Bates Motel/The Cord

The Cord
Season 5, Episode 10
Airdate	April 24, 2017
Written by	Kerry Ehrin & Carlton Cuse
Directed by	Tucker Gates
← 5x09 Visiting Hours	— N/A
Bates Motel — Season Five

The Cord is the tenth episode of the fifth season of Bates Motel, and the fiftieth 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: Chris Shields (Deputy), Brooke Smith (Sheriff Jane Greene), Ian Tracey (Remo)

Also Starring: Aliyah O'Brien (Regina), Nicholas Holmes (Young Norman), Diana Bang (Jiao/Realtor), Nathan Cann (Mark), Nicholas Carella (Deputy Miller), Glenn Gordon (Harry), Hayley Gray (Liz), Jennifer Copping (Amy), Aiden Robson (Dylan (Amy's Son)), Leah Cairns (Woman)

Plot Overview

After taken to his mother's body by Romero, Norman sinks further into his psychosis. Seeing an unfortunate outcome for his brother from all fronts, Dylan hopes to make one last plea, bracing for the worst.

Notes

Music

• Doris Day - "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera Sera)"

• My Morning Jacket - "Magic Bullet"

• Patsy Cline - "You Belong to Me"

• Doris Day - "Dream a Little Dream of Me"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The Bates property is last seen being put back up for sale.

Characters

• Romero has Norman find and uncover Norma's body. He is then struck with a rock by Norman before he shoots him. Romero's last words tell Norman that he killed his mother and that he can't hide from it.

• Romero's words resonate with Norman who finally accepts what he's done. Norma appears and tells him she's leaving because there's nothing more to protect him from.

• Norman brings Norma's body home and tries to start over by imaging the two of them have just arrived in White Pine Bay. He's reminded of his brother and invites Dylan over.

• Getting a gun from his old friend Remo, Dylan returns to the Bates home and finds Norma's body and Norman attempting to pretend everything is fine.

• With his delusion shattered and faced with being institutionalised and separated from Norma, Norman comes at Dylan with a knife, forcing Dylan to shoot him.

• As he dies, Norman sees himself being reunited with Norman thanks Dylan.

• A flashfoward to a few years shows an older Katie with Dylan and Emma who are still together.

• Norman is shown to have been laid to rest with Norma.

Referbacks

• Norman's relives the events of "First You Dream, Then You Die" where they move to White Pine Bay and bought the Seafairer Motel.

• The realtor seen selling the Bates property at the end of the episode is Jiao, the Asian sex slave who Norman rescued in Season 1. She was last seen being chased by Shelby into the woods and was presumed murdered. Shelby either lied about shooting her for whatever reason or he assumed it was fatal.

Trivia

The Show

• Features the show's only utterance of the word "fuck".

• Norman carrying Norma's body downstairs was the last shot of the series filmed.

Memorable Moments

• As he lays dying, Norman sees himself in the woods running toward Norma and she greets him with open arms and they embrace.

Goofs

• While seated at the table, Norma's head changes from tilted to straight between shots.

Quotes

• Norman: (last words, to Dylan) Thank you.