01x02 - Nice Town You Picked, Norma...

[bunniefuu]

Coming!

Hey, mom.

Has he told you how long he's staying?

No, and I didn't ask him.

I didn't want him to think it was an option.

As far as I'm concerned, I'll find him some money, and then he can get on his way.

[Toaster clicks]

Your toast is done.

Yeah. I know.

I don't suppose you want some breakfast?

Thanks, no.

[Coffee pours]

The bread's gonna get stale.

Why are you here?

[Scoffs]

Because that's what normal people do, Norma, when they've lost their job, and they've got no money and no place to stay.

They go home.

Although most normal mothers don't move their home out of state and try and hide it from their own son.

We're out of cream.

He looked like a lost puppy at the party.

[Laughter]

Shh, he's coming.

[Indistinct chatter]

Hey.

Hey.

So the other night, why'd you leave the party so early?

Where did you go? You hook up with someone?

I'd like to lie to you and say yes, but I actually got my history book out of your car and went home and--

And probably studied.

Good for you. I hate studying.

A necessary evil.

Yeah.

You wanna actually study together for the history test?

I mean, not go to a party this time.

I could really use the help.
[Tires screech]

Oh, my God, that guy must be completely wasted.

[Tires screeching]

That's my dad's car.

[Tense music]

♪ ♪

[Panting]

Dad! Dad!

Oh, my God!

Let me--let me-- let me get it.

Hurry up!

[Gasps]

[Whimpers]

[Police radio chatter]

His name's Jerry Martin.

Owns a warehouse up the road.

It looks like somebody set a fire there.

He was trapped inside of it.

Wait, you're saying someone intentionally set fire to his warehouse?

That's horrible.

Yes, you're right. It's horrible.

Sheriff!

There's something here you need to see.

[Tow truck running]

Interesting morning in White Pine Bay.

Burnt up dude drives into a ditch in front of your new hotel?

How rude.

You know, it's a really nice town you picked here, Norma, to start a new life and all, you know?

Stop calling me Norma.

And if you're gonna stay here, you're gonna pitch in.

I ordered all-new bed linens.

They're ready to be picked up.

I'm gonna get you the car keys.

Mrs. Bates.

Could you come here, please?

[Sighs]

Yep, that's it.

This is, uh-- this is Keith Summers's truck, used to own this place.

He hasn't been home in a couple of nights.

Have you seen him?

No. No, I haven't.

Why would he leave his truck here?

Well, that's what we're wondering.

[Police radio chatter]

All right, let's get everybody down here by the truck.

We're gonna search the woods up here behind the house.

Fine. Let's go!

[Sighs]

Well, good luck with everything.

So I want you to select a poem from one of these classic poets and prepare a presentation on why this poem is still relevant in today's world.

Now this is a partner assignment, so I want you to figure out who you wanna work with.

[School bell rings]

Hey. Wanna do this with me?

Yeah, okay.

Good. We can meet tomorrow.

Cool.

You live at the motel, right? I'll come to your place.

Oh, well, maybe we should--

11:00. I'll be there.

[Indistinct chatter]

Dr. Klonkin. Dr. Klonkin.

[Indistinct chatter]

I'll talk to him.

Okay.

So why are you here?

I just felt bad about what happened to Bradley's dad.

And I was there.

Yeah, I know.

Well, I just wanted to give her this.

I'll give it to her.

Great. Yeah, okay.

Yeah, thank you.

[Ginuwine's Pony]

♪ ♪

[Sniffling]

♪ I'm just a bachelor ♪
♪ I'm looking for a partner ♪

What the hell are you looking at?

♪ Someone who knows how to ride ♪
♪ without even falling off ♪
♪ gotta be compatible ♪

I'm sorry, man.

My boss got in a bad accident today.

He got b*rned real bad.

He's in a coma.

Probably not gonna make it.

I just moved here, but... that's not right, man.

No, it's not.

He was a good man.

[Sniffling]
Here, I got them.

♪ My saddle's waiting ♪
♪ come and jump on it ♪
♪ sitting here flossing ♪

Dude, in a town like this, where the hell do you get that kind of money?

♪ Just once if I have the chance ♪
♪ the things I-- ♪

[Hinges creak]

Evening, Norma.

