massett, with Sam Bates. She eventually left John to marry Sam, with whom she had Norman, and the Bates family lived in Arizona for years.
Because she replaced John with Sam, she never had a good relationship with her first son, Dylan, as apparently his last words to her before the start of the series were, "Drop dead, bitch". 
===Season 1===
After Norman found his father's body crushed under a shelf in their garage, the two remaining Bates moved to White Pine Bay. There, they planned to start a new life and run an old motel together. The former owner of the motel, Keith Summers, believed that the property was rightfully his, so he raped Norma in her house one night. Norman saved her, but she still killed Summers out of rage. The two covered up Summers' death the best they could, but were still suspected by the town's sheriff, Alex Romero.
Dylan showed up at Norma's doorstep one day, saying that he has no other place to stay. She and Norman were visibly unhappy with Dylan's arrival, and he later blackmailed Norma so he could stay living there.
Zack Shelby, the town's Deputy, stole all evidence of Norma's crime, although Romero was convinced that she is guilty. Shelby revealed his actions to Norma, explaining that he loves her. Norma was warned by Norman that Deputy Shelby is a shady person, but Norma continued to trust him.
Norman told Norma that he broke into Shelby's house and found a slave locked in his basement, but Norma didn't believe him (she checked Shelby's basement and found no proof). Norman eventually freed the slave and proved it to Norma.
She refused to turn Shelby in until Keith's belt, which Shelby had stolen in order to clear Norma's name, was retrieved. As a result, Norman and Dylan threw the belt into the bay. Shelby then found Jiao at the motel and turned against Norma, holding the Bates family at gunpoint. He struck her, causing Norman to attack him; Norma and Norman eventually got outside, while Dylan defeated Shelby in a gunfight. Norma then told Dylan how Sam died, as Romero shows up. He learned the full story, but didn't arrest the family.
A mysterious man, Jake Abernathy, tried to enter Room 9 of the motel, and Norma found him. She allowed him to be the motel's first guest as long as he didn't mind the renovation. She hired Norman's friend Emma Decody to work in the motel.
Norma bought Norman to a psychologist, who suggested that Norma has control issues over Norman, and that she should get herself an appointment. She was also upset to learn that Norman was learning taxidermy from Will Decody, Emma's father. Jake told Norma that he knew the full story of Keith and Shelby, so she kicked him out of the motel. Dylan later brought co-workers to stay at the motel, and Norma decided to take him to dinner to thank him. However, she was horrified to see that Jake has placed Shelby's corpse on her bed.
Norma decided to leave White Pine Bay after receiving a threatening note in the mail. Norman made it clear that he wouldn't leave, but she reminded him that he had to as long as she wanted to. She bought a house in Hawaii (after searching for safe places online) for them to move into. However, her realtor told her that the motel won't go up for sale (meaning that she can't sell it and the family can't move). Norma hit the realtor with her purse and left the building angrily. Jake appeared in her car and told her that Shelby owed him money, and that if Norma didn't deliver Shelby's money to him at the docks on midnight the next night, he would kill her sons and her.
Norma told Romero about Jake's threat; he promised to "take care of it", which Norma was unsatisfied with. She asked Dylan to get her a gun and teach her how to use it. He refused at first, but eventually gave her one. During the lesson in target-shooting that he gave her, he called her "Mom" for the first time in years (although he had said it sarcastically before). She then told Norman about the abuse that she suffered at the hands of her brother Caleb Calhoun, and regretted telling him afterward. At midnight, she secretly went to the docks with the gun, and watched as Romero told Jake that he would allow Jake's illegal business to continue in White Pine Bay in exchange for 50% of the profits. Norma opened fire on Romero, who then shot four bullets into Jake (who then fell into the bay). As Romero left, he shouted that Norma was supposed to trust him. Norma drove home and nearly hit Norman in the driveway. She told him that everything was going to be fine from that point on, and they went inside.
===Season 2===
Norma attended Blaire Watson's funeral, and learned that a bypass would be built in front of the motel (despite being told that it was a canceled project in Season 1). Norma appeared at a city council meeting and voiced her disapproval, but was ignored; she subsequently insulted numerous members of the council. She also began to fear that Norman killed Blaire, but reassured herself when Norman told her what he remembered from the night that Blaire died.
While at the doctor Norma asked the doctor about what causes blackouts. She lied and said her sister has been having them to cover up for Norman. Later on she was at the library getting books researching blackouts. When she came home she looked for Norman and almost caught Bradley in the basement until Norman called her up just in time.
