Spring TV Watch List: Bates Motel

Ok, so it is a little late, but I’ve been without internet and moving apartments and a slew of other boring things. What isn’t so boring is tv lately. There are three shows that have topped my list this spring. I’ll talk about my favorite first.

Bates Motel
I was fairly skeptical about this show. I loved the original Psycho, but I didn’t really see a series out of it. A prequel even less. A prequel set in modern times… let’s just say I was doubtful to the point I forgot about it after the initial production news came out.

After it came out I kept hearing good buzz about it and then I discovered Vera Farmiga (national treasure of whatever country she’s from) was headlining it and the sell was much easier. It was available by episode on Amazon and my sister willingly was talked into buying some episodes.

I have a particularly warped sense of humor so I find this unsettling and tense show delicious. It is particularly delicious because like the movie the villain is the “hero” in that you related to them at times and are terrified of them at times. Norma and Norman move into a weird town, buy the motel, and even with all of their family glitches manage to be compelling, witty, sympathetic, scary, unnerving, and badass. It is an accomplishment that even during a heartwarming scene between two characters you hope no one turns their back because the mood can flip on a dime and there are lots of objects around that are good for bludgeoning

It was brilliant to have them move into a town with its own set of oddities. They have outside adversity as well as inside just in the dynamic between Norma and Norman and you watch them struggle to be even their version of normal and good. I mentioned Vera is fantastic as Norma with her freak outs and flustered determination to make her family work and her dry wit. If she doesn’t get nominations and/or all the awards this year I don’t know what’s wrong with the world.

With such a strong Norma they had to get someone strong for Norman or he’d be overshadowed. As personality dominance is a Psycho thing this couldn’t be ignored. The kid they got, Freddie Highmore, has the chin acting down for the role and his “Mother” is perfect. There is not a whiff of CW about him even though he does have his own high school storyline going on. There are other teens in this show but it isn’t annoying in other words. In fact I look at their scenes and wish more actual Teen Shows would be like this.

Bates Motel manages to open up the Psycho universe to a larger scope and does it very well. This is my favorite new show this year.

Next up… Vikings!

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The NWSL started up in April. I managed to secure a scarf for my team Seattle Reign even though I’m in Austin and it is too hot for scarves. My team has yet to win a game, and I sorta hate the league, but it is what it is. Between the Chicago Bulls and Seattle Reign the tune “Death March” will forever be playing. Does Nate Robinson have a sister who plays soccer?

This is what I do 1-2 hours a day depending on the flow. Caaaaars. Bumpers. Inching along. Inching. Inching. Austin is in the top ten worst traffic cities. I am part of the problem. :( Soon, train. Soon.

I’ve been watching Bates Motel lately and I love that show. It might be my favorite show this year along with Vikings. My sister and I rewatched the original Psycho. I had watched it a lot when I was a kid (hey, he was my favorite director when I was ten) and I was having a lot of “moments” during it where I was recalling years of rewatches and perspective changes. I also watched his bio picture recently. That one was very well done I thought. At least as an overview to get you interested in reading a proper biography.