New Series Spotlight: "Bates Motel" Opens For Business Tonight on A&E

Photo Credit: A&E

Young Norman Bates and his mother, Norma, move from Arizona to Oregon and purchase a home and a motel in the new series Bates Motel, which premieres tonight at 10:00pm ET on A&E. The series is a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece Psycho, but is not necessarily bound to the history of the characters. For instance, Norman has an older brother, Dylan (Max Thierot), who is estranged from the family and was not mentioned in the film. The series opens with the unexpected and curious death of Norman's father, which does not seem to upset Norma, who is shown coming out of the shower when she hears Norman's cry for help after he discovers the body. That is not the only death that occurs during the debut episode, so it appears that may be a harbinger for the Bates family. 

Norma seems conflicted, while Norman struggles to fit in and is appropriately awkward. Their mother/son relationship seems a bit too close for comfort, as the controlling Norma wants to keep Norman around as much as possible and does not refrain from using guilt to have her way. She confides in him that "people suck," but he is different and special, while Norman quotes Jane Eyre concerning their heart to heart connection.

Shortly after Norma and Norman move in, tragedy strikes and the duo have a close encounter with the authorities who wonder why a high school student is helping replace carpet in the motel at 2:00am on a school night. Despite the suspicion and the initial challenges, Norma is a strong willed woman who is fiercely protective of her son and will do whatever is necessary to preserve their new life together. In other words, cross her at your own risk.

The debut episode, "First You Dream, Then You Die," is a solid effort that benefits greatly from the strong performances by Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, Higher Ground) as Norma, and Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland, August Rush), as Norman. Highmore looks very much like a young Anthony Perkins and he exhibits some uncanny mannerisms that were present in Norman in Psycho. In addition, Bates Motel is filmed in British Columbia and is beautifully photographed. The first episode flows smoothly and provides a quick introduction to a few of Norman's high school friends, a concerned teacher and the aforementioned police, who may or may not be around for long. I expect a high body count before this one is over and I look forward to watching how Norma and Norman deal with the problems that are heading their way. Overall, a bloody good start.