She asked for him to audition with her for a musical and then they both sang "Mr. Sandman" together. Norma auditioned and she and Norman have a fight where it ended with her breaking down in tears and mentioning that she found Blaire's pearl necklace in Norman's room. Norman reassured her that he didn't kill Blaire and they go back inside the theatre.
She went to the theatre to check if she got the part and found out she didn't. She then met Christine Heldens who told her she should have gotten the part but the casting director chose her friend instead. Christine offered to buy her a drink and she accepted, and they talked. When she came home she saw her brother Caleb Calhoun and kicked him out the house, telling Dylan not to let him back in (and not saying why she was so upset by seeing Caleb).
She later told Norman that she saw Caleb, and then assured him that she's fine and that she shouldn't have told him. She later got a call from Cristine who invited her to a garden party. She was socializing with people at the party when she met Cristine's brother George Heldens and later on agreed to take things slow with him. While waiting to go home she met Nick Ford who agreed with her about the bypass, she got his number so he can help her. At home Dylan tried to inform her that Caleb wasn't a bad guy. She then got angry and informed him that Caleb raped her. He got upset and thought she was lying which caused them to argue. Norman came in and started fighting Dylan, forcing Norma to reveal Caleb was Dylan's father.
She was invited to a restaurant by Christine. She didn't want to go and told Christine that she wasn't feeling well, but Christine made her go anyway. George and Peter were there, and Norma talked about the bypass and her fears about it. Peter (Christine's husband) upset Norma, and George drove her home. Norma then got into an argument with Dylan about his parentage, and Dylan accused her of using his birth to get away from Caleb. She broke down in tears and admitted to this.
Norma met Nick at his boat, the Amnesia IV. He gave her an ally's business card. She went to his ally, who gave her a case file about an endangered species of gophers whose natural habitat would be destroyed by the bypass. She sent this case file to the city council. She also warned Norman to avoid his new friend Cody Brennen, who she saw as a bad influence on him. Romero came to stay at the motel, and Norma nursed a cut on his eye. He told her that Nick is in the drug business, and later that one of the council's members, who she specifically disliked, was dead.
Norma stopped her business partnership with Nick. Christine convinced her that she should replace the late councilman (Lee Berman) on the council. George helped her achieve this goal, telling her to focus less on the city facts and more on herself, the "best part". Norma did a short interview with the mayor, and later found out that she was officially a member of the council. She then took Norman to get his driver's license, only for Emma to call her and inform her that Norman had experienced two blackouts recently. Worried, Norma prevented Norman from getting his license by revealing this fact (as it would be unsafe for him to black out while driving). Norma drove Norman home, and he made her pull over to let him out. He angrily told her that he was walking home, and she accepted this.
Romero took Norma to see Norman, informing her that Cody's father Jimmy Brennen was dead and that "Norman's saying it was an accident". Norma became very worried about Norman, and eventually tried to convince Cody not to tell the police about Norman's blackouts. Norman was later released, and asked Norma about his blackouts. She told him not to ask her again.
Norman began to act "distant" from Norma due to being upset over her refusing to tell him about the blackouts. Nick showed up at the motel and asked Norma to arrange a meeting between him and Dylan, so Norma visited Dylan at his office. Dylan told her to stay away from Nick. Norma told Nick that she couldn't find Dylan. Norma later went to George's house, but left after admitting that she wasn't "educated or nice or anything". At home, she argued with Norman about the blackouts, and he locked himself in his bedroom. Norma went to George's house.
At home, Norma couldn't find Norman anywhere, and eventually received a phone call from Nick, revealing that he kidnapped Norman and would release him only if Norma convinced Dylan to kill Zane Morgan. Norma asked Dylan to do this; he was reluctant. Norma, under stress, later insulted George and kicked him out of her house. As he drove away, she tried to make up for it, but he left anyway. Romero revealed to her that he found evidence connecting Norman to the Blaire Watson case. Norma told him about the kidnapping, and he promised to find Norman.
Norma was reunited with Norman after Dylan and Romero found and saved him. Determined to leave White Pine Bay, she bought three tickets for a plane ride to Canada (for herself, Norman, and Dylan). When she told Dylan that she bought him a ticket, he was pleasantly surprised, and they embraced. She later agreed to let Romero and his friend Declan Rogers do a test on Norman to determine whether or not he killed Blaire. Their conclusion was that Norman was innocent, because he saw a vision of Norma telling him that she did it.
