Bates Motel: Season 3

As you can tell if you've seen my reviews of Seasons 1 and 2, I LOVE this series! lol Retrospectively, I think I said that I thought Season 2 was even better than Season 1. In some ways, that's true, in others not. The one area that I would say Season 1 did better than Season 2 is the drug trade subplot. However, what Season 2 did that was more important is delve deeper into the twisted Bates' extended family relationships, including pushing the envelope on the symbiotic Norma-Norman mother-son bond and diving into the truth about Norma's sexual abuse by her older brother Caleb and how it affects Dylan. SEASON 3 upped the ante! Focusing a lot less on the subplots of Seasons 1 and 2 (drug and sex trade, town politics and shady dealings), Season 3 introduces a subplot, the Arcanium Club, that deftly ties back into the genesis of the Bates' clan arrival in White Pine Bay, Oregon back in Season 1.The Season 3 opener introduces a new character to the Bates Motel, the mysterious guest Annika Johnson (well played by Tracy Spiridakos), a seductive young call girl who checks into the motel who Norman (brilliantly essayed by Freddie Highmore) immediately is attracted to and Norma (the great Vera Farmiga) develops feelings of jealousy towards. Norman and Annika hit it off immediately, but Annika disappears by episode's end. A worried Norma, hoping that Norman is not involved with the lady's disappearance and possible murder, finds a card for the Arcanium Club, which she investigates and finds is a high class prostitution ring run by the mercurial Bob Paris (superbly played by Kevin Rahm, my favorite villainous portrayal of the entire series). Paris is no-nonsense and doesn't hide his evil nature. It turns out that Paris was a childhood friend of Sheriff Romero (superbly performed by Nestor Carbonell in a real breakout season for him) and Paris is one of the major town players that Romero offers protection to. A few episodes into the season, Norma finds out Annika's fate and then a season-long cat-and-mouse game ensues between Norma and Paris, with Romero caught in the middle. The real treat in all of this are the developing strong, passionate feelings between Norma and Romero that comes to the surface and plays out during the season. Romero realizes that he and Norma are not so different and Norma cracks his steely exterior. Farmiga and Carbonell play out the incredibly awkward, endearing chemistry superbly.Meanwhile, Dylan (excellently played by the reliable Max Thierot) finally free of the drug traffiicking war fought in the first 2 seasons, branches out on his own to start a legitimate business. Complicating things are the return of Caleb (strong turn by Kenny Johnson, who returns as a regular for Season 3), Dylan's father and Norma's brother. Dylan tries to hide Caleb's return from Norma, and allows Caleb to be his business partner. Also, Dylan and Emma (played by the effervescent Olivia Cooke) bond during the course of the season.Another subplot involves Norma enrolling at the local community college to earn her business degree and connects with her psychology professor James Finnigan (reliably played by Joshua Leonard). Norma feels normal around James and eventually confides in him on Norman's growing psychosis and involvement in his father's death. Norma gets James to try to shrink Norman, but it goes horribly wrong and she soon realizes that Norman needs true professional help, but it may be too late!It's really becoming almost criminal that Vera Farmiga continues to get overlooked for awards for her amazing work as Norma Bates. In my opinion, she is before my eyes creating one of the most fascinating, deep, provocative characters I've seen on a TV in an eternity! I mean, there are a lot of shows I like (some even love), but almost NONE of them boasts a performance as incredible as Miss Farmiga's on this show! She actually got nominated for an Emmy for her work in Season 1, has gotten even better in Seasons 2 and 3, so where are her nods for these later seasons, Academy?!The overall highlight of Season 3, in all of this, is Norman Bates' further descent into madness. Essayed by the brilliant Freddie Highmore, this actor has got me firmly convinced that he will eventually become the legendary psychotic killer who is charming on the surface, but lethal underneath! In truth, this series at it's core is what it should be, showing us HOW Norman Bates came to be what he is in the classic 1960 film. The getting there might take liberties, but at it's core, this series continues to impress with it's perfect casting, strong acting, great writing, and creepy atmosphere. Keep the ball rolling, Bates Motel!

Love, love, ❤️ love!

Great binge watching show, and is easily rewatchable.

I just watch this again for the second time. I just love this series and I never wanted it to end.

This show is one of the best, if not the best, production to come out of the former Lostaways from Bad Robot. It takes some deft handiwork to work up a Hitchcockian level of suspense in a prequel that every viewer knows for a fact is going to end badly. Really badly.Freddie Highmore is perfect as Norman: sweet, polite - a little stiff, and his relationship with Vera Farming's Norma is never less than a revelation. You're constantly being reminded that these are basically good people who love each other a lot and who are making the best choices they can with the baggage they are carrying. The backstory to the backstory adds more heartbreak to the already, for at least one of them, unbearable load. The characters who are not in the movie are equally complex and sympathetic, and as we learn more about them, we fear more for them.Every season has gotten better. I'm actually not sure I can bear to watch another.

