Spoiler Alert: This article contains plot details about last night's episode of Bates Motel. Read at your own risk.
It's one of the most famous scenes in the history of cinema, and Rihanna handled it her way.
For months the singer's fans and viewers of Bates Motel have been anticipating her turn as iconic Hitchcock blonde Marion Crane, portrayed by Janet Leigh in the original Psycho. Crane famously checks into the Bates Motel, hops in the shower, and ends up on the receiving end of Norman Bates' blade.
At least, that's what happens in the movie. Last night the A&E drama presented the shower scene with a killer twist: Rihanna's Marion (who rocks a cherry-red bob, not a blonde pixie) steps into the shower... then quickly steps right back out.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
“This drip is shit," she curses the motel's plumbing.
Phewwww, Marion just dodge that death #InsideBates #BatesMotel @rihanna pic.twitter.com/Mb0eVnss8W
— Athena (@Athena0089) March 28, 2017
Marion's married boyfriend, Sam Loomis (Austin Nichols), isn't so picky about water pressure. When Freddie Highmore's killer Norman/Norma slips into Marion's room, it's Sam, the hero of the original Hitchcock film, who is splashing away. He's the one who ends up being slashed to death, not Marion. She gets away, free of her two-timing lover and with a shitload of her company's cash in her possession.
Only Rihanna can curve the most notorious killer of all time #BatesMotel pic.twitter.com/7W8dHArZsm
— jacob alexander (@jacobalexxander) March 28, 2017
" Obviously the setup for the shower scene with Marion is very similar to the movie, and since the setting is so familiar, I really didn’t want to make it just an exercise of copying Hitchcock frame for frame," the episode's director, Phil Abraham, explained of the plot twist to Entertainment Weekly.
"Rihanna was great," he added of the star. "We had her for a very limited time, and she had a serious amount of heavy lifting in terms of work and page count to do. I think we shot over 38 pages with her being in just about everything in five days. One of the most fun things was to see what a die-hard fan of the show she was — walking her through our main house set was a blast as she was literally freaking out and having a real fan attack. That was a lot of fun to see.”
Indeed. Too soon to pitch a spinoff?