Years before Marion Crane made the unwise decision to spend the night at the Bates Motel, young Norman and his mother Norma (still very much alive at this point) were already getting up to all kinds of adventures.
Why we’re looking forward to this: About to kick off its fourth season, Bates Motel has been consistently entertaining and true to the original Psycho mythology, while managing to update it to the present day. A large part of its appeal lies with the two leads. Freddie Highmore as the teenage Norman brings both intensity and likeability to the role, making the viewer actually sympathise with the emerging monster that we know he will become, and Vera Farmiga is just amazing as Norma, as she tries to look out for her little boy as his behaviour becomes stranger and stranger.
The rest of the cast shine too, with Max Thierot piling on the charm and charisma as Norman’s dashing, roguish half-brother Dylan, and Olivia Cooke bringing a sweetness and vulnerability to the girl caught between them as Norman’s best friend and Dylan’s potential love interest.
With Norman having finally embraced his inner mother at the end of season three, Bates Motel is sure to keep us checking in for another ten episodes to see how things develop.
Bates Motel season four premiered in the US this week and hits UK screens on April 5.
RICHARD COSGROVE
