Olivia Cooke as Emma
“Bates Motel” executive producer Kerry Ehrin praised Olivia Cooke’s performance in the reunion scene between Emma and Freddie Highmore’s Norman in Season 5, episode 9. Cate Cameron/A&E

After a very long time of not seeing each other, Norman (Freddie Highmore) and Emma (Olivia Cooke) finally reunited in last night’s Season 5, episode 9 of “Bates Motel.” But because Mother (Vera Farmiga) was still in full control of Norman’s mind and body, Emma didn’t get to meet the real Norman —her former best friend and lover.

“Emma walked [into the Sheriff’s Department] so angry and strident, and then you see her absorbing the human pain that is in front of her,” executive producer Kerry Ehrin, who wrote the scene, told TVLine. “She sees the body of this kid that she loved and was her dear friend, and knows that somewhere, buried inside, he is still there. It’s just a beautiful performance by Olivia.”

Ehrin’s fellow executive producer Carlton Cuse added that the reunion between Norman and Emma is “one of the most beautiful scenes” in the entire series. “Emma’s first romantic relationship was with Norman,” he said. “They were so close, and you can see all of those layers and complexities. It was an astonishing piece of writing.”

READ: Freddie Highmore talks how enjoyable it was to play Mother on “Bates Motel”

What made the scene so heartrending was the fact that Emma, even though she had been away for a long time, knew right on the spot that she wasn’t talking to the real Norman when she reached his cell.

“Where’s Norman?” she asked. “Can I talk to Norman?”

“Well, Norman is sleeping in his room,” answered Mother. “There’s an apple pie in the oven and when he wakes up he’ll smell it baking and know that everything’s okay.”

“Well, can you tell him something for me? … Can you tell him that I miss him?” said Emma before walking away.

The scene was well received by fans. In fact, a lot of viewers took to Twitter to share what they felt about the reunion. See some of the tweets below:

What do you think of Norman and Emma’s reunion? Sound off in the comments section below!

“Bates Motel” Season 5 finale (episode 10) airs on Monday, April 24 at 10 p.m. EDT on A&E.

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