Listen, dumb-ass.

This is not gonna stand. It's not.

You're not gonna be coming home in the middle of the night like this.

Okay? I am trying to build a life here for me and Norman.

You are not going to be screwing this up.

I got it, okay?

I grew up in a house with you, remember?

It was always what you were trying to do for Norman.

Norman is a good boy.

He's a good son.

Dylan, would you please put that on a plate?

Well, golly, you know, I'm sorry if I was a little annoyed with you after you drove my dad away by skanking around with Norman's father.

I wasn't skanking around. It wasn't my fault.

I was 17 years old when I met your father.

I had no idea what I was doing.

I met Sam, and I fell in love.

Oh, yeah?

How'd that work out for you?

I hate you.

I hate you.

You have never had an ounce of kindness for me.

Well, I'm sorry it was a little bit hard to get on the tea party with you and Norbit.

What are you talking about? What tea party?

He likes me. He just likes me, so we are close.

That is the normal arrangement between mothers and sons, not this crap.

How'd you get all this money, Norma?

How'd you buy a motel and a new car?

We haven't had a dime in our life, okay?

I've been worried about money since I was conscious.

What's up with that, huh?

Sam's insurance policy.

He sold insurance, and he was well covered.

Yeah, I guess so.

Good night, Norma.

Stop calling me Norma.

I am your mother!

Get all the corners and the edges.

I think we're good.

Just 'cause they found his car doesn't mean they're necessarily gonna--

Don't you two ever get tired of each other?

[Chair rattles]

These are good.

[Doorbell rings]

I got it, g*ng, it's cool.

Don't stop your swiffering.

Hi. I'm here to study with Norman.

Hey, Norman, there's a girl here for you.

Come in.

Hi, Norman.

Oh, hey, Emma.

This is my mom. Emma.

We're doing a language arts project together at school.

I guess I forgot to tell you.

I'm Dylan.

Well, that's okay then.

Come on in. It's nice to meet you.

You too.

Where do you live, Emma?

My dad has a shop in the village.

We live in the space above it.

Did we land on a poem yet?

What's your last name?

Decody. No, but I brought some books.

"Decody."
Is that Italian?

No, no, it isn't.

We're from the U.K., actually.

Hey, mom, uh, didn't you-- didn't you need me to go to the grocery store?

Come sit down.

Do you have that list?

Have a seat. No, I haven't made it yet.

Oh.

So how long have you lived here?

About five years.

My dad was a professor in Manchester.

He was a professor?

Yeah.

But he wanted to spend time just focusing on taking care of me, so he retired and opened the shop.

And are you okay?

Oh, this?

Yeah. It's my pet.

I take it everywhere.
[Chuckles]

I have C.F.

Mom.

Mm. I have--

I have heard of it, but I don't know what it is, exactly. I don't know.

Well, cystic fibrosis is when your lungs create a lot of this thick mucous, and it makes it really hard to breathe-- some would say impossible.

I'm on a list for a lung transplant, but that comes with its own demons.

And God knows if I'll ever get one in time.

Well, I hope you do.

What is your life expectancy, Emma?

Maybe 27.

Hmm.

[Chuckles]

Well, why don't you two go upstairs, do your homework?

And you let me know if you get hungry.

[Laughs]

Do you think that she has to take that thing out of her nose when they make out?

[Eerie music]

♪ ♪

How about this?

The Tiger.

It's a classic.

"Tiger, tiger, burning bright in the forest of the night. What immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?"

And what does it mean?

It's about how could a God, who made all this beautiful stuff in the world, also make things that are scary and evil?

It could work.

We could talk about it in terms of famous contemporary murders, like O.J. or-- or Charles Manson.

"What the hammer, what the chain, "in what furnace was thy brain?

"What the anvil, what dread grasp, dare its deadly terrors clasp?"

What's this?

Oh, it's nothing.

I don't care.

Wow, these pictures are amazing.

Did you draw these?

No. No, I found it in one of the motel rooms.

I didn't know what to do with it, so--

Oh, please. I've read a lot of manga-- a lot steamier than this.

Can I borrow it?

Sure.

Thanks.

[Crickets chirping]

[Creaking]

[Eerie music]

♪ ♪

[Doorbell rings]

[Sighs]

Good evening, gentlemen. Sorry to be in a robe.

You caught me getting ready for bed.

Yeah, we need to ask you some questions.

Sure, sure, ask away.

The other morning when we were out here, you said you hadn't seen Keith Summers.

Yes, that's correct.

But we have an eyewitness who was driving by here who said he saw him standing right here on your front lawn and that you and your son were talking to him...

And it looked a little heated.

Well, yes, I mean, I'm--

I didn't know that you had meant had I ever seen him.

I thought you meant recently.

Well, some people might think in the last week as being recently.

Yeah, some people might.

So you're admitting you did see him?

No, I never said I hadn't ever seen him, so I'm not admitting anything.

Did he make any-- any threats to you or--

Threats? No. Why if he had, I would've called the police.

Because he wasn't too happy about you waltzing in and buying his property at a foreclosure.

Well, you know, the fact that I bought this property at a good price hardly incriminates me in his disappearance.

He disappeared?

I-I don't remember bringing up a disappearance.

No, but you're implying it.

No, I believe you're inferring it.

That's all the information I have, so... is that it?

Actually, no.

I'd like to take a look around, if you don't mind.

Actually, I do mind.

I think you need a search warrant for something like that, right?

I mean, based on something more than just some meaningless conversation out on my motel front lawn, right?

You better work with me, okay?

I'm the last guy you want on your bad side.

Okay.

♪ Baby girl, don't be shy ♪

[Tuning radio]

♪ I don't wanna be the ♪
♪ bad guy ♪
♪ I don't wanna be your sleepwalk dance anymore ♪
♪ I just wanna see some ♪

[Turns off radio]

[Low conversation]

Deputy Shelby?

Hey, you guys be safe today, yeah?

Hello, Mrs. Bates.

Hello, go ahead.

Slap the handcuffs on.

[Laughs]

Well, that is Romero.

That's just his style, you know?

He's a dog with a bone, so I wouldn't take it too personally.

Yeah, I tell you, it's a little hard not to.

I know.

Well, I'm sorry. Um...

Hey, would you let me buy you a cup of coffee, maybe, as a gesture of goodwill?

Sure.

Yeah?

Yeah.

It was horrible for Norman to lose his father.

And I came here because I wanted to clean the slate for him.

You know, I wanted him--

I wanted to give him a new life.

I wanted to give him hope.

Sure, yeah.

And let's just say that gets a little bit compromised when Sheriff Bulldog is standing on my porch and he's making all kinds of accusations.

First of all, to be fair, I really don't think he was making accusations.

I do--no, I do think that you were inferring that.

Oh, no.

[Laughs]

Now we're back to that again?

Okay, Romero.

He grew up with Keith Summers.

They were boyhood pals, you know?

So they spent a lot of time together doin' a whole lot of nothing, and you get close to people that way, so-- so Keith's disappearance, you know, this is-- it's very personal to him.

I can understand that.

Hey, deputy.

We gonna see you at the Woodchuck tonight?

Absolutely, yeah, wouldn't miss it.

Right on, man.

All right.

Woodchuck? What on earth is the Woodchuck?

Yeah, the Woodchuck is this stupid, but very fun, local sort of festival.

It's left over from when this used to be a logging town.

Sounds charming.

Yeah, no, it is, actually.

It is. You should come.

Yeah, okay. I would love to.

Great.

Um...

[Swallows]

I just--
I really can't--

I mean, I couldn't take you, you know, 'cause of the whole Keith Summers, the whole--

But, I mean, we could meet there, right?

Because, I mean... I'm going.

You're going, so...

[Laughs]

Just a thought.

[Laughs]

How does this look?

For what?

I'm meeting Deputy Shelby in town.

Does this top look like I'm trying too hard?

That depends on what you're trying.

Ah, I didn't want to have to tell you this.

I didn't want you to worry.

[Sighs]

The police came by last night.

Apparently someone saw us talking to Keith Summers outside after I specifically told the police that we hadn't seen him. Mom, that's-

I know, it's not good.

I think I dodged it for the moment, but I don't think it's over.