=== Season 3 ===
Noticing how Norman had been sleeping in the same bed as Norma, Dylan told her that it wasn't right as Norman was 18-years old. When she decided to set some boundaries, he acted coolly towards her. She received news that her mother has died and initially she didn't show emotion but then softened. When she dropped Norman off at school, he refused to go in so she unbuckled his belt and forcefully pulled him out of the car. Norman ran home after hallucinating Miss Watson while in the school cafeteria so Norma decided to homeschool him. That evening Norma gave out to him when she caught him spying on new guest Annika Johnson through an open bathroom window. He later found her crying on her bed but she told him it was because of her mother. He got into the bed with her.
When Norma noticed that Annika had failed to return home the previous evening, she suspected Norman had something to do with it but he denied it. Emma later revealed that Norman was the last person with Annika as he offered to show her into town. She and Emma investigated Annika's vacant room and she found an invitation to the Arcanum Club. That evening she posed as Annika in order to gain access but was turned away when she didn't know the password. She snuck in over a wall and peered through a window, where she sees two men surrounded by naked women and realizes it's a gentlemen's club. Sheriff Romero catches her and she tells him about Annika's disappearance and that Norman was the last person to see her. He told her to go home and while driving home she saw the sign for the bypass and mowed it down with her car.
After a body was found in the marshes, Romero asked Norma to come to the morgue to identify the body. She confirmed that it wasn't Annika's. She decided to go to a business course at a local community college, but entered a psychology class instead, where she met teacher James Finnigan, who offered her his future assistance. When Norman became increasingly frustrated that she didn't trust him a hallucination of Norma told him to take a bath. He did so hoping to recall the events before Annika's disappearance, nearly drowning himself in the process. Norma saved him, then locked up the motel as Annika arrived and stumbled into her arms, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound. She gave Norma a USB drive and told her to use it for her and Norman before she succumbed to her injury.
Norma was adamant to learn what was on the flash drive but it was password protected. She asked Dylan to help with the encryption, which led to Norman becoming paranoid about their secrecy. When he told her that he and Emma were going on a picnic she told him that he couldn't have sex with Emma due to her ailing condition. When Emma learned this she was furious.
While driving on the open road, she was forced off it into a field by Bob Paris' man, who told her she had something that belonged to Paris. Her car was sent away for repair. Dylan was contacted by the hospital and collected her, but was surprised when she didn't mention Caleb. She went to lunch with James Finnigan and he gave her his card, telling her to contact him any time she needed to talk. Dylan later told her that he had discovered what was on the flash drive and she went to Romero, asking if she could trust him. She agreed to meet with Bob Paris but struck a deal with him about the bypass in exchange for the flash drive. When she returned home, Dylan and Norman wanted to talk to her. Dylan admitted that Caleb was back in town, staying at his cabin and was truly sorry for what he did to her. Norma stormed upstairs, packed her suitcase and grabbed a gun. She ran out of the house, got in her car and told Dylan to take care of his brother, before driving off.
Driving on the open road with tears in her eyes, Norma received several texts and missed calls from Dylan, who told her that Norman was freaking out and he needed her to come home. Norma drove to Portland where she went into a boutique to purchase new clothes, acting rudely to a shop assistant. She also traded in her car for a newer model and booked a room at a motel. She had a recollection of being a child and hiding under the porch of her house while her parents fought and Caleb confronted her. She headed to a bar where she was chatted up by a young man and said she had run out on her wedding. They danced together and then went out to his truck, where he attempted to assault her before she spat in his face and escaped. She decided to phone James Finnigan to ask if she could visit him for a chat. When she arrived, he gave her some tea and toast and she soon told him about Norman and parts of her past. Realizing she may have said too much, she tried to leave but James grabbed her and brought her upstairs to his room. She tried to kiss him and he told her he could lose his job. She kissed him again and he didn't hold back. The following morning, he awoke to find her dressing and she said she had to go home and be a mother. When she returned home, she woke Dylan and Norman up and told them she was going to see Caleb. When they arrived at Dylan's cabin, Norma approached Caleb's van and turned to leave when she saw him, but he broke down in front of her, apologizing for how he treated her and she hugged him back and cried.
Norman accompanied Norma while she collected her cellphone. When they returned home, Norma found Romero waiting for her and he told her he needed the flash drive. She later collected him from outside a bar and brought him back to the motel, where she put him in bed in one of the rooms. James Finnegan called to the house asking to meet Norman, so Norma brought him down to the basement and introduced them. Norman asked for them to be left alone so Norma went back upstairs. After Norman attacked James, James escaped and told Norma that Norman needed immediate help. Norma went down to the basement to comfort Norman. As she prepared dinner, Dylan told her about Norman making breakfast while dressed in her nightgown and said that he needed help. When she went outside for some herbs, she saw Caleb, who brought her some flowers. She invited him inside for dinner and asked Romero to join them as well. Later that night as she slept, Norman entered her room and caressed her thigh.
