By Navindra Persaud
Robert Bloch’s novel, Psycho, has been revamped by creator Anthony Cipriano and the A&E network to present Bates Motel, the prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s movie adaption of the novel of the same name.
The show, which is now in the midst of its second season, promises to be just as disturbing as Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller Psycho: depicting the strange relationship between mother and son, Norma and Norman Bates.
In the first season, viewers were introduced to Norman, played by Freddie Highmore, who experiences a psychotic break – the family is forced to move after he unconsciously kills his father. Norma, played by Vera Farmiga, is able to save her son from law enforcement by framing the murder to look as if it were an accident.
The Bates end up in Fairvale, California, a seemingly fictitious town, being economically run by the illicit drug trade. Norma has purchased a motel that was previously under foreclosure, and the family undergoes mayhem from the first evening they enter. After an altercation with the previous owner, the family’s body count tally increases by one.
Following this murder, the Bates are in frequent contact with Sheriff Alex Romero, portrayed by Nestor Carbonell. Sheriff Romero presents an unlawful vibe that hits you as soon as you are introduced to him. He proves to hold much importance as the first season ends and the second season begins.
This prequel is very interesting and twisted. Just when the Bates seem to be in the clear, something goes awry and they end up in deeper water than they were before. The relationship that Norma and Norman have is very loving, at times, considerably excessive. It is full of suspense, and is a thriller from the first 10 minutes of the first episode.
Along with the Bates, another key character in the show is Dylan Massett, played by Max Thieriot. Dylan is the half-brother of Norman, who just showed up one day, much to the dismay of Norma, his biological mother. With time, their relationship becomes quite rocky and introduces another underlying conflict that will leave viewers in awe.
Characters such as Bradley Martin, played by Nicola Peltz, and Emma Decody, played by Olivia Cooke, serve as two potential love interests of Norman. They are two characters who are able to reach out to him but aren’t quite aware of the darkness that exists within him.
Highmore does a fantastic job of portraying Norman Bates, especially in the instances where he seems to have a tunnel vision effect around him, in which nothing else matters. It is quite strange to see him in a role such as this one because he is known for his roles in films such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and August Rush. Highmore has grown from such innocent roles to one that requires the actor to tap into a twisted part of the human mind.
Between Norman’s obsession with taxidermy, his intimate encounters with one of his high school teachers, and his mothers’ knack for attracting the wrong men, viewers are in for more than their fair share of surprises. If you do intend to watch, be sure to pay close attention to everything that happens; five minutes away from the television screen and you may be in the dark until the next episode. Overall, it is one of the best new television obsessions.
