It’s extremely rare when a remake gives you something the original leaves out.  In the case of Bates Motel, there are multiple somethings that will keep you immersed in this binge-worthy show.

As much as I liked Hitchcock’s original Psycho, after watching it I came away wondering a few things.

Who was Norma Bates?

What kind of person was she to cultivate Norman’s murderous mentality?

What was Normans progression and what initially triggered his psychosis or was he always disconnected from reality?

The show got a chance to do what Hitchcock’s Psycho and even Robert Bloch’s novel of the same name could not; believably transforming a seemingly typical suburban family into a torn demi-family dominated by a psychotic son.

The show did this by affording Norma a real life, not just life as Norman’s alter ego.

From there, the actors (and actresses) worked their magic.  Freddie Highmore’s portrayal of Norman Bates is multi-faceted and most importantly, it works! He adds a new depth to Norman’s character that made Vince Vaughn’s rendition in the tragic 1998 Psycho remake look like it was community theater.

Vera Farmiga is simply incredible as Nora Bates.  The addition of Nora to the Bates series is integral as it adds to giving a complete view of Normans history.

Vera’s depiction of this complicated, trichotomous character was fluent and seemingly easy for this talented actress.

If you watched Psycho and loved it, but wanted more; then Bates Motel will definitely give you a few weeks of solid entertainment.

Season 5 of Bates Motel airs this upcoming Monday, February 20th on A&E.  The previous 4 seasons are currently on Netflix.

Please follow and like us: