Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bates Motel: Season 1

 

Bates Motel is partially a prequel to and partially a reboot of the Psycho franchise, which started with the iconic 1960s Horror film by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Anthony Perkins. The series ran for five seasons on A&E from 2013 to 2017, with the 10-episode first season airing in the spring of 2013. The main cast members in season 1 include Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot, Olivia Cooke, and Nicola Peltz. The recurring and supporting cast includes Nestor Carbonell, Mike Vogel, Keegan Connor Tracy, and Jere Burns. The series tells the story of a young Norman Bates (played by Highmore), who moves with his mother, Norma (played by Farmiga), from Arizona to White Pine Bay, Oregon, where she has purchased a property with a house and hotel out of Bankruptcy after the death of Norman's father. Throughout the season, we learn more about Norma and Norman's past, Norman's mental health issues (which, if you have seen the movie and any of the sequels, you already know about), and that the town and its residents have many secrets.

The blu-ray set is a two-disc set. The A/V quality is excellent, and the episodes look and sound great in HD. The bonus content includes deleted scenes on both discs (about 20 minutes on the first disc and a little under 10 minutes on the second) and a 45-minute interview/Q&A session with some cast members and two of the series' creators. 

The first season is very good. Because it is set in the modern day rather than being a pure prequel to the original film, the writers and cast members have more creative license to tell their own story. While there are certainly elements of Perkins' Norman Bates in Freddie Highmore's performance, he does not try to copy Perkins. Farmiga is outstanding as Norma, playing her as a mix of concerned, overprotected, and creepy when it comes to her relationship with Norman, and combative with almost everyone else. Thieriot is wonderful in his role, which is a bit of a spoiler, so I will not reveal it here, as is Cooke, who plays a friend and classmate of Norman's at his new school and works for Norma at the hotel. Ultimately, it is a great first season that is well-written and very well-acted. The writers do a great job not revealing too much about the various storylines, yet still revealing enough to satisfy the viewers. The series draws inspiration from shows like Twin Peaks and The Killing, so if you were a fan of either of those shows, and/or a fan of any of the films, this is absolutely worth watching.