Kathleen Robertson and Max Thieriot

Bates Motel's Dylan Massett has seen better days.

Not only is Dylan (Max Thieriot) working for a family drug operation that is on the verge of war with a rival family, but he also recently learned that he's the product of incest between his mother Norma (Vera Farmiga) and her (alleged rapist) brother Caleb (guest star Kenny Johnson). Fortunately, a little light may be coming into his life.


On Monday's episode (10/9c, A&E), Dylan meets Jodi Wilson (Beverly Hills, 90210 and Boss alum Kathleen Robertson), the head of the drug family and his de facto boss. "She wants to meet Dylan," Robertson tells TVGuide.com. "He's become a little bit of a player in her world, and she's intrigued by him. I protect him from something that's happening, and the relationship grows from that."

Indeed, the boss-employee dynamic soon gives way to a physical relationship. But the two connect on a more personal level as well. "There's an emotional connection," Robertson says. "They're both people who have found themselves in this lifestyle and [wondering], 'How did we both end up doing this and getting involved in this really dark, complicated, messed-up world?' Because neither of them are that [dark]. Their souls are not that."

In fact, Robertson says Jodi lives in conflict about the less moral sides of her business. "She's a woman who's fighting against the reality of who she really is," she says. "She tries to not think too much about the deeper ramifications her involvement [in this business] has on people. If you questioned her about it, she would be able to justify why it's OK. She's kind of in denial about the depth of what she does."

But by the end of the season, she may no longer be able to justify her actions. As the drug war grows more dangerous, Jodi's relationship with Dylan may finally reveal the person she really is. "It becomes more dangerous and it gets messy," Robertson teases. "She's forced to make one decision in particular that's one of the hardest decisions you have to make in life. It's a decision that is defining, for better or for worse."

Bates Motel airs Mondays at 10/9c on A&E.