Norma and Romero’s fake marriage actually seems to be turning into something legitimate, with this still maybe being the least interesting aspect of the season for me. Until Norman comes back home, it feels like this material is merely biding its time. It is still providing the episodes with their weekly dose of what the fuck though, like in moments where Romero and Norma share awkward silences until he blurts out, “I think we need a joint checking account,” or them discussing what a hot toddy is.

Some nice parallels are drawn between the unusual pairings of Norma and Romero, and Emma and Dylan, which is the first that I’ve really thought about them echoing one another. To me, they’ve felt a little more about pained individuals who are just reaching out to anyone and sometimes you’ll be surprised who embraces you. Highlighting the similarities between them though doesn’t hurt.

The episode also hints at a larger story of Romero getting blackmailed by Rebecca, which mostly feels like a big time suck. The fact that it’s at least connecting to the Bob Paris murder gives it some encouraging relevance though. It’s just a little convenient that the only person suspicious of him happens to be his ex before Norma. We’ll see where all of this ends up going, but poor Norma’s been hurt enough without her fake/real marriage exploding in her face.

We also learn that Emma is going to be moving to Cincinnati in order to be closer to a better respiratory center, a move that also has her thinking about college. Dylan’s then put in the position as to whether he wants to come with her. Of course for these two invincible love angels, he’s going to say yes. I’m happy to see this happening because I’m legitimately pleased that these two have chiseled out a piece of sanity amongst all of this crazy. That being said, this early announcement of departure is only going to go one of two ways. Either Dylan’s getting away just in time, and surviving the inevitable Norman bloodshed, or their happily ever after is going to tragically get cut short as Norman ends up intervening. With the series heading into its final chapter, all bets are off.

Norman spends a lot of time bitching at orderlies and mocking Pineview’s procedure and protocol, which is a lot more satisfying than it should be. Watching Norman’s feathers get consistently ruffled with him seeming like he’s about to explode at every instant is a delight to watch. It’s also behavior that has him hanging out a lot more with Julian. I’m not crazy about Julian, but he feels like the sort of character that we’re not supposed to be 100% into. I kind of wish that it was still plausible that he was just a figment of Norman’s broken mind.