‘Bates Motel’ Season 3 Spoilers: Episode 1 Ending With Norman And Annika May Not Be What You Think

“Bates Motel” returned to A&E Monday night for its third season. Viewers were reunited with the sometimes creepy mother-son duo Norma (Vera Farmiga) and Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore), and introduced to a new player in town – Annika Johnson (Tracy Spiridakos).

Annika showed up at the quiet motel looking for a room. Her beauty – and low-cut shirt – immediately caught Norman’s eye. Although she wasn’t there long, she developed a quick friendship with the teen. After she asked him to change the light bulb in her room, Norman opened up about his mother, and Annika revealed the reason for her arrival in White Pine Bay.

When Annika explained that she worked at expensive parties for wealthy men, Norman was intrigued. His interest in her led him to spy on her through an open window when he heard her shower turn on. By the end of the Season 3 premiere episode, Norman jumped at the opportunity to take a ride into town with Annika … which is when things took a strange turn.

Norman told his new girlfriend, Emma (Olivia Cooke), that he would walk home from town and be back in an hour. But it looked like Norman took longer than he said, and returned in Annika’s car … alone.

“Bates Motel” viewers immediately suspected the worst, assuming that the teen blacked out and murdered Annika just as he did with his teacher Miss Watson (Keegan Connor Tracy) in Season 1. But fans may have thought the worst about Norman. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Spiridakos revealed some information about her character that seems to hint that her storyline is not a one and done deal.

“You’ll see her around,” the actress told EW. “You’ll see her character has some important information for things that come forward that we’ll see in the future.”

In another interview with Access Hollywood, Spiridakos added that the mysterious “important information” that Annika has “kind of changes things for everybody.”

Did Norman simply drop Annika off at work at the end of the premiere? Or is there a twist that fans are not seeing? Tweet your thoughts on the ending of the “Bates Motel” premiere to @AmandaTVScoop.