Update: This is Cody’s hide-away tree house. Norman (Freddie Highmore) shinnies up the rope after her and they have sex in the ground level tree house set for 2×06 Escape Artist .
Bates Motel built two identical treehouses at Deer Lake Park for filming on Friday — one high up in a tree for Norman Bates to shinny up a rope to get to and the other nearer ground level to film interior scenes in.
I arrived in time to see the shinnying-up-a-rope scenes with a Norman Bates stunt double on a wire at first and then with Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) himself. Highmore did such a good job of pretending to be a klutz on a rope that I thought he’d ruined a take when he kicked a board away and struggled to get his grip, swinging wildly in the air. Nope it was all acting, good enough to fool me but not the crew who are more familiar with Highmore’s abilities. I don’t regret missing earlier scenes but wish I’d known that co-showrunner Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights) was on set too.
Norman Bates stunt double tests the wire.
Freddie Highmore doing own Norman Bates stunt.
Freddie Highmore doing own Norman Bates stunt.
Freddie Highmore doing own Norman Bates stunt.
Freddie Highmore doing own Norman Bates stunt.
Replica of tree house nearby for interior filming.