Deputy seems to like us, so I'm gonna go on a goodwill mission.

I'm meeting him at a community event in town.

Hmm.

Norman, please.

I'm just doing what I need to do.

This one's better, right?

Lord, Norman, I'm your mother.

It's not like it's weird or anything.

You don't have to do this, mom.

Wait, wait, wait. I'm not "doing" anything.

I ran into him in town, and I'm just gonna go hang out for a bit.

No, I don't want you to go.

Honey, you're overreacting.

Fine.

It's a community thing?

Yes.

I'll go with you.

No.

Yeah.

[Laughs] No.

No, you're not going with me, and you know it.

[Sighs] It's fine, Norman.

It doesn't mean anything.

It's not like I'm actually interested in him.

I don't want you to worry about this.

I don't want you to worry about anything.

That's why I'm doing this.

Okay, mom.

Okay?

It's all gonna be good.

[Machinery whirring]

Hey, Gil.

This is Dylan Massett.

He's the guy I was telling you about.

So, Dylan... you know how to use a g*n?

Yeah.

What's for dinner, honey?

Screw off.

And I didn't make it. Mom made it.

Crap. We're out of beer.

[Cell phone ringing]

Apparently "the whore" is calling you.

[Phone continues ringing]

Hi, Norma.

Yeah, I met with the plumber, and I got the quotes for the new toilets.

Yeah, it's in the kitchen.

Okay, fine, fine. Yes.

Don't you ever call our mother a whore!

Get the hell off of me!

What do you think you're doing?

You're a damn joke, Norman.

You let that bitch run you like a puppet.

She doesn't run me. She cares about me.

And she's not a bad person, she's just not perfect!

At least she tries, you son of a bitch!

[Grunts]

You don't get it, do you, Norman?

She's ruined you.

If you hate her so much, why the hell do you wanna stay here?

Because I've got nowhere else to go!

But don't you come at me again, or I will hurt you bad.

Do you understand?

[Glass shatters]

[Grunts]

[Panting]

I told you not to do that.

She's not a whore.

[Pure Prairie League's Amie]

♪ ♪

[Cheers and applause]

Great job.

That's awesome.

♪ I can see why you think ♪

Great job, man, just awesome.

Look at you.

Oh!

See, I told you, this is-- it's stupid.

[Both laugh]

You know, there are a million reasons why Keith Summers could have disappeared.

He probably landed in a ditch somewhere as a result of some bad crap that he got into.

You mean, illegal stuff?

Let's just say that he was a train wreck in general.

♪ Amie ♪

You know, I had such high hopes when I came here to make a home for me and Norman.

And things just keep happening, weird things, you know?

It's like this, but...it's not like this.

[Sighs]

Look, nowhere is like this.

I mean, not all the way through.

Have you noticed what these people do for a living?

Artisanal cheese, organic pig farms.

And yet, most of these people, somehow, they're all living in million-dollar homes.

They're driving European cars.

The town, it was built on the logging industry, but all that collapsed with the tree huggers.

I'm just saying that there are... there's different ways to produce an economy, and it's not always what it seems.

But surely you can't allow illegal things, bad things to happen here.

The people in this town, they deal with things in a different way, but it gets dealt with.

And what about the guy who was b*rned?

It'll be dealt with. An eye for an eye.

It'll get handled.

The boat sails for New York in 20 minutes.

Let it sail.

Look, Mastermind, the tour is over.

We've been posse-baitin' every town from coast to coast, and we just ran out of towns.

Norman?

[TV chatter]

What on earth happened to you?

Oh, Dylan and I just got into a fight.

It's not a big deal.

It absolutely is a big deal.

Look at your sweet face.

This is awful. What happened?

I don't even know, mom.

We just don't get along.

[Sighs]

He's gonna have to leave.

He can't come into our lives and disrupt them like this.

He can't talk to us the way he does.

And he can't hurt you. I will not stand for it.

I won't.

Maybe it would be the best thing.

Get some sleep, sweetheart.

[Cell phone chimes]

[Clock ticking]

[Knocks]

[Hinges squeak]

[Clock continues ticking]

[Floor creaks]

Oh, hey. Cool. You came.

You said it was important.