The following morning, Dylan told Norma that he would return to the farm to work on the barn, but still wanted to discuss Norman with her. Norma went into Norman's room to talk to him but he said he had to go down to the motel office to help Emma. They were interrupted by noise from outside and when they went to look, they saw construction workers digging. When Norma went outside to confront them, they told her they were installing the pool she requested. She was absolutely delighted when Romero arrived with her old car, which he bought back, and she kissed him before running up to the house to tell Norman. Norman later found Norma in her room and confessed that he may be sexually attracted to her, but Norma said that what he was feeling was completely normal for someone his age and they embraced each other. Romero confronted her about how her late husband Sam died, but she told him that he had died in an accident in their garage. Not believing her, he said goodbye and walked away. After trying to talk to James Finnigan, who had been badly beaten up by Bob Paris and his men, Norma confessed to Norman that she had told James about him killing his father and said that he was killing her as well, which infuriated Norman.
Norma decided to visit Bob Paris at home and said that she would hand over the flash drive. She pleaded with him not to say anything about Norman but he told her to talk to Romero. She went to the police station but Romero wasn't willing to hand over the flash drive and Norma said that she thought she could trust him. Norman returned home to find her in the basement clearing away his taxidermy and tools and questioned her. She told him she didn't want the investigation into his father's death to be re-opened and that it would look bad if his taxidermy tools were found lying about. He grabbed his knives and shouted at her, before she told him to go to his room and stay there.
That evening, when Romero returned home he found Norma in his ransacked house and she said that she didn't want Norman to be taken from her. Romero told her he had handed the flash drive over to the DEA and it led to a struggle between them in which Norma slapped him across the face and he pushed her up against the wall before she started crying. He attempted to get the truth again about Sam Bates' death but Norma stuck to her story that she had killed him with the blender in self defense. She told Romero not to touch her and left. She went home and started shoveling dirt into the pit before breaking down. Caleb arrived and told her about the time that Norman found him at the motel and in Norma's persona told him that he had raped her. He said that Norman would end up hurting someone and didn't want it to be her.
The following morning, when Dylan returned to the house he found a guitar on the coffee table and asked where it came from. Norma told him that Caleb had dropped it off and was leaving town. She also said that she had an appointment with a mental facility so that Norman could get help, and checked in on a sleeping Norman before she left. While visiting, she asked the co-ordinator Vicki Monroe how often she could visit Norman and was told she could do so whenever she wanted. However, Norma was worried when she was informed that the full treatment would cost $20,000. After returning home, Norman greeted her and she asked if they could talk. She told him where she had been and that she was worried about him. He felt that she didn't care about him any more and stormed up to his room. While closing up the motel office that evening, Romero dropped by and attempted to make amends. Norma said that she didn't want Norman to be taken away from her. When she went upstairs to check on Norman, she saw that he was trying to conceal a suitcase under his bed. He refused to be committed to the mental facility and told Norma he loved her, but that Bradley was waiting for him. They argued on the stairs and when Norma tried to pull the suitcase away from him, she tumbled down the stairs with it. Norman gathered his belongings but Norma managed to rouse and knocked him out with a doorstop. She dragged him down to the basement and tied his hands and legs up. Going back upstairs, she locked the door and phoned Dylan for help. When he arrived, she told him Norman was in the basement tied up but when they went to investigate, he had escaped via a small window. Norma said that he was talking nonsense about Bradley being alive and Dylan admitted that she had faked her death.
===Season 4===
After Norma learned that Norman was in a psychiatric until in Willamette County, she headed there and met a doctor who was concerned that Norman was dangerous and should be kept in for 48-hour evaluation also telling her that since she failed to get help for her son she could be seen as neglectful. Desperate, Norma went to the Pineview Institute in the hope of getting Norman admitted but learned there was a long waiting list. As she was leaving, she met the resident doctor Gregg Edwards and he gave her his card. When she took Norman home, he made her promise not to send him back to a psychiatric hospital and told her about the "dream" where she killed Bradley Martin. The following morning, she phoned Romero and paid him a visit, asking him to marry her since he had insurance and she didn't, but he turned her down.
