Close to 11 p.m. on Monday, April 24th, I was huddled under a blanket on my couch watching the final moments of A&E’s Bates Motel. And considering everything that happened to get to that point, my reaction was pretty reasonable.
If you’ve heard of the show but are not very familiar with it, I don’t blame you; I’ve been saying for years that this show has not been getting the recognition it deserves. But nonetheless, since the pilot aired in March of 2013, it has been leaving dedicated audiences everywhere hooked.
Bates Motel can be described as a modern-day prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho, depicting the young adulthood of the movie’s villain Norman Bates and his mother Norma. If you’ve seen the film, you can already see the show’s appeal. If not, believe me when I say that Bates Motel works just fine on its own.
Show developers and head writers, Kerry Ehrin and Carlton Cuse were able to create the most intense psychological thrills that always kept you wondering what was going to happen next; there’s no end to the mysteries and murders that go on in the small, fictional town of White Pine Bay, Oregon. Every episode isn’t just credited for its shock value but also its wide range of characters, humor, and when it needs it, heart.
Amongst fans and critics, one of the most praised parts of this show was the phenomenal acting. I can go on for forever about how underrated the performances of Freddie Highmore’s Norman and Vera Farmiga’s Norma are, but the supporting cast is just as incredible. No character has it as easy as the next, causing the actors to deliver one unforgettable performance after another.
With its five season, 50 episode run, Bates Motel has truly presented itself as a show unlike any other. It already had a tough act to follow, so to put this one together was surely a challenge. But in seeing the final result, there was clearly no better team for the job.
*Seasons 1-4 of Bates Motel are currently available on Netflix with season 5 streaming soon.*