"Bates Motel" season 4 will continue Norman Bates' (Freddie Highmore) descent into madness. Back in season 3, the character crossed-dressed and pretended to be his mother, Norma (Vera Farmiga), and in an interview with Entertainment Weekly Highmore revealed that Norman's grip on reality will continue to slip in season 4.
The cross-dressing scene in season 3 brought audiences a taste of the type of character that Norman would eventually become in "Psycho," the film that this series serves as a prequel to. In the film, Norman had completely lost his mind to his fantasies and Highmore explained that more signs of this will become evident in season 4.
"The question is, how much of what Norman is imagining really takes place?" Highmore stated in the interview. "And in the basement, when Norman puts his head down on the table next to the pigeon who is very much dead, and Juno the dog is next to them, and then you cut back to him, and he's just staring straight into space."
Highmore continued to explain that the scene in the kitchen isn't really Norman trying to mimic his mother but it was more or less his perception of how she is in his head. Eventually the time will come where Norman will no longer be able to distinguish himself from Norma, forming the psychologically broken villain seen in "Psycho."
Norman's insanity is further implied in the promo trailer for season 4. Despite being only a few seconds long, it showcases Norma and Norman screaming and reaching out for each other while both facing the barrel of a gun. Fans have taken this as a sign that season 4 will finally see Norman murder his mother and her boyfriend, Sheriff Romero (Nestor Carbonell).
If this proves true, then future seasons may focus on Norman adopting the persona of his mother and eventually lead onto the events of the film.
"Bates Motel" season 4 will premiere this March 28.