Norma phoned Gregg Edwards with a request to have him see Norman and told Norman that he had another blackout before falling asleep. Norman questioned her about locking him in her room but she reassured him there was nothing going on. Over breakfast, he questioned what she was up to but she wouldn't say anything. When Romero called to the house, Norma told him she was desperate to get Norman into Pineview and he believed she was scared to be alone in the house with Norman. Romero managed to get Norman admitted and agreed to marry Norma, telling her the consent forms were being faxed to her. However, they were sent at the same time Norman was checking new guests into the motel and he discovered the forms. This caused him to flip completely and he accused her of killing Audrey Decody and moving the body from the freezer. He chased her through the house and as he held a gun in his hand, she tried to get him to drop it but he pushed her away and she barricaded herself in Dylan's room and phoned Romero for help. A few hours later, checking if the coast was clear, she headed downstairs, grabbed a scissors from a drawer and found the laptop on playing a DVD. When she called for Norman, she got no answer and eventually found him in the basement where he tackled her about the consent forms. Romero arrived and proceeded to take him away, but Norma finally got him to sign the consent forms.
Norma and Romero married at City Hall and at first she was reluctant to let him move in, but he said they had to act like a married couple as word would soon get out. She also attempted to see Norman but was told there was a 72-hour waiting period. Romero suggested going out for dinner and they chatted about past relationships. Norma ended up getting tipsy and when they got home, he carried her up to bed and said goodnight, joking referring to her as "Mrs. Romero" but she said she was keeping her own name. She eventually told Dylan she had married Romero and Dylan told her she was doing the right thing having Norman committed. Later when Norma visited Pineview, Dr. Edwards permitted her to see Norman but their reunion did not go well as he was cold and distant, telling her he would never forgive her. A dejected Norma returned home and as Romero comforted her, they kissed. She said it was what she wanted and he carried her upstairs.
As Norma and Romero cleaned up after the break in, Norma wondered who would break in as she kept a low profile and thought Bob Paris had something to do with it, but Romero reassured her that it wasn't him, saying that he was still being blamed for the clampdown on the drugs in the town. She went to a hardware store to enquire about fixing a window and was followed by Chick. When Chick showed up at the house claiming to be from the hardware store, Norma was suspicious of him because of his injuries but let him in. They examined the window and he said that he could draw a few ideas. Later that evening, he returned to the motel and mentioned that Dylan was his neighbor and also mentioned Caleb, who Norma said was her brother. Feeling uneasy, she excused herself and went up to the house. After Romero arrived home, Norma told him she had found an artisan and asked him if he killed Bob Paris. Romero didn't answer but the look on his face said it all. When she asked why, he told her he had to.
The following morning, Chick arrived at the house but his attitude had changed as he told Norma that he was looking for Caleb since he left town with his wife and child and he knew that Dylan was the result of Caleb raping her. He told her to have a think about what he said and asked if she wanted revenge against her brother.
Still concerned about Chick's threats, Norma attempted to get in contact with Caleb but found that his number had been disconnected. When Dylan returned from visiting Norman, he informed her that he would be leaving town in a few days. She ended up having a tense meeting at a diner with Chick and finally managed to contact Caleb and told him how upset Dylan was when he left town. Before she hung up, Caleb told her that he loved her but she couldn't bring herself to say the same to him. That evening when she met Chick on a bridge she attempted to shoot him but found that she couldn't. She returned home in a bad mood and shouted at Dylan. She had cooled off by the time Romero returned but wasn't pleased when Chick arrived with the repaired window. She told him to go ahead and do his worst as she wouldn't back down. He left without a fight and a confused Romero asked what was going on so she told him everything about her past. She then told him to pack a bag and he asked where they were going.
After having sex with Romero, Norma decided to make some home improvements and he gave her the bag of Bob Paris' money, telling her to use it on the house. When Norman phoned, he didn't let on that he knew she and Romero were married and told her that he was coming home.
Later when Dylan found her in Norman's room sewing some new drapes, he tackled her as to why Norman had Emma's rabbit toy in his room along with Audrey's letter. However, Norma refused to admit that Norman was dangerous.
When she visited Pineview, her reunion with Norman didn't go well as he was very distant with her. He asked her if it was her husband's idea to keep him there and showed her the newspaper clipping he had found of the two of them together. She attempted to cover her tracks by saying the marriage was just for show so he told her to prove it by allowing him to come home. As she arrived home, she informed Romero that Norman would be coming home and he wasn't happy. The following day she collected her son from Pineview and brought him home.
As Norma attempted to fix the heating after waking up freezing, Norman complained about how everything was different now that he was home. She told him to go back to bed but he ended up getting into hers as he said it would be a good way to keep warm.
