Bates Motel
Psychological horrorFear that comes from the mind: paranoia, sanity, perception.This show: 9/10Dark toneShadowy mood and subject matter, a shade short of outright bleak.This show: 9/10Mental healthPsychological struggle treated with real seriousness.This show: 8/10UnsettlingA creeping sense of unease and wrongness that gets under your skin.This show: 8/10Character studyInterior life matters more than plot.This show: 8/10TenseSustained suspense and pressure from start to finish.This show: 8/10AtmosphericMood and place thick enough to touch.This show: 7/10SerializedContinuous arcs where every episode builds on the last.This show: 7/10
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Starring
Vera FarmigaFreddie HighmoreMax ThieriotNicola Peltz BeckhamOlivia CookeNestor Carbonell
Written by
Anthony CiprianoCarlton CuseKerry Ehrin
Starring
Vera FarmigaFreddie HighmoreMax ThieriotNicola Peltz BeckhamOlivia CookeNestor Carbonell
Written by
Anthony CiprianoCarlton CuseKerry Ehrin
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
Bates Motel Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.5 | |
| S2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.6 | 8.7 | |
| S3 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 8.8 | |
| S4 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 9.0 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 8.6 | 9.4 | 9.1 | |
| S5 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 9.2 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 9.1 |
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About
"Mother-son codependency curdling into slow-motion tragedy"
Before Norman Bates became cinema's most infamous killer, he was a teenager moving to a small coastal town with his devoted, controlling mother Norma to run a motel and start over. The series traces their unnervingly close relationship as the town's secrets and Norman's fracturing mind pull them toward tragedy. It plays like small-town noir soap opera laced with real dread, carried by two ferocious lead performances that make the codependency feel tender and terrifying at once. Early seasons wobble in pace, but it builds into something genuinely unsettling and emotionally devastating.
Watch it for
the magnetic, unnervingly close chemistry between a mother and her unraveling son.
Maybe skip if
you dislike slow-burn family drama or want scares over psychological tension.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
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Season 12013
8.128K107h 14m
After finding his father dead, teenager Norman Bates and his mother, Norma, purchase a motel and move to White Pine Bay in search of a new life, but they soon discover this idyllic seaside town hides some deadly secrets.
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Season 22014
8.221K107h 9m
In the aftermath of Miss Watson's murder, Norman's innocence is buried under blackouts, suspicious characters, and his strange behavior. Meanwhile, Norma faces dark truths of her own when family secrets begin to unravel and looming threats from local villains jeopardize her stab at happiness.
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Season 32015
8.420K107h 9m
After a blissful summer of closeness with his mother in the safe confines of her home, Norman returns to school and is flooded with fears about what really happened with Miss Watson.
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Season 42016
8.620K107h 19m
As Norman continues to spiral out of control, Norma's desperation to help her son amplifies. Growing increasingly fearful of him, she goes to great lengths to find him the professional help he needs.
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Season 52017
8.719K107h 17m
Two years later, Norman has descended into full-blown psychosis. To the public, he's a happy and well-adjusted member of the White Pine Bay community, but at home his violent blackouts continue to increase as 'Mother' threatens to take over his mind completely.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
Vera Farmiga Norma Louise Bates
Freddie Highmore Norman Bates
Max Thieriot Dylan Massett
Nicola Peltz Beckham Bradley Martin
Olivia Cooke Emma Decody
Nestor Carbonell Sheriff Alex Romero, Alex Romero
Kenny Johnson Caleb Calhoun
Ryan Hurst Chick Hogan
Keenan Tracey Gunner
Ian Tracey Remo Wallace
Crew
Anthony Cipriano
Carlton Cuse
Kerry Ehrin
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