Norma Louise Bates quotes from Bates Motel

I'm sorry I missed that last meeting when you called Lee Berman "a dick."

Norma Bates

Yeah, well uh, I'm a little embarrassed about all that now.

Don't be, he was - God rest his soul.

Norma Bates

How dare you? How dare you give me orders, come into my house when I'm not here, act like somehow I'm beholden to you?

Nick Ford

That's because you are! You're just too ignorant to realize it. Who do you think got you that seat on the City Council? And what do you think happened to Lee Berman? You are beholden to me.

Norma Bates

[about Dylan] We don't really talk, we had a falling out.

Nick Ford

Then for no other reason, you need to see him and fix that. I lost a daughter; I was estranged from her when it happened. I can tell it's the most horrible thing that ever happened to me. Talk to your son. Do it while you can. Do it right away.

Norma Bates

I bought tickets to Montreal, to fly. We can leave tonight.

Dylan Massett

You can't do that! That's insane!

Norma Bates

I don't know what else to do!! ...I got three tickets, I want you to come.

Dylan Massett

...You bought me a ticket?

Norma Bates

...I'm sorry Dylan! I'm so sorry! For everything. For how you were born. For how I handled it. How I shut you out. It was horrible of me and I'm so sorry.

Dylan Massett

It's not your fault Norma. You were just a kid.

Norma Bates

I didn't know what I was doing. But as horrible as it was, I wouldn't trade it for anything because you're here now and you're beautiful and you're a miracle that someone like you could come out of all that. And I wouldn't give you up for anything.

Norman Bates

I'm sorry mother. I didn't mean to hurt you but I am gonna do this and you're not gonna stop me.

Norma Bates

Why!?

Norman Bates

Because I don't wanna be who I am. And I don't wanna hurt you. There's something wrong with me. I'm bad.

Norma Bates

You're not bad! You're innocent! You've never meant to hurt anybody in your life.

Norman Bates

But I did, I know I did!

Norma Bates

You don't know what's real and what's not Norman. You have these blackouts and they confuse you.

Norman Bates

...I had a blackout the day my dad died.

Norma Bates

...

Norman Bates

What happened that day mother?

Norma Bates

Give me the gun and I'll tell you.

Norma Bates

He was hurting me and you were trying to protect me. You've always been there to protect me.

Norman Bates

How can you ask me to live with this?

Norma Bates

Because I will die if you leave. I will, I'll die Norman. We're like the same person. If you kill yourself I'll be there one step after. We have to be together. We're supposed to be together! No matter what. I will be with you you every step. I will be by your side and we will face this together. Please! Please!

Norma Bates

Please. Please.

Norman Bates

Alright mother. You win.

Norma Bates

I'm gonna go to sleep now Okay. But I think you should go to your bed.

Norman Bates

I should? I-I can... I do it all the time...

Norma Bates

Well, it's just that Dylan said something to me, uh, that it's not good for you to be sleeping in my bed - or *on* my bed. Like, sleeping in here.

Norman Bates

What's Dylan got to do with us?

Norma Bates

Well, he's a man, and I'm just your mother. I don't always know what's good for you in a manly kind of a way. You know, I mean you are 18 years old.

Norman Bates

So you don't want me sleeping in here anymore?

Norma Bates

No, it's not that I don't want it.

Norman Bates

[getting up] No, no, you just don't think it's good for me.

Norma Bates

Maybe not...

Norman Bates

You know, I really feel like everything's under control. The school work, the motel, and I'm really okay and I'm going to be dating Emma.

Norma Bates

You are?

Norman Bates

Mm-hmm.

Norma Bates

When did this happen?

Norman Bates

Just felt like the right time. I'm 18 now, time to start laying some foundation.

Emma Decody

It's so funny how people leave their things. There's such an energy in it, like the person's still present somehow in the animation -

Norma Bates

Emma, please.

Emma Decody

Sorry.

Norma Bates

I'm in the wrong class. I'm supposed to be in marketing.

James Finnigan

Are you sure you don't think psychology might be a good idea?

Norma Bates

Is there something else that you're looking for?

Alex Romero

Chaos seems to swirl around you, and I'm not sure why.

Alex Romero

Why are you lying to me?

Norma Bates

I'm not. Why are you lying to me?

Alex Romero

About what?

Norma Bates

About what you're doing here.

Alex Romero

I'm not lying. I'm not revealing the whole truth. That's my job, to decide what and when to tell whom.

