Bates Motel: 'Nice Town You Picked Norma' (2013)
Rating: B-
A&E's "Bates Motel" mini-series is basically going to be re-working PSYCHO IV. If you've seen that film then you know it shows what was going on with Mrs. Bates and Norman before the events in the original Alfred Hitchcock film. While that prequel wasn't perfect, it at least put a nice wrap-around story to the original film.
After the events in the first episode, Norma and Norman try to move on but this isn't very easy to do when the Sheriff starts asking questions about a man who has gone missing. Things get even worse when Norma's son Dylan (Max Thieriot) comes to visit without asking. While all of this is going on Norman continues to show interest in a girl who herself has some problems she must deal with.
I must admit that this second episode really took a step back and it would have been even more disappointing had it not been for the terrific cast who once again shine. There's really no question at this point that both Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore are terrific in their parts and they certainly help carry the rather questionable material. I thought both of them perfectly fit into their parts and you're really not seeing anyone else in the roles. Both share a terrific and at times creepy chemistry and it really helps the episode. Thieriot is also very good in his role as are the rest of the supporting players. As I said, this episode left me rather cold for a number of reasons but the biggest is the various subplots that are being thrown into the episode. Not only do we have more romance from Norman but we've even got Norma hitting the town and then we have the added drama of the brother. Not only this but there's something involving a fire victim that I won't spoil and we even have a freaking pot field coming out of nowhere. I'm really not sure where any of this is heading but it's not all that interesting. I don't know where it's heading because of events in the first episode that were brought up for no apparent reason and nothing is really answered here.
I'm sticking with the series but one hopes they center in on a story and quit jumping around to pointless things so much.
Rating: B-
A&E's "Bates Motel" mini-series is basically going to be re-working PSYCHO IV. If you've seen that film then you know it shows what was going on with Mrs. Bates and Norman before the events in the original Alfred Hitchcock film. While that prequel wasn't perfect, it at least put a nice wrap-around story to the original film.
After the events in the first episode, Norma and Norman try to move on but this isn't very easy to do when the Sheriff starts asking questions about a man who has gone missing. Things get even worse when Norma's son Dylan (Max Thieriot) comes to visit without asking. While all of this is going on Norman continues to show interest in a girl who herself has some problems she must deal with.
I must admit that this second episode really took a step back and it would have been even more disappointing had it not been for the terrific cast who once again shine. There's really no question at this point that both Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore are terrific in their parts and they certainly help carry the rather questionable material. I thought both of them perfectly fit into their parts and you're really not seeing anyone else in the roles. Both share a terrific and at times creepy chemistry and it really helps the episode. Thieriot is also very good in his role as are the rest of the supporting players. As I said, this episode left me rather cold for a number of reasons but the biggest is the various subplots that are being thrown into the episode. Not only do we have more romance from Norman but we've even got Norma hitting the town and then we have the added drama of the brother. Not only this but there's something involving a fire victim that I won't spoil and we even have a freaking pot field coming out of nowhere. I'm really not sure where any of this is heading but it's not all that interesting. I don't know where it's heading because of events in the first episode that were brought up for no apparent reason and nothing is really answered here.
I'm sticking with the series but one hopes they center in on a story and quit jumping around to pointless things so much.