Did ‘Bates Motel’ Really Kill Off [SPOILER] In Season 4?

The moment “Bates Motel” fans have been waiting for finally happened in episode 9 of Season 4 — or did it?

Since the A&E show is a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller “Psycho,” viewers have been anticipating Norma Bates’ (Vera Farmiga) death for some time now. With Season 4 coming to a close next Monday, “Bates Motel” may be coming full circle.

For those that missed episode 9, the installment found Norma butting heads with Romero (Nestor Carbonell) over Norman (Freddie Highmore). Her new husband was trying to convince her that Norman is dangerous and needs to be re-admitted to Pineview, but Norma’s love for her son blinded her. In the end, Romero was right. While Norma was asleep, Norman turned on the furnace and closed all the vents and windows in the house. Norman would have succeeded in killing himself and his mother had Romero not returned to the house. He managed to revive Norman, but Norma was left unconscious when the episode ended.

So, what does that mean heading into the Season 4 finale? Is Norma truly dead? And if so, what happens next?

Showrunner Carlton Cuse revealed to the Hollywood Reporter that next week’s finale will pick up where episode 9 left off and answer a lot of the questions that fans have. The events in episode 10 will also set up the fifth season.

“For [co-showrunner Kerry Ehrin] and I, this is a plan that we started talking about the very first year of the show and was part of why we wanted to define the journey of the show as being five seasons,” Cuse explained. “It’s a show that has a defined beginning, middle and end, and we are now moving into the end game.”

Cuse wouldn’t reveal if Norma is really dead, but he did confirm to Entertainment Weekly that actress Vera Farmiga will “very much be a part of Season 5.” However, that doesn’t mean things are going to be the same.

“It’s going to be a distinct, evolved version of the show,” Cuse told the outlet. “The funny thing about ‘Bates Motel’ is that it’s ostensibly a show about a kid who becomes a serial killer, but in our minds, it’s really a tragic love story about two people who you kind of are hoping against hope can surmount the odds and be together.”

Do you think Norma is dead? Take the poll and tweet your thoughts to @AmandaTVScoop.

The “Bates Motel” Season 4 finale airs on A&E Monday, May 16 at 9 p.m. EDT.