Norma Bates

Well, you're very good at it. Gold star, Sheriff.

Norma Bates

This is the first time since I've moved to this crummy town that I have anyone by the short hairs. I'm getting something out of it.

Alex Romero

Have you lost your mind?

Norma Bates

Maybe. It's irrelevant. Listen to me, I want you to take me to see Bob Paris. I'm gonna tell him I have it, and I'm gonna ask for some favors in return. Why you looking at me like that? I've had a good education in this crappy town. And I'm ready to play ball with the big boys.

Alex Romero

Play ball? But they'll kill you.

Norma Bates

They can't. I have the flash drive. I'm the only one who knows where it is.

Alex Romero

And the two dead girls, they get no justice?

Norma Bates

The dead girl gave it to me. She wanted me to do this. She gave it to me before she died. This is gonna bring those poor girls back to life -

Alex Romero

Norma, think of what people in this town have done to you -

Norma Bates

- you don't think I know what they've done to me? No one knows better than me!

Alex Romero

- you're not gonna extort them -

Norma Bates

They raped me! They put a dead man's body in my bed. They kidnapped my child and they put him in a box in the ground. What else are they gonna do to me, kill me? I'm not going down without a fight, and no one's gonna stop me. Not you, not Bob Paris, not all of the scumbag criminals in White Pine Bay. You know what? If I was a man, one of these douche bags who lives here, you would say that it's totally doable. You're just saying it's a bad idea because you think I can't handle it because I'm a woman. Because I'm a mother. I can. I have seen how it's done. And I will handle it without you if I have to.

Norma Bates

So I'm here because I think I may have something I think you want back.

Bob Paris

...

Norma Bates

...Umm a flash drive?

Bob Paris

...

Norma Bates

...Umm so here's what I was thinking and you tell me what you think about it. This bypass that's being built. It's gonna destroy my business. I've tried so hard to fight it. There's just nothing I could do. You know I have no power here. I tried. I really did but I don't.

Alex Romero

Norma maybe just cut to the point.

Norma Bates

Well it's kind of all the point! ...Anyway umm this business of mine is very important to me. It is all that I have to support me and my son who has some...medical issues. And you know I'm kind of in a desperate position here you see. So I was thinking since you have this thing you want back that maybe I could ask you for something in return?

Bob Paris

...

Norma Bates

So, I want you to create an exit off the bypass. One that would lead to Two Lane highway that would then easily connect to Main Street near my motel. And umm I would like a large billboard just before that exit on both the north and south side of the bypass. And umm I would like approval on any design...And I want a pool. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, say 20 by 40 feet with a Jacuzzi and of course a fence so that it's safe.

Bob Paris

...So how do I know that you actually have the flash drive, that you've...opened it?

Norma Bates

There are a lot of important people in this town who have invested in the drug trade. I have seen the names.

Bob Paris

I see. And when do I get it back?

Norma Bates

Well maybe never actually. And it won't do you any good to threaten me or hurt me. Not that I'm saying that you would do something like that. But let's just say I suddenly go missing or my brakes suddenly go out, I will make sure there is one person, someone you do not know, who knows where that flash drive is and I will make sure that as soon as anything happens to me, it gets turned over to the FBI.

Bob Paris

...Hmm. So I give you all of these things and you give me...nothing? And then because you still have the flash drive you could come back later and ask for more stuff.

Norma Bates

No, I'm telling you I won't. I'm making a deal with you. Okay and I'll honor it if you do.

Bob Paris

So no more asks?

Norma Bates

No. None. Ever.

Bob Paris

...I have to hand it to you Norma Bates. You got me. Well done Norma. We have a deal.

James Finnigan

Look, I-I know it doesn't seem like it, but you're in a very fragile state right now. You need to stop worrying about everybody else and just take care of yourself.

Norma Bates

I hear you, but I can't take care of myself. I'm a mother. Now I have to go talk to my horrible brother. You know what, I have no choice because it is important to my sons.

James Finnigan

Yeah, and what about your own needs?

Norma Bates

Parents do not have needs. You ever read the book The Giving Tree? It's about a tree, and this kid keeps coming and taking stuff from it his whole life, until there's nothing left but a stump. And then the kid sits on the stump. That's being a parent.

Dylan Massett

I don't want to go!

Norma Bates

Well, neither do I, but I'm not gonna be the mom who says, "I won't talk to your dad because I hate him because he raped me". That's not what parents do. So get in the damn car!