When she awoke the following morning, she phoned Romero who was staying away so that Norman could readjust to being home and she told him she loved him. As she ate breakfast, Norman made further comments on the appearance of the house and she told him to be thankful of everything Romero had done for them.
While shopping town for space heaters, Norma ran into Dylan and invited him and Emma to come Christmas tree shopping with her and Norman. She was furious when Romero told her about Norman paying him a visit at work demanding that he and Norma get a divorce. That evening while searching for a tree, Dylan noticed Norman's behavior towards their mother and she put an end to his anger when she told him the truth about her and Romero.
Later that night, she told him that it was still too cold to sleep in the house and suggested sleeping in the motel but he opted to sleep in a separate room. When Romero returned to the motel, he crept into the room beside Norma's and using some tools, created a peephole in order to spy on them having sex.
The following day, she got a repairman to install the control box for the space heaters and she commented about how happy she was as a married woman. After he left, she told Norma that Romero would be coming over for dinner and that he was to stop his hissy fits. During the dinner, Norman acted overly polite towards Romero and again informed him that he would be getting a second job and insurance. Norma tried to ease tensions between them by telling Norman that it was okay to love more than one person and Romero told him that he would get used to their marriage. Norman blew up and told Norma how things had changed between them and informed Romero that he would never come between the two of them. Norma argued back, saying that she loved Romero and he loved her and that was the end of it. After Romero's attempts to talk to Norman failed and the latter stormed back to the house, Romero told Norma that he would stay the night.
The following morning, she found Romero on the couch and wouldn't listen to his pleas to send Norman back to Pineview. As they later drove home from Pineview, Norma told Norman that he would always be number one in her heart. When Dylan informed her that he had agreed to help Romero send Norman back to Pineview, Norma was furious and visited Romero at work, telling him that since he was going behind her back in order to have Norman recommitted then she would never trust him again.
When she returned home, Norman noticed how upset she was about her fight with Romero and hugged her as she broke down. Later as she got ready for bed, she wrote Romero a letter telling him that she was sorry and would always love him, placing her wedding ring in the envelope with the letter.
As she got into bed, she collapsed in tears and Norman came in to say goodnight to her and comforted her with promises of leaving Pineview and escaping to Oahu for a new life. He soothed her by singing to her and after watching her for some time, he went down to the basement and lit the broken furnace before going around the house, locking the front door and closing the vents except for the one in Norma's room. He returned to her room and fell asleep beside her.
When Romero returned home, he found it strange to see the front door and windows locked and as he entered the house, he called to Norma but got no reply. He went up to her room and saw her and Norman asleep but when he attempted to rouse her, he got no response. After smashing the window, he carried her from the room and laid her on the hallway floor, opening the window before returning for Norman and laying him next to his mother. His CPR attempts on Norma proved fruitless and he cried as he embraced her.
Paramedics brought Norma's corpse to the hospital where Norman later learned that she had died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Romero mentioned to Detective Chambers that he had been married to her for two weeks and said that Norman may have been responsible. When Justin Willcock, a funeral home owner, phoned to make arrangements for her funeral, Norman answered and told him that Romero didn't live there anymore. Romero showed up at the morgue and demanded to see Norma. He cried and kissed her as he slipped her wedding ring on her finger.
After selecting a periwinkle blue dress for his mother to wear, Norman showed up at the funeral home to meet with Justin Willcock and his son. He declined to have his mother embalmed and mentioned that he had a fondness for taxidermy. He asked to see her and when he held her hand, he saw her wedding ring and angrily removed it as she opened her eyes.
Her funeral was held as Norman informed Justin Willcock that no one else would be coming. As he made an emotional speech about his mother, his mood turned to anger as he blamed her for leaving him to figure everything out himself. When he returned home, he again argued about her leaving him and resorted to driving to the cemetery to dig up her corpse. He brought her home and placed her on the couch, telling her to open her eyes but got no response. He grabbed a bottle of superglue and used it to open her eyelids, being taken aback when he saw that they were glassy. After Chick showed up to offer his condolences, Norman realized that Norma would not be coming back and attempted to shoot himself before hearing the piano playing. He went downstairs to find the house decorated for Christmas and saw his mother. She told him that she had promised never to leave him and they sat together, happy in the knowledge that they would be together forever
===Season 5===
Picking up over two years after the end of Season 4, Norman was busy running the motel on his own while also having his own struggles with "Mother", who was upset that she could not go outside due to "her" being dead. When Norman found a wallet belonging to someone he could not remember checking in "Mother" told him to put it in the office safe and while spying of new arrival David Davidson "she" called him to dinner.
