The premiere of Bates Motel gives us a glimpse into what turned Norman Bates into the Psycho we all know.  Set in Norman’s teenage years living with his mother; it is easy to see from the start the controlling side of that disturbing relationship.  Turning on the sign reading Bates Motel is only the beginning of this chilling story.

The Breakdown

The premiere of Bates Motel started off with a lot of excitement!  A teenage Norman Bates found his father dead and his mother un-surprised and unemotional.  To make a fresh start after becoming a recent widow, Norma Bates purchased a house and motel sitting on a main road in a new little town of White Pine Bay.

Norman immediately drew attention from a local girl named Bradley Martin who invited him for a ride to school and held his attention during class.  However after school, his domineering mother wanted him busy at work in the new home and motel.  Soon Norman’s class cutie and her friends showed up at the door to invite him to the “library to study”.  It was apparent that Mrs. Bates was not happy with the girls’ appearance at her door much less the invitation for her son.

After a resounding answer of “no” from his mother to the invitation Norman ran to his room and just as quickly escaped from it down the outside of the house.  He texted the girl to wait for him up the street and soon found out that the library invitation was a ruse for the party the girls had all planned to attend. 

While Norman was away Mrs. Bates received a visitor of her own; Keith Summers, a local whose claim was the land that the house and motel sat on – previously lost to the bank.  A short battle of words ensued but lasted briefly as the local attacked Mrs. Bates.  Norma screamed out to her son for help several times without response and thus was brutally attacked by the drunken local.  Once Norman finally arrived home and saw the melee, he knocked the filthy, local unconscious.  After Norman left the room, the drunk awoke ready to attack again.  It was then that Mrs. Bates took a knife to him – over and over and over.

Tasked with assisting his mother in cleaning up the mess of blood and body from the kitchen of their home, Norman helped drag the body to the motel for safe keeping.  Even when the police arrived for a routine check, Mrs. Bates and Norman kept their cool as the lifeless body remained the bathtub of the room in which they congregated.  Norman and his mother disposed of the dead local in a nearby body of water the next day and no one was the wiser.

Mrs. Bates ensured Norman that things would be good for them although a new road on the other side of town threatened the success of their motel.  But in an effort to make it their own, Mrs. Bates excitedly showed Norman the new sign she had installed to replace the old.  The Bates Motel would be open soon.

The Analysis

Getting to know Norma and Norman Bates, of Psycho fame, but in modern times, is beyond interesting.  If you are a huge fan of the movie like I am, then you have got to be excited about this show.  The actors playing the parts are perfect; the modern-day setting makes it intriguing, and the fact that a network actually (finally) decided to do this is thrilling!

The premiere episode was a good one.  We saw the domineering, selfish Norma Bates as a recent widow.  We saw the quite, meager Norman Bates as a teenager.  The script told us from the beginning, when the two are sitting in the kitchen, the verbal guilt trips Mrs. Bates successfully could instill on her young son. 

Mrs. Bates constantly reminding Norman that it is just the two of them (never mentioning the older son named Dylan we briefly heard about), allows us to understand the very close yet very creepy bond that the two of them shared.  This bond is what will lead to some horrific acts and hopefully lead us to some great entertainment.

This show tried to provide an understanding of the beginnings of what let up to the movie Psycho and I think it is off to a great start.  The premiere left me wanting more with hopes that I am not disappointed in what is to come. 

Who else loves this concept, loved the premiere and is excited to see more?