Good point about the title; Shadow of a Doubt has of course our heroine Charlie figuring out her beloved Uncle Charlie is a ruthless killer.
Other thoughts: Last week I was wondering what Dylan would do once his drug bosses start asking him to kill people. This week we get part of an answer, as Bradley shooting Gil is mistaken for a gang murder resulting in White Pine getting its very own drug war, and Dylan finds himself holding the guy one of his bosses shoots in retaliation. Since you don't peacefully quit the drug business, if I were Dylan, I'd leave town immediately after that one and start anew far, far away, but of course he won't because his loved-hated family is here.
Meanwhile, Norman helps Bradley first hide and then leave town. (Sidenote: which means that for now, Bradley's survival odds have suddenly become far, far better, but I have the suspicion she will return for the season finale, or something. If not, I wish her well. She wasn't my favourite, but I like her well enough, and do wish she survives.) This is Norman at his best, since it is genuinely selfless; as far as he knows, he won't see Bradley again, so he doesn't do it in the hope she'll finally return his crush, and when things come to a crisis, he even swallows his pride and asks Dylan for help despite his jealousy caused by the Dylan/Bradley flirting. At the same time, the show never lets us forget there is this other side to Norman, as Norma finds Miss Watson's pearls (as she once found the belt of the man who raped her and whom she and Norman killed) under Norman's bed, which screams trophy.
The episode had some terrific Norma and Norman scenes, showcasing their relationship in both its deep dysfunctionality and its charm. The scene where Norma cajoles Norman into singing "Mr. Sandman" with her is on one level two people having fun (and Norma's very Norma-esque idea of combatting her son's potential serial killer tendencies via shared singing actually paying off), and on another Norma manipulating Norman into something he didn't want to do (which of course heightens his sense if being trapped). Both are true. Ditto for the community musical auditioning, quite aside of Norman being under pressure because it means he can't personally help Bradley and needs Dylan to fill in. Norma is both utterly sincere in her "I'm so scared" outburst - the possibility that her son might develop into a monster scares the hell out of her - and she's using a real emotion for manipulation at the same time (getting Norman to stay). Similarly, Norman is being utterly sincere in his outburst about how much of their lives are intertwined already and how they don't need any MORE shared time, how he resents Norma making him go along with her ideas all the time, and he's using this as an excuse because he's still trying to get home to help Bradley at that point. And when he's giving in and remaining for the rest of the audition, it's to placate Norma (and distract her from her fears re: his potentially having murdered Miss Watson), but once he does hear Norma sing that song from Cabaret, the amazement and adoration for her are palpable and he really wants to be there.
Incidentally, Maybe this time is of course the perfect song for Norma and so very her. Also, part of the Bates tragedy is that with all her desperation to help Norman, the one thing that would probably help (and thus eventually save her own life), a good psychiatrist and lots of therapy, is the one thing she is shying away from, because Norma with her own broken background of a physically abusive father, a sexually abusive brother and at least one physically abusive husband distrusts any authority figures far, far too deeply to consider it.
Sheriff Alex "Still Morally Ambiguous as hell" Romero might be an exception to that, given he came through in the Abernathy situation, but he's not a therapist. In this episode, he eventually decides to pin Blair Watson's murder on a scum-of-the-earth type who may or may not be involved but did have sex with the late Miss Watson, on the rationale that a) the guy may not have killed Miss Watson, but he did kill a previous girlfriend and should have been locked up a long time ago, and b) Romero really needs a culprit for the Watson murder, what with an impending drug war at his hand. (There's another irony: if Romero would have investigated further, he might have discovered that Norman at the very least was on the crime scene and thus saved Norman's future victims.) Nestor Carbonnel has a lot more to do this season and obviously enjoys the part, and I enjoy him playing it.
And in the cliffhanger tag scene, we have a new arrival in town who is none other than Norma's brother. Aka the one who raped her from the time she was 13 years old onwards. Him showing up this season was the only thing I was spoiled for, but even if I had managed to avoid this particular spoiler it wouldn't have completely surprised me because the revelation in the s1 finale demanded some follow up. Now, it would surprise me if he were to survive the season, but I hope whatever will happen won't include another rape before that. (Enough of those last season.) I also wonder whether he'll turn out to be Dylan's biological father, as opposed to Norma's first husband, because that would make sense in terms of the different type of dysfunctionality the Norma and Dylan relationship has. But if he is, I'm 100% sure Dylan has no idea, considering the only one whom Norma ever told the truth about her family was Norman on the day where she expected to die. However, this particular skeleton in the family cupboard looks like it's going to explode in the open soon.
