Norman and Blaire Watson

Norman and Blaire Watson
Intimacy Level:	Sexual
First Met:	First You Dream, Then You Die
Status:	Student and teacher

The relationship between Norman Bates and Blaire Watson.

Overview

Season 1

Norman and Blaire Watson first met when he started his first day at White Pine Bay High School.  She was his language arts teacher and took an immediate interest in him, chatting to him after class about his education and suggesting that he tried out for the track team.  Norman heeded her advice and tried out after school, which caused him to return home late for dinner and face an angry Norma, who eventually decided to allow him to continue with that activity. (First You Dream, Then You Die)

As Norman's classmates worked, he found himself visualizing the drawings of the young Chinese girls tied up in the book he had found before it was replaced by his test paper.  Blaire Watson asked him if he needed her help, and he visualized her being tied up like the Chinese girl as well as seeing Norma.  This caused him to faint and Blaire caught him. (What's Wrong With Norman)

When Bradley told Norman off for telling everyone about the two of them sleeping together, Blaire Watson went after him as he attempted to walk out of the school.  She told him that if he left the grounds he would be suspended but he angrily shook her hand away, before storming off.  She arranged a meeting with Norma and asked for school principal Tom Hutchins to assist her.  She advised Norma that it would be a good idea to have Norman see a therapist, but Norma accused her of trying to come on to the students. (A Boy and His Dog)

Blaire Watson approached Norman at school and told him that the story he wrote was incredible and that she had a publisher friend who she would like to submit it to, but that it first needed editing. She asked him if he could stay after school to do so and he agreed. She also said that he had been getting straight A's and that she was really proud of him. As they worked together on editing his work, she asked him how he came up with such ideas and he said he didn't know. She described him as an 'old soul' and told him he should check with Norma if it was okay for his work to be published. Norman later told Blaire Watson that he thought it wasn't a good idea for his work to be published and she asked how the therapy sessions were going. Awkwardly, he said that he went once and as he went to leave, she told him that he had a talent that deserved to be recognised. She admitted to having troubles in her own life and asked what the likelihood of Norma knowing would be. (Underwater)

Norman overheard Blaire Watson on the phone to a man named Eric, who she angrily told never to call her again. Norman entered the classroom and asked her if she was okay, saying that he hadn't heard any of the conversation. He also said that he didn't want to publish his story and Blaire Watson said that she understood, before asking him not to tell anyone what had just happened. She said it meant they had a secret and asked him to keep it, touching his face and hugging him, before pulling away. After getting into a fight with Richard Sylmore at the winter formal, a bloodied Norman was found walking in the rain by Blaire Watson, who took him back to her house to clean him up. She gave him some tea and they chatted, before she told him that she was going to get changed out of her dress. When she went to her room, she left the door open and Norman could see her undressing. A vision of Norma appeared to him and said that Blaire Watson was trying to seduce him, but Norman argued with her. 'Norma' told him what he had to do and he approached the bedroom. Soon after, he was running home in the rain and ran into Norma in the motel parking lot. Noticing his face, she asked what happened and he said that all he remembered was Blaire Watson offering him a lift and the next minute he was running home. At Blaire Watson's house, she was seen lying in a pool of blood on the floor of her bedroom, dead from having her throat slashed. (Midnight)

Season 2

After Norma received a phone call informing her of Blaire Watson's death, she questioned Norman, who admitted that he couldn't remember what happened, although he was later seen with a newspaper cutting of her obituary and her pearls in his room. As the townspeople attended the funeral, he was overcome with emotion and cried uncontrollably in front of everyone. When Norma later took him out for driving lessons, he drove to the cemetery as he wanted to pay his respects but Norma accused him of being morbid. When he returned to the cemetery by himself he saw a strange man standing at Blaire's grave and took some photos with his phone, leading to the man chasing him. He went to the police station to tell Romero, who seemed disinterested, although he later told Norma that Norman had visited him. Norma stormed home and Norman broke down, confessing that Blaire Watson had taken him back to her house to clean him up after he got into a fight at the dance, but he got uncomfortable with her stripteasing and left, adding that he could have stopped whoever killed her if he had stayed there. (Gone But Not Forgotten)

When Norman was kidnapped and kept in a hot box on Nick Ford's orders, Nick's henchmen brought him food and water. Norman tried to make a run for it only to trip,, thus revealing that he had Blaire's pearl necklace and her obituary in his possession. One of the men, Ben, gave the items to Nick Ford. Later, Norman had a vision of the night of Blaire's death, which showed her seducing him before they engaged in sex and he slashed her neck and left. Realizing what it could mean, he screamed.  (The Box)

After Norman was rescued and was eating dinner with Norma, he confessed to he may have killed Blaire Watson. Norma tried to stop him but Norman explained that while he was in the hot box he had a vision of the night that Blaire died. Norma slammed her hand down on the table, ordering him to stop and finish eating his dinner.

During the polygraph test, 'Mother' told him that 'she' was the one who had actually killed Blaire Watson. This was enough for him to pass the test. (The Immutable Truth)

Season 3

When Norman returned to school after the summer vacation, he saw a memorial dedicated to Blaire Watson and stared at her photograph. As he sat on his own in the cafeteria at lunchtime, a friendly voice said that she would sit with him as he ate. He looked up to see Blaire Watson sitting beside him and she held his hand, only for it to be covered in blood and then he saw her neck slashed and jolted out of his fugue state. He grabbed his belongings and ran home. (A Death in the Family)

Notes

• Their encounter towards the end the Season 1 finale Midnight is foreshadowed by the use of Chris de Burgh's 1986 single "Lady In Red", which is played during the winter formal, since Blaire is seen wearing a red dress when she takes him back to her house after Richard Sylmore beats him up.

Gallery

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