Bates Motel (season 1)

Bates Motel (season 1)

Promotional poster
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 10
Broadcast
Original channel A&E
Original run March 18, 2013 – May 20, 2013
Home video release

DVD release

Region 1 September 17, 2013[1]
Region 2 February 3, 2014[2]
Region 4 November 27, 2014[3]

Blu-ray Disc release

Region A September 17, 2013[1]
Region B February 3, 2014[2]

The first season of Bates Motel premiered on March 18, 2013, and concluded on May 20, 2013. The season consisted of 10 episodes and aired on Monday nights at 10pm ET/PT on A&E. The series is described as a "contemporary prequel" to the 1960 film Psycho and follows the life of Norman Bates and his mother Norma prior to the events portrayed in the Hitchcock film.[4] The series takes place in the fictional town of White Pine Bay, Oregon.

The season received positive reviews from television critics.[5] In its premiere episode, the series broke rating records for an original drama series on A&E, drawing in a total of 3.04 million viewers.[6] Bates Motel was renewed for a second season after three episodes of the first season had aired.[7] Vera Farmiga received particular praise for her performance as Norma Louise Bates, she won the 2013 Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television, and was nominated for the 2013 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, the 2013 Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, and the 2013 TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama.[8]

Plot

The first season follows Norman (Freddie Highmore) and Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) when they buy a motel shortly after Norman's father dies. In one of the first nights of the two owning the motel, things end badly when the former owner breaks in and rapes Norma. A returning Norman knocks the attacker out and Norma then kills him, and they decide to hide the body in a lake. When the town sheriff (Nestor Carbonell) and his deputy (Mike Vogel) notice that a man has gone missing, Norma and Norman must keep them from digging too far.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore and Nicola Peltz (left to right) portray leading roles Norma Louise Bates, Norman Bates and Bradley Martin, respectively.

Recurring cast

Guest cast

Production

Casting

On July 2, 2012, A&E gave Bates Motel a straight-to-series order.[9] Vera Farmiga was the first to be cast, as protagonist Norma Louise Bates, on August 27, 2012.[10] Shortly after, Freddie Highmore was cast as Norman Bates on September 14, 2012.[11] Also on that day, Max Thieriot was cast as Norman's half brother, Dylan Massett.[12] Later, on September 19, 2012, Nicola Peltz was cast as Bradley Martin.[13] Finally, on September 20, 2012, Olivia Cooke was the final main cast member to join the series, portraying Emma Decody.[14]

Filming

A replica of the original Bates Motel set from the film Psycho was built on location in Aldergrove, British Columbia on 272nd Street, where the series is filmed.[15][16] Production also took place in Greater Vancouver, and Richmond, British Columbia.

Episodes

No. in
series		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original air date Production
code		 U.S. viewers
(millions)
11"First You Dream, Then You Die"Tucker GatesStory: Carlton Cuse & Kerry Ehrin and Anthony Cipriano
Teleplay: Kerry Ehrin and Anthony Cipriano		March 18, 2013BATE01013.04[17]
Widow Norma Louise Bates and her 17-year-old son, Norman, move from Arizona to White Pine Bay, Oregon, where they buy a rundown motel after Norman's father's sudden death. Norma intends to reopen the motel in an attempt to build a new life for Norman and herself. Norman befriends popular local girl, Bradley Martin. The former owner of the motel, Keith Summers, breaks into the house and rapes Norma. Norman arrives and knocks him out; Norma then murders him. The duo dump the body in the bay harbor. Norman finds a sketchbook full of drawings that show women being tortured. Similarly, a woman is seen drugged and chained somewhere unknown.
22"Nice Town You Picked, Norma..."Tucker GatesKerry EhrinMarch 25, 2013BATE01022.84[18]
Tension arises when Dylan Massett, Norma's son from a previous relationship, arrives. Norman and Bradley witness Bradley's father get badly burned in a car accident. Norman and his classmate, Emma Decody, look into the mystery of the sketchbook. Deputy Shelby suggests to Norma that the town's wealth was earned through illegal means. Norma sees a body hanging and on fire in the middle of town, witnessed by townspeople, showing "justice" is often resolved extrajudicially. Emma and Norman stumble upon a massive marijuana field.
33"What's Wrong With Norman"Paul A. EdwardsJeff WadlowApril 1, 2013BATE01032.82[19]
Dylan states he has a new job, not mentioning it is guarding the marijuana field. Norman tells Norma that he kept Summers' utility belt, which is now missing. Dylan and Norman bond; Deputy Shelby reveals that he took Summers' belt without the sheriff's knowledge because he wants to protect Norma, and they make out. Norman discovers one of the women from the sketchbook locked in Shelby's basement.
44"Trust Me"Johan RenckKerry EhrinApril 8, 2013BATE01042.30[20]
Shelby comes home, and Dylan distracts him to give Norman time to escape. Norma tells Norman he imagines things that don't happen. Bradley and Norman end up sleeping together and when Norma finds out, she becomes upset. Dylan confronts her, stating he knows what she has done, which gives him the right to take Norman to stay with him. The police then arrest Norma for the murder of Keith Summers.
55"Ocean View"David StraitonJeff WadlowApril 15, 2013BATE01052.66[21]
Norman bails his mother from jail; Dylan proposes that Norman should live with him instead. Shelby gets rid of the evidence incriminating Norma, claiming he loves her. Dylan borrows $5,000 from Ethan, the partner from his new job. A drug addict shoots Ethan, and Dylan rushes him to the hospital. He later runs the drug addict over with his car. Emma and Norman find the girl from Shelby's basement, Jiao, in Summers' abandoned boat, whom they show to Norma. Jiao identifies Shelby as the man who had been assaulting her, shocking Norma.
66"The Truth"Tucker GatesCarlton Cuse & Kerry EhrinApril 22, 2013BATE01062.93[22]
Dylan and Norman find Summers' belt and throw it into the harbor. Shelby finds Jiao at the Bates Motel and Jiao flees. Shelby holds the Bates family at gunpoint and assaults Norma, causing Norman to angrily attack him. Dylan kills Shelby to save the family. Norma reveals the truth about Norman's father's death to Dylan: Norman killed him in a fit of rage after seeing his father beating Norma and has absolutely no recollection of it, believing his father's death was an accident. She tells Dylan that Norman needs to be protected.
77"The Man in Number 9"S. J. ClarksonKerry EhrinApril 29, 2013BATE01072.99[23]
Sheriff Romero arrives at the scene but makes up a story that he caught and killed Deputy Shelby in a gun fight. Dylan meets Jake Abernathy, who checks into the motel, as he had Room 9 reserved for a week every two months before Summers sold the motel. Norma hires Emma to work at the motel. Norman grows close to a stray dog, whom he names Juno. Norman heads to Bradley's house to declare his love for her, only for Bradley to tell Norman they are not meant for each other. Norman witnesses Juno being hit and killed by a car, and is devastated.
88"A Boy and His Dog"Ed BianchiBill BalasMay 6, 2013BATE01082.71[24]
Emma's father, Will, teaches Norman taxidermy after Norman takes his dead dog to him. Upon the school principal's request, Norma has Norman meet with a psychologist, who suggests Norma may have control issues over her son. Jake reveals to Norma that he knows the full story about Shelby and Summers; she kicks Jake out in retaliation. Dylan brings "trimmers" to stay at the motel; Norma decides to take Dylan out to dinner to thank him for bringing new customers, but is horrified to see the autopsied corpse of Shelby on her bed.
99"Underwater"Tucker GatesCarlton Cuse & Kerry EhrinMay 13, 2013BATE01092.48[25]
After receiving a threatening note, Norma puts the motel up for sale. At her father's office with Dylan, Bradley finds love letters exchanged between her father and someone known as "B". Norma's realtor tells her the property won't go up for sale. Norma is shocked to find Jake in her car with a pistol. Jake reveals that Shelby owed him $150,000 and, thinking she has it, threatens to kill her and her sons unless she delivers the money to him the next night. Terrified, Norma agrees.
1010"Midnight"Tucker GatesCarlton Cuse & Kerry EhrinMay 20, 2013BATE01102.70[26]
Romero tells Norma he'll help her. Norman and Emma decide to go to the winter dance as friends. Norma reveals to Norman a secret: when she was a teenager, her brother forced her to have sex with him. At the dance, Norman repeatedly eyes Bradley, causing a heartbroken Emma to storm out and Bradley's boyfriend to punch Norman. Miss Watson offers to tend to Norman's injured eye. Norma witnesses Romero shoot and kill Jake. Miss Watson goes to her room to change, completely visible to Norman. A hallucination of Norma convinces Norman that Miss Watson is seducing him. Norman rushes home; he tells Norma that Miss Watson was going to drive him, but the next thing he remembers is running home. Miss Watson's corpse is shown with her throat slashed, wearing a "B" necklace, hinting that she might be Bradley's father's secret lover.

Reception

Critical response

The first season of Bates Motel received mostly positive reviews. It received 66 out of 100 score from Metacritic, and Rotten Tomatoes aggregated that 81% of 37 television critics gave the series a positive review.[27] The site's consensus stated: "Bates Motel utilizes mind manipulation and suspenseful fear tactics, on top of consistently sharp character work and wonderfully uncomfortable familial relationships."[5] For her performance as Norma Louise Bates, Vera Farmiga won the 2013 Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television,[28] and was nominated for the 2013 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.[8] Freddie Highmore was nominated for the 2013 Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television for his role as Norman Bates.[28] On April 8, 2013, A&E renewed the series for a second season following the positive reviews and good ratings after the first three episodes.[7]

Ratings

On its premiere night, the series broke rating records for an original drama series on A&E. It drew in a strong 3.04 million viewers total, including 1.6 million viewers watching it in the 18-49 demographic.[6] The season finale episode drew in a total of 2.70 million viewers, with a 1.2 ratings share in the 18–49 demo.[26] Overall, the first season averaged 2.70 million viewers, with 1.5 million tuning in from both the 18–49 and 25–54 demographics.[29]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result
2013 3rd Critics' Choice Television Awards[30] Best Actress in a Drama Series Vera Farmiga Nominated
65th Primetime Emmy Awards[31] Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
Television Critics Association Awards[32] Individual Achievement in Drama Nominated
Dorian Awards[33] TV Performance of the Year – Actress Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Awards[34] Best Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
Best Cinematography in a Series John S. Bartley, Thomas Yatsko Nominated
Best Production Design in a Series Peter Bodnarus, Mark S. Freeborn, Margot Ready, Rose Marie McSherry Nominated
Artios Awards[35] Outstanding Achievement in Casting "First You Dream, Then You Die" Nominated
Imagen Awards[36] Best Supporting Actor – Television Nestor Carbonell Nominated
Women's Image Network Awards[37] Best Drama Series Bates Motel Nominated
Best Actress – Drama Series Vera Farmiga Nominated
40th Saturn Awards[28] Best Actress on Television Won
Best Actor on Television Freddie Highmore Nominated
Best Television Presentation Bates Motel Nominated
2014 Makeup Artists & Hairstylists Guild Awards[38] Best Contemporary Hairstyling – Television and New Media Series Donna Bis Nominated
40th People's Choice Awards[39] Favorite TV Anti-Hero Freddie Highmore Nominated

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lambert, David (June 27, 2013). "Bates Motel – Season 1 of the Modern 'Psycho' Re-Imagining on DVD and Blu-ray". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Bates Motel – Season 1 DVD". Amazon UK. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Bates Motel: Season 1". Ezy DVD. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  4. ↑ McNamara, Mary (March 18, 2013). "Review: 'Bates Motel' a twisty, moody modern prequel to 'Psycho'". The Los Angeles Times.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Bates Motel: Season 1 (2013-2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Webb Mitovich, Matt (February 22, 2013). "Ratings – Bates Motel Series Premiere on A&E". TVLine. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hibberd, James (April 8, 2013). "'Bates Motel' renewed for second season". Entertainment Weekly.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Itzkoff, David (July 18, 2013). "Emmy Nominees: Vera Farmiga of 'Bates Motel'". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (February 7, 2012). "A&E Orders Carlton Cuse's 'Psycho' Prequel 'Bates Motel' Straight to Series". The Hollywood Reporter.
  10. ↑ "Norman Bates' mother cast in A&E's 'Psycho' series". Entertainment Weekly. August 27, 2012.
  11. ↑ Keck, William (September 14, 2012). "Keck's Exclusives: Bates Motel Casts Its Norman - Today's News: Our Take". TV Guide.
  12. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (September 14, 2012). "A&E's 'Bates Motel' Adds Max Thieriot as Norman's Brother". The Hollywood Reporter.
  13. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (September 19, 2012). "'Bates Motel' Adds 'Last Airbender' Actress as Love Interest for Norman (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  14. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (September 20, 2012). "'Psycho' TV prequel 'Bates Motel' adds 'Blackout' star Olivia Cooke". Digital Spy.
  15. ↑ Turnquist, Kristi (March 26, 2013). "'Bates Motel': What's going on in that bucolic Oregon coastal town". Oregon Live.
  16. ↑ "BATES MOTEL Set in Aldergrove is Spitting Image of Alfred Hitchcock's Set in Psycho – Updated". YVR Shoots. November 15, 2012.
  17. ↑ Bibel, Sara (March 19, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: NBA Basketball Wins Night, 'WWE Raw', 'Bates Motel', 'Dallas', 'Being Human' & More". TV by the Numbers.
  18. ↑ Bibel, Sara (March 26, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: 'Monday Night RAW' Wins Night + 'Teen Mom II', 'Bates Motel', 'Storage Wars', 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' & More". TV by the Numbers.
  19. ↑ Bibel, Sara (April 2, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: 'WWE Raw' Wins Night, 'Teen Mom 2', 'Bates Motel', 'Dallas', 'Being Human', 'Love and Hip Hop' & More". TV by the Numbers.
  20. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (April 9, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: 'Monday Night RAW' Wins Night + 'Teen Mom 2', 'MTV Movie Sneak Peek', 'Bates Motel' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  21. ↑ Bibel, Sara (April 16, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: 'WWE Raw' Wins Night, 'Defiance', 'Bates Motel', 'Dallas', 'Teen Mom 2' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  22. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (April 23, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: 'Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta' Wins Night + WWE Raw, 'Teen Mom II', NBA Playoffs & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  23. ↑ Bibel, Sara (April 30, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Win Night, 'WWE Raw', 'Teen Mom 2', 'Bates Motel', 'Defiance', 'Warehouse 13'& More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  24. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (May 7, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: NBA Basketball Dominates + 'Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta', 'Teen Mom II', 'TI & Tiny', 'Monday Night RAW' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  25. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (May 14, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: NBA Basketball Wins Night + 'Love & Hip Hop Atlanta', 'Monday Night RAW', 'Teen Mom II', 'Bates Motel' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Bibel, Sara (May 21, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: 'WWE Raw' & 'Love & Hip Hop Atlanta' Win Night; 'Bates Motel', 'Defiance', 'Warehouse 13' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Bates Motel - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 McCabe, Joseph (June 28, 2014). "Gravity, The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad Win Big at the Fortieth Annual Saturn Awards". Nerdist. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  29. ↑ Patten, Dominic (May 21, 2013). "A&E's 'Bates Motel' Rises In Finale". Deadline. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  30. ↑ "2013 Critics' Choice Television Awards: Big Bang Theory, Game of Thrones, New Girl and More Earn Nominations". E! Online. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  31. ↑ Neumyer, Scott (March 3, 2014). "Vera Farmiga Talks Bates Motel, Family & What She'd Be Doing If She Weren't Acting". Parade. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  32. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (June 10, 2013). "FX's 'The Americans' Leads 2013 TCA Awards Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  33. ↑ Nededog, Jeretho (January 14, 2014). "Dorian Awards: Gay and Lesbian Critics Announce TV and Film Nominations". The Wrap. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Online Film & Television Association - Television Branch: 2012-13". OFTA. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Artios Awards: Casting Society Reveals 2013 Nominees". Variety. August 19, 2013.
  36. ↑ "Nominees for the 28th Annual Imagen Awards Announced". The Imagen Foundation. June 2013.
  37. ↑ Neal, Wayne (October 14, 2013). "Orpah Winfrey, Kerry Washington Among Women's Image Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter.
  38. ↑ Chan, Stephanie (January 14, 2014). "Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Guild Awards Nominations Announced". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  39. ↑ Bentley, Jean (November 5, 2013). "People's Choice Awards 2014 nominees: 'Glee,' 'Castle,' 'Pretty Little Liars' and more". Zap2it.

External links