Lastly: I do hope Emma gets more screentime next episode!
Re: 2.02 Shadow of a Doubt
Other thoughts: Last week I was wondering what Dylan would do once his drug bosses start asking him to kill people. This week we get part of an answer, as Bradley shooting Gil is mistaken for a gang murder resulting in White Pine getting its very own drug war, and Dylan finds himself holding the guy one of his bosses shoots in retaliation. Since you don't peacefully quit the drug business, if I were Dylan, I'd leave town immediately after that one and start anew far, far away, but of course he won't because his loved-hated family is here.
Meanwhile, Norman helps Bradley first hide and then leave town. (Sidenote: which means that for now, Bradley's survival odds have suddenly become far, far better, but I have the suspicion she will return for the season finale, or something. If not, I wish her well. She wasn't my favourite, but I like her well enough, and do wish she survives.) This is Norman at his best, since it is genuinely selfless; as far as he knows, he won't see Bradley again, so he doesn't do it in the hope she'll finally return his crush, and when things come to a crisis, he even swallows his pride and asks Dylan for help despite his jealousy caused by the Dylan/Bradley flirting. At the same time, the show never lets us forget there is this other side to Norman, as Norma finds Miss Watson's pearls (as she once found the belt of the man who raped her and whom she and Norman killed) under Norman's bed, which screams trophy.
The episode had some terrific Norma and Norman scenes, showcasing their relationship in both its deep dysfunctionality and its charm. The scene where Norma cajoles Norman into singing "Mr. Sandman" with her is on one level two people having fun (and Norma's very Norma-esque idea of combatting her son's potential serial killer tendencies via shared singing actually paying off), and on another Norma manipulating Norman into something he didn't want to do (which of course heightens his sense if being trapped). Both are true. Ditto for the community musical auditioning, quite aside of Norman being under pressure because it means he can't personally help Bradley and needs Dylan to fill in. Norma is both utterly sincere in her "I'm so scared" outburst - the possibility that her son might develop into a monster scares the hell out of her - and she's using a real emotion for manipulation at the same time (getting Norman to stay). Similarly, Norman is being utterly sincere in his outburst about how much of their lives are intertwined already and how they don't need any MORE shared time, how he resents Norma making him go along with her ideas all the time, and he's using this as an excuse because he's still trying to get home to help Bradley at that point. And when he's giving in and remaining for the rest of the audition, it's to placate Norma (and distract her from her fears re: his potentially having murdered Miss Watson), but once he does hear Norma sing that song from Cabaret, the amazement and adoration for her are palpable and he really wants to be there.
Incidentally, Maybe this time is of course the perfect song for Norma and so very her. Also, part of the Bates tragedy is that with all her desperation to help Norman, the one thing that would probably help (and thus eventually save her own life), a good psychiatrist and lots of therapy, is the one thing she is shying away from, because Norma with her own broken background of a physically abusive father, a sexually abusive brother and at least one physically abusive husband distrusts any authority figures far, far too deeply to consider it.
Sheriff Alex "Still Morally Ambiguous as hell" Romero might be an exception to that, given he came through in the Abernathy situation, but he's not a therapist. In this episode, he eventually decides to pin Blair Watson's murder on a scum-of-the-earth type who may or may not be involved but did have sex with the late Miss Watson, on the rationale that a) the guy may not have killed Miss Watson, but he did kill a previous girlfriend and should have been locked up a long time ago, and b) Romero really needs a culprit for the Watson murder, what with an impending drug war at his hand. (There's another irony: if Romero would have investigated further, he might have discovered that Norman at the very least was on the crime scene and thus saved Norman's future victims.) Nestor Carbonnel has a lot more to do this season and obviously enjoys the part, and I enjoy him playing it.
And in the cliffhanger tag scene, we have a new arrival in town who is none other than Norma's brother. Aka the one who raped her from the time she was 13 years old onwards. Him showing up this season was the only thing I was spoiled for, but even if I had managed to avoid this particular spoiler it wouldn't have completely surprised me because the revelation in the s1 finale demanded some follow up. Now, it would surprise me if he were to survive the season, but I hope whatever will happen won't include another rape before that. (Enough of those last season.) I also wonder whether he'll turn out to be Dylan's biological father, as opposed to Norma's first husband, because that would make sense in terms of the different type of dysfunctionality the Norma and Dylan relationship has. But if he is, I'm 100% sure Dylan has no idea, considering the only one whom Norma ever told the truth about her family was Norman on the day where she expected to die. However, this particular skeleton in the family cupboard looks like it's going to explode in the open soon.
Lastly: I do hope Emma gets more screentime next episode!