Bates Motel is a re-imagined prequel to the 1960 film, Psycho. The series takes place in a time after of Psycho, but explores the the past of the famous serial killer, Norman Bates. Bates Motel delves into what had created serial killer that was Norman Bates in Psycho and the influence that Norman's mother had on him. The series was first aired on A&E on March 18, 2013 and was given a 10pm time slot on a Monday.
Notable Characters[]
Norma Louise Bates
Norman Bates
Dylan Massett
Emma Decody
Sheriff Alex Romero
Caleb Calhoun
Bradley Martin
Plot Summary[]
Season 1[]
After the death of Sam Bates, Norma and her son Norman move to the town of White Pine Bay for a fresh start. However, problems begins to arise when Keith Summers, the former owner, begins to harass them. One night, he breaks into their home and rapes Norma. Norman knocks Keith out and restrains him when he comes home. When Keith wakes up, He insults Norma and is killed by her. Norma and son hide the body by dumping it in a body of water. The police notice the disappearance of Keith and they begin to suspects the Bates family because of their spat with the motel property. Then evidence builds against the family when the police get a warrant and find Keith's belt in Norman's room. Norma contacts Deputy Shelby for his protection. He tells her that he has the belt and that no one knows about it. Then he promises to protect the family.
Fearing that Shelby would have too much control over them, Norman sneaks into Shelby's home to the belt, but he finds an Asian girl chained to a wall in the basement. Later, Norman and his friend Emma learn that Shelby and Keith were part of an Asian sex ring. Shelby notices that someone has entered his basement and moves the girl to Keith's boat. Emma soon figures out where the girl is. Together with Norman they free her and place the captive girl and place her in the motel. Sometime later, Norman and his brother Dylan return to the boat and find the belt and dispose of it. At the same time, Shelby finds the Jiao, the girl that he had captured and kills her. When Norman and Dylan return to the house, he holds the family hostage under gunpoint. After Shelby begins to physically abuse his mother, Norman Shelby and Dylan is able to grab a gun from Shelby. A gun battle ensues and Dylan kills Shelby. Afterward, Norma confesses to Dylan that Norman had been the one to kill Sam Bates.
Even with Shelby dead, the Bates Family's problems are not behind them. A man named Jake Abernathy appears in town and begins to harass the family. He believes that Norma has the money that Shelby had owed him and threatens to kill her and her family if she does not give him the money. They arrange to meet at the pier at midnight. Norma contacts Romero for his help and he promises to take care of it. Afterward, Romero finds the money in Shelby's garage. At the pier, Romero hands Jake the money. Then when he is off guard, Romero shoots Jake and dumps the money. At the high school, Norman asks Emma to a dance. When Norman becomes preoccupied with Bradley, he is forced to walk home alone. As he walks alongside the road, his teacher Miss Watson decides to pick him up. She takes him to her home to treat his injuries that he had taken from a punch one of the students had given. Then Miss Watson begins to change in full view of Norman. An image of Norma appears before Norman and tells that he knows what to do. Norman runs out of the house and heads home. Meanwhile, Miss Watson lies dead one the ground with their throat cut.
Clothes were fitted to suit the characters' personalities. Norman, for example, wears clothes that are more formal than his classmates who wear sweatshirts and sweatpants. Costume designers wanted to convey the sense that Norman was a "mama's boy" and choose clothes that looked as if his mother had picked them. His clothes were also chosen to give the audience that Norman was out of place in setting. Norma's costume were reinterpreted lines of clothing that were popular during the 1950's. Like Norman, her costume was carefully chosen to convey a certain idea or emotion. In the first episode, the sun dress that Norma wears when she shows Norman the motel for the first time is meant to convey a nativity that the character was feeling when she thought that she easily restart her live without looking back on the past.