Bates Motel premiered last night (Mon. 18th) on A&E!

[FACTO2]

"It's just a hand, Norman.  It could have been a million hands."

I heard that and thought wtf?  Was that just bad writing?  But then the more I thought about it I thought, no, that was on purpose and meant to be funny.  Thoughts?

[Haunted hearse]

"It's just a hand, Norman.  It could have been a million hands."

I heard that and thought wtf?  Was that just bad writing?  But then the more I thought about it I thought, no, that was on purpose and meant to be funny.  Thoughts?

Maybe it was a reference to the Vince Vaughn movie, where he's watching Marion from his office.

[horror1o1]

I was a little disappointed by tonight's episode 4. 

It looks like Norman got laid.  A near-sexual experience would have seemed more in keeping with the character.

I also didn't care for the rapid-fire explanation of what had happened to the previous owner that Norman gave to his brother - and his brother's very flat reaction.  It would have seemed more fitting to have Norman begin the story and do a dissolve to his brother's reaction at the end.  That would have left the viewers uncertain about just what all Norman had revealed to him.

Am I the only one who thinks there are too many plot elements and the whole narrative is moving along too rapidly?


I will stick in there for a few more episodes.



For ebook users, iTunes has a free download of the sketchbook that Norman found:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/bates-motel-on-a-e-jiaos-story/id623432721?mt=11

I fear these news shows like Bates Motel and Hannibal are trying to be the next American Horror Story and Dexter. I've only seen one episode of Hannibal so i can't speak for it. As for Bates Motel which my parent's like a lot I'm really one the fence about. Seems like too much conspiracy, Norman is cool (Really?) and it is set in modern times. It's not a bad series but i feel like it's just whoring out the characters and is not keeping the characters true.

[Anton Phibes]

Technically---even though I am watching both shows (for the moment), they are both rife with flaws.

Bates Motel and Hannibal both appear to be set in modern times. I was hoping they wouldnt go that route with Hannibal---but they did.

Psycho clearly takes place decades ago. Yet Bates Motel takes place now. Uhm...ok
But Hannibal was born in 1938. He would be 75 years old for this to be happening now.

If you squint a little, you might be able to ignore the language, clothing, hairstyles, car makes, use of a phone operator to connect calls, etc. and just move Ole Normie's timeline ahead a bit. If you squnit just right. Like a Ray Charles or Helen Keller squint.

But for Hannibal? Nope.   >:(If you follow the timeline set up...Hannibal and little sis were tormented (and in Misha's case eaten) by NAZIS during this little event called WORLD WAR 2. Which happened between 1939 and 1945. Uhmm---yeah. Hannibal is an old sonuvagun if this is happenign now.

In Hannibal episode 1, I thought perhaps they were going to keep things set around 1990. After all, in episode 1, Hannibal wears a huge honking tie and double breasted, large lapeled suit.  I also dont recall seeing any modern tech. When Hannibal calls to warn the Shrike, he uses a landline. No cellphone laying about.

But then episode 2 came out and showed us all sorts of laptops, cellphones, digital cameras, and more horrifyingly---webpages and blogs. Eeek.

So why must both of these shows be set in the now? Can people not stomach period pieces anymore? Especially when the period piece is a mere 10-25 years ago? If that were the case: wouldn't Madmen be a big flop for AMC? Its a period piece.

I think its just laziness. How hard can it be to do a little research and say: "Well--we didnt have i-pads in 1990---so lets not include them in the show?"

Hannibal episode 2 just plain socked me in the eyes.... if his WW2 origin is being considered canon for the character in this show.

But they could always do what they do with the Punisher over at Marvel comics to keep him young. He initially served in Viet Nam. Then they made it Operation Desert Storm