I love this show! One minute, it's touching & heartfelt. Then it takes a total about face to creepy. As a woman I never say things like this, but I am jealous of how beautiful Norma is!. She wears dresses almost all the time which is rare these days & always looks like she just washes herFace, puts on lipstick & walks out the door beautiful. Dylan has tried so hard to be loved by her & finally has, so sweet. Not sure where the money came from - I suspect Chick Hogan ( my precious prior Opie). I have high hopes for Emma's health & future w/ Dylan. Norman, he's not too sweet anymore & needs SERIOUS help, but of course we know he will keep killing - thinking "mother" did it. Sue do hope Caleb returns forDylan's sake & I love the romantic tension between Alex Romero & Norma - hope that pans out. I love this show & hope it has a few more seasons. Good Job - Excellent program! Thanks for making me actually look forward to Mondays!

I want to thank the person or people who came up with the idea for a prequel to Psycho. I'd like to thank the scriptwriters. I'd like to thank the actors.This is the most compelling psychological thriller I've ever seen on TV. It's brilliant! From the beginning, it's been a nuanced program that has portrayed the problems a parent or parents face with a very mentally disturbed child, and Norma has had to go through this alone for the most part. What parent would want to simply turn her/his child over to be institutionalized, especially when mental institutions are draconian hell holes in America? When Norman is not experiencing his psychosis, he's the sweetest boy, and we can empathize with him too.Season 4? I'm not giving it away, but neither of them is happy or safe, and neither are others.Again, I thank everyone associated with the production of this fine work of television art. Kudos!

Freddie Highmore and all of the actors and actresses in this are A-1. It's a very underrated series, IMO. I couldn't persuade anyone I know to watch it (I am, after all, a middle-aged woman! and it might have been geared more towards young people), but I thought it was EXCELLENT. I should say, I KNOW it was excellent. Having been terrified by "Psycho" as a kid this series fascinated me. It is a prequel to "Psycho." After seeing this series I watched "Psycho" again and realized what a true masterpiece it was - and how Freddie Highmore (who plays Norman) in Bates is a genius of an actor. (And, he is very cute!) I was just so absorbed with each episode.

super

me encanto la serie desde que la vi en television, por lo que me hice fan y ahora es indispensable en mi coleccion personal

Que dire sur cette seconde saison qui est juste superbe et une superbe piste sonore pour les 2 langues. La qualité Blu-ray dépasse amplement celle du DVD, mais de loin ! C'est un réel plaisir d'apprécier cette qualité durant le visionnage de la série... moi je ne m'en lasse pas c'est vraiment magnifique. Les décors et costumes sont superbes. Série noire - histoire sombre et scénario palpitant. Eh j'adore aussi ces mouvements de caméra, j'adore 👍🏼

Una serie ben fatta, poco conosciuta ma molto appassionante.....un thriller costruito perfettamente nei minimi ingranaggi con attori protagonisti e di contorno, perfetti per lo stile della serie. Peccato averla solo nel formato DVD perché meriterebbe altro....ma sarebbero i soliti discorsi sulle serie TV poco considerate per l'HD. Quanto al cofanetto si presente almeno con audio italiano in 5.1 (non da tutti i telefilm) e con un'ottima resa video. Spedizione e servizio Amazon al solito eccellenti

Decididamente, estamos ante una gran serie, tanto por su excelente guión, como por sus grandes interpretaciones. Creo que no miento si digo que esto es lo que todos esperábamos. Me quedo con la original de 1960 y con esta serie. Resta decir que, si fuera por mi, eliminaría Psicosis 2, 3 y 4 de la historia del cine. Es que las secuelas de la gran película de Hitchcock no solo no aportan nada nuevo, sino que echan a perder la historia de arriba a abajo. La serie "Bates Motel" no solo es totalmente consistente, sino que rescata a la perfección el espíritu de Norman y su madre, un espíritu de amor y destrucción como no se ha visto nunca en el cine. Las secuelas y precuelas anteriores deformaron en tal grado a los personajes principales de esta historia, que es como si nunca los hubiéramos conocido. Aquí, los reencontramos de nuevo en su más bella esencia. Vera Farmiga no solamente interpreta, sino que enamora al espectador. Sin lugar a dudas, una de las mejores interpretaciones de los últimos tiempos. Freddie Highmore también hace una gran actuación, es decir, no interpreta a Norman Bates. Es Norman Bates. Sigan mi consejo y hagan como yo, eliminen de su mente todas las secuelas y precuelas anteriores, no merecen otra cosa. Esta es la verdadera Madre de Norman y esta es la serie que marca la diferencia.