The topic of Norman’s father seems to really put Norman through a wringer of emotions, whether we realize the full impact of it initially or not. At first it pushes Norman into calling and apologizing to his mother, an act that very much feels like Norman going through the motions of rehabilitation, even if it is still a safer version of him. This phone call then leads to Norma paying Norman a “visit”, which seems like a nice reunion between them—even if it does hinge on the fact as to whether it’s real or not.

Their time together also looks at Norman’s father for a while and whether he still deserves to take up any space in Norman’s psyche. Norma says to him, “Show the doctor that you’re feeling better and we can get you out of here.” Initially this plays as tragic, seeing how bad Norma’s delusion has gotten just as Norman seems to be improving. She knows that Norman’s health isn’t as simple as just flipping a switch. That’s why when you see what’s actually going on here; it’s even more powerful.

Above I commented on the validity of this meeting between Norman and his mother—in fact, I’ve speculated that a lot of Norman’s solo escapades, whether they were with Blair or Julian, were fabrications of his mind—so it’s nice to see Dr. Edwards finally get into this, with the show at last crossing that bridge. We’re now officially in the territory of where we can’t trust anything that we’re seeing from Norman’s perspective. Like, did that bruised and bloodied encounter with Julian still end up happening, or just more of his mind playing with him?

And speaking of crossing bridges, with the show officially at the midpoint of the season it’s only natural to be addressing how the year is stacking up. I’m a little surprised, albeit relieved that Norman is still hospitalized at this moment (I’d be elated if he’s there all season, to be honest), but to see Dr. Edwards finally talking to Norman as “Norma” is such goosebumps material. He really is slowly getting to the bottom of Norman, and I’m genuinely curious to see how far he gets in the manner. I hope he doesn’t come to an end before the season’s close, even if that does seem all too likely. We all know the final season is just going to be a Norman and Norma showdown, right?

The other threads that the series is pulling at aren’t nearly as interesting, but hey, we might as well talk about them. Emma coming home, Dylan in tow, as they get their new life together is just as sweet as you’d think it would be. This just barely feels like it’s taking place in the same show anymore. This could be from an episode of Everwood, what with all of the time spent on job interviews, scar sharing, and iCalendar dates for when Emma and Dylan can make love for the first time. That being said, I’m still a sucker for lines like “Don’t get hit by any more cars.” I just want to see Emma get a win here before her boyfriend’s deranged brother kills them all.