Holy crap. What happened to your face?

Oh, I fell down the stairs, you know, those long stairs in front of our house.

It's okay.

You don't have to tell me.

Thanks.

So what's with all the stuffed animals?

Are they real?

They were once.

My dad does it.

He's one of the best taxidermy artists on the west coast.

But enough about stuffing dead animals.

Sit down.

I'm gonna tell you a little story about real, living things.

Four girls from Shunyi, China, get told that, if they come to America illegally and work as housemaids, they will get citizenship in seven years.

But they aren't gonna be maids.

They are forced to have sex with different men every day.

One of them dies from an overdose.

They force the other girls to carry her body into the hills, dig a grave, and then bury her by a shed in the trees.

This is a pretty wild story.

Wild, yes, and not over.

So eventually, after they have been sampled, they are sold one by one into sex sl*very.

Look at this.

That's Ladyface.

It's a mountain just outside of White Pine Bay.

My dad's shown it to me before.

It really exists.

And?

Someone did this to these girls, Norman, and we can prove it.

We can find the spot and find the grave.

Then we'll know if it's real or not.

This is all a little peculiar.

No. You know what's peculiar?

A 17-year-old boy using the word "peculiar."

So you in?

[Herb Alpert's This Guy's In Love With You]

♪ ♪
♪ You see this guy ♪
♪ this guy's in love with you ♪
♪ Yes, I'm in love ♪
♪ who looks at you the way I do ♪
♪ when you smile ♪
♪ I can tell ♪
♪ we know each other very well ♪
♪ how can I show you ♪
♪ I'm glad ♪

What are you doing?

It's the middle of the night.

Just having a cocktail and listening to some of the previous owner's old music.

[Turns music down]

You?

Hey, I saw what you did to Norman.

You can't stay here. You're toxic.

You're leaving in the morning.

How did Sam die, Norma?

You know, it's funny.

Because I had to do a lot of research to find out where you guys had moved to.

And I wound up talking to one of the insurance people, and they talked about how sad it was that Sam had d*ed and what a wonderful husband and father he was.

And then, I thought, you know, "Hmm.

"Wouldn't it be interesting if I told them what life with Sam was really like?"

You know, how you guys got along and all.

♪ Tell me now ♪
♪ is it so ♪
♪ don't let me be the last to know ♪

[Inhales]

Just keep the music down.

♪ Don't let ♪
♪ my heart keep breakin' ♪
♪ 'cause I need your love ♪

[Sighs]

[Turns off]

[Bird squawks]

You're right. That's it.

See? It's real.

Let's go.

[Emma panting]

[Emma panting]

[Clears throat]

[Coughs]

[Panting]

[Coughs]

Crap. This is a big mountain.

Where's that shed?

[Coughs]

We should take a break for a second.

[Coughs]

It's okay for you to be doing this, right?

Totally.
[Panting]

Fine.

I'm okay.

It's cool up here.
[Panting]

My dad, he taught me this meditation where first you imagine your spirit rising up out of your body, then out of your house, out of your town, out of the sky, like a golden light zooming and growing, out into, and even past, the universe.

And from that point, you look back and you realize how small you are in the world.

Don't you feel like that up here, Norman?

That you're connected to something so much larger than ourselves?

[Giggles]

What the hell is that?

Holy crap.

It's one of the pot fields. I've heard about them, but I've never actually seen one.

What pot fields? What are you talking about?

Hey! Hey!

What the hell are you doing there?

Emma, we need to run.

Hey! Hey!

We need to run.

Come on. Come on, Emma!

[Panting]

Shh, get down. Don't even breathe.

Sorry.

[Man yelling in Spanish]

[Mutters in Spanish]

Aah!

[Tense music]

♪ ♪

[Man yelling in Spanish]

Aah!

♪ ♪

[Gasps]
Norman, it's the shed.

From the pictures.

We can't stop now.

Come on, Emma!

Come on, Emma.

[Men shouting in Spanish]

Come on. Let's go, let's go.

[Both yelling in Spanish]

Go, go, go!

Come on!

Go, go!

Keep moving, let's go.

Let's go, let's go, come on.

[Sirens]

Let's go. Let's go.

[Breathing heavily]