However, their dinner descended into an argument when "she" voiced her disapproval of Madeleine Loomis, who had dropped the paint samples for the motel to the office earlier in the day. When Norman tried to leave for the meeting that Madeleine had invited him to, "Mother" attempted to prevent him from leaving and ended up dragging him by the ear down to the basement, where it was revealed that the body of a man was being stored in the freezer. Norman recognized him as the owner of the wallet and through flashback "Mother" revealed that he had shown up at the motel with the intention of killing Norman but "she" stabbed him to death. Together they wrapped up his body and brought it to the lake, intending to dispose of it there before the man's cellphone rang. "Mother" wanted him to quickly dispose of the body but Norman answered the phone and discovered it was a call from an inmate at the Bend Correctional Facility, where Romero was serving his sentence.
After visiting Romero at the prison, Norman returned home to find "Mother" learning French and "she" said that she would deal with Romero. When Chick called by, he was confused to hear Norman talking to himself as "Mother" said she hated pretending to be dead.
When Norman later met Madeleine in town, who invited him on a double date with a friend. While on the date, Norman was unimpressed with Joanne and tried to get under Sam's skin before talk turned to his mother. He excused himself to the bathroom where "Mother" appeared, asking him if he still liked "her". Norman got "her" to go out the window but then found "her" in his car. Noticing that Madeleine looked like "her" she asked him if he was going to be "that guy". Norman drove to a bar and in his "Mother" persona admitted that "she" was taking care of a mentally ill child.
After Caleb learned of Norma's death, he found her tombstone inscribed with a love letter from Norman and a spot next to her already reserved for her son. That evening he returned to the house to extract revenge on Norman and went down to the basement where he came across Norma's dead body in the freezer. Before he had time to react, Norman, dressed as "Mother", knocked him out cold and told Chick, who had followed Caleb back there, "Well, now you know, Chick. I'm still alive".
When Caleb awoke to find himself chained up in the basement, he thought he saw Norma talking to him but it turned out to be Norman as "Mother". Caleb pleaded to be spared even telling "Mother" that she was a grandmother but she decided to keep Caleb tied up. "Mother" also criticized Chick for being dressed in a kimono and while at dinner he talked to "her", offering to do odd jobs around the house.
After Caleb had a dream of him and Norma as kids, he told Chick about how abusive their parents were and while alone in the basement he thought he saw his sister alive, but it turned out he was just hugging her corpse. "Mother" later told Norman that Caleb had to die and gave him a gun to do the deed but he decided to allow Caleb to make a run for it and never return. Angered, "Mother" gave chase but Caleb was ultimately killed after being knocked down by Chick Hogan's car.
Following Caleb's death, "Mother" told Norman they had to call the police but Chick took it away for a proper burial. The following day, Norman decided to do some spring cleaning, which involved giving away Norma's dresses. After sheriff Jane Greene visited the motel office and gave Norman the license plate number of Jim Blackwell's car, he told "Mother" to get dressed as he needed to dispose of the car. When he was heading out the following evening to dinner at Madeleine's house, he told "Mother" that he would take care of the car. However, his date took a bad turn when he saw "Mother" slashing Madeleine's throat and he bolted from the house.
The following day, a bartender phoned from the "White Horse Bar" to say that Norman's car was found in the parking lot and Norman asked if a woman named Norma had been in the night before. When he showed up to collect the car, he was confused when the bartender seemed to recognize him. When he reversed the car out, he noticed a pair of lacy red underwear on the back seat. He later returned to the bar where panic set in when everyone recognized him and when he went to the restroom a man approached him, which led to Norman having a memory of "Mother" having sex with the man.
While Norman was making the sandwich for Marion after checking her in, "Mother" voiced "her" disapproval of the new motel guest. Once she left after finding out that Sam was married, Norman repaired the lamp while "Mother" admonished him for letting Marion get away. Sam soon arrived and went into Room #1, attempting to ring Marion to meet him there, unaware that she had already thrown her phone out of the car window. "Mother" told Norman that Sam was just as abusive as his father and had to be dealt with. Taking a knife, Norman went into Room #1 while Sam was in the shower and pulling back the shower curtain stabbed him until he died.
As Norman realized what he had done, "Mother" appeared in order to wrap the body in a shower curtain in order to get rid of any evidence that may incriminate Norman. Driving to the woods, "they" came across the police pulling a body from the lake and argued about what to do with Sam's body with "Mother" mentioning dumping it off the cliffs or burying it in the woods like the other bodies, which shocked Norman into asking who else had died. "They" ended up dumping the body down a well and got rid of Sam's car.
After Sheriff Greene's visit, Norman told "Mother" about the police finding multiple bodies and Norman eventually made the decision to bury Norma's corpse in the woods, promising that he would be back soon. As he returned home, he was surprised to see Dylan there. Inviting him in, Dylan was shocked to see the house in disarray and told Norman that he should not have had to go through everything on his own, while "Mother" lurked nearby.
"Mother" later awoke Norman and told him that Dylan had to be dealt with as it should only be the two of them together forever. Norman prepared a meal for him and Dylan, who returned from the pharmacy with a prescription, having learned that Gregg Edwards had been missing for over a year and just met Madeleine outside. He questioned Norman about Gregg Edwards and also about Sam and even encouraged him to start take his meds again. Norman took a pill and went to get some water but "Mother" soon told Dylan that she only had a place for one person in "her" life and hit him with a glass. As Dylan lay on the floor, he saw Norman wrestling with no-one until he finally stopped and went to pick up the phone, dialing 911 and confessing that he had murdered Sam Loomis.
When the sheriff arrived to question Norman, he saw "Mother" approaching him and when he closed his eyes and opened them again, "she" had disappeared. He begged the sheriff to give him his meds so the delusions would stop and she told him that he would get them down at the station. When Norman was taken to his cell, he was given his meds and took them, only for "Mother" to appear and rebuke him for Dylan still being alive. "She" made him throw up his meds in the toilet and bashed his head on the toilet, knocking him out, thus enabling "her" to fully possess him.
When the sheriff returned, she was unaware of what had happened and granted "her" request for an attorney. When Julia Ramos met with "Mother", the latter cunningly decided to set Madeleine up to take the blame for Sam's death due to Norman being infatuated with her. Madeleine discovered this when she was later questioned about the nature of her relationship with Norman and saw "Mother" glaring at her as she left the sheriff's department. Following the discovery of Jim Blackwell's and Audrey Ellis' bodies in the lake, Norman was formally charged with their murders along with Sam's.
As "Mother" was fingerprinted, "she" was told that it was up to the judge to decide what the penalty for Norman's crimes would be. At the preliminary hearing, the judge revealed that if convicted he would face the death penalty. The following day as Emma prepared to leave to return to Seattle she visited Norman at the sheriff's station but realized she was talking to "Mother" when the latter said that Audrey was not a good mother and got what she deserved. She asked to speak to Norman and "Mother" said that Norman was sleeping. Emma told "her" to tell him that she missed him. Some time later, Romero showed up at the station and rounded up the deputies, forcing them to take him to Norman. A deputy shoved Norman out of his cell and Romero attempted to choke him before a deputy ordered him to stop as he was going to kill him. He then ordered Norman to take him to where Norma's body was buried.
==Personality==
Over the course of the series, Norma is seen as a dominant figure who refuses to let people walk over her. She cares deeply for her youngest son Norman to the point of interfering in his life when he attempts to make a connection with any girl he meets. However, she has a constant need for male attention, often sleeping with men who are younger than her.
Due to the abuse suffered during her childhood at the hands of her parents she finds it hard to form a lasting relationship with any man with Norman being the only male figure that she fully trusts. She was raped by  her older brother Caleb, which led to her eldest son Dylan being born. Unlike her relationship with Norman, he and Norma have failed to bond over the years since he blamed her for cheating on his legal father John Massett.
She eventually forms a close friendship with the town's sheriff Alex Romero which leads to them marrying only for it to end in her death.
==Family Tree==
==Killings==
*Keith Summers: Stabbed multiple times in the chest, in revenge for raping her. (in First You Dream, Then You Die)
==Trivia==
*In the novel and films, Norman Bates was Norma's only child.  She also had a sister named Emma Spool rather than a brother (although this is only exclusive to the two sequel films Psycho II and Psycho III).
*In the film Norma's corpse is mummified and skeleton like. But in the series Norman keeps her corpse frozen in order to preserve it, and isn't as decayed. However, it appears he is in the process of mummifying it since Caleb finds a book on the process.
*Olivia Hussey portrayed Norma in the 1990 sequel/prequel TV Movie Psycho IV: The Beginning.
* Norma drives a green 1972 Mercedes-Benz 280 SEL.
==Gallery==
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==References==
de:Norma Bates
ru:Норма Бейтс
pt-br:Norma Bates
Category:Characters
Category:Main Characters
Category:Season 1 Characters
Category:Female Characters
Category:Season 2 Characters
Category:Season 3 Characters
Category:Season 4 Characters
Category:Season 5 Characters
Category:Criminals
Category:Deceased Characters