Minor Passions Characters - Norma Bates

For the character from the Psycho franchise, see Norma Bates (Psycho). Marianne Muellerleile (January 22, 2001 - August 5, 2008)

Norma Bates was introduced as the owner of a motel in 2001 that Tabitha Lenox and her companion, Timmy, fled to in order to escape the backlash from the release of Hidden Passions, a collection of Tabitha's memories that Timmy had compiled into a novel. Norma told Tabitha and Timmy that no one ever stopped at their hotel anymore, the reason for which the witch and doll later discovered — Norma was insane. She attempted to kill Tabitha with an axe while she showered, and the two later discovered that Jakesio daughter, with whom she had been conversing earlier, was dead — Norma had left his skeleton, dressed in his clothes, in a rocking chair. Timmy accidentally destroyed the skeleton, with only the skull surviving, and Norma swore to kill Timmy for hurting "Daddy". Tabitha and Timmy fled the motel.

Norma resurfaced five months later during the Harmony High School Class of 2001's senior trip to Warlock Island. Bates befriended the teens and stayed in their camp, all the while plotting to murder Tabitha and Timmy. After Hank Bennett and TC Russell rescued the stranded people, Norma was locked away in a psychiatric ward.

After that, Norma made a tradition of breaking out of the hospital each Christmas and attempting to murder Tabitha. Around Thanksgiving in 2005, Norma received a room mate — Edna Wallace, who had been locked up after claiming that Tabitha was a witch and had caused the tsunami the previous summer. Norma and Edna became partners-in-crime and again attempted to murder Tabitha, though they were ultimately unsuccessful. They were next seen in Rome during the summer of 2006 operating a pizza parlor as "Luigi" and "Sophia" and announced to Edna's disturbed daughter that they had become lovers. Norma and Edna became involved in Alistair's omega plot when Edna tried to bilk her daughter's father for money. When Alistair attempted to murder all of the citizens of Harmony in Rome, the two helped to battle his thugs. After the battle was won, Norma and Edna went on to become famous performers in lesbian bars.

Norma and Edna returned to Harmony for the Christmas holidays again in 2006. They pretended to make peace with Tabitha, secretly plotting to catch Tabitha off-guard. Tabitha eventually realized what was going on, though, and the two were sent to Hell. They emerged from Tabitha's basement in July 2007, announcing that the "Boys in the Basement" wanted Spike Lester to kill Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald. The two made a truce with Tabitha and began living in her house. They left in the autumn to visit Norma's hotel, and later traveled to Las Vegas, but returned to Harmony for Christmas once more in 2007; this time, however, instead of trying to kill Tabitha, they worked as Santa Claus and one of his elves on the pier. In late March 2008, Norma and Edna sent word via letter to Tabitha that they were on a tour of Europe, and residing in Berlin, Germany.

Norma and Edna returned once again befriending Tabitha in the shows final season on DirectTV. They actually got married right before the show ended in August 2008. Many characters like Kay and Miguel, Theresa and Ethan, Luis and Fancy, and Norma and Edna married. The show ended on a good note with the arrest of Juanita Vasquez.