The 10-episode third season of Bates Motel aired during the spring of 2015. Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot, Olivia Cooke, and Nestor Carbonell all returned as series regulars. Kenny Johnson, who plays Norma's brother, Caleb, was also brought back and promoted to a series regular this season. Kevin Rahm was added as a recurring character, serving as the main villain of the season. Joshua Leonard and Ryan Hurst were also brought on as recurring characters, and both Nicola Peltz and Keegan Connor Tracy made appearances reprising their roles as Bradley Martin and Miss Watson, respectively. Wilson Bethel and Tracy Spiridakos also had guest roles in the season.
This was another strong season for the series, and it brought the character of Norman much closer to who he was in the original movie. That progression required excellent performances by both Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga, and both delivered completely. The individual story arcs throughout the season are very well handled. The storylines involving Caleb and Dylan's relationship, Caleb trying to reconcile with and apologize to Norma, and Norman and Emma's relationship were all strong. The main storyline involving Norma, Alex Romero, and Kevin Rahm's character, Bob Paris, was also very good. The 10-episode seasons work very well for this show because they allow the writers to tell a specific portion of the story without things ever getting stale, leaving viewers wanting more by the end of the season.
The blu-ray set is a two-disc set that can be purchased individually or as part of the complete series release. The discs are packaged in their own keep case. The A/V quality remains very good, ensuring the show looks and sounds great on a home setup. The bonus features are a bit lighter this season than in previous years. There are deleted scenes included on each disc, with at least one deleted scene available for each episode of the season. There is also a featurette that focuses on Norman's psychotic break and essentially being taken over by a version of Norma.
The writers do a great job giving the entire cast good material to work with, and the series continues to be well-written and very well acted. All the actors step up to the material, and the writers do a great job of leaving viewers wondering how the fates of the various characters will play out to the point where the events of the original film pick up. Ultimately, if you enjoyed the first two seasons of the show, this one is absolutely worth watching and makes a great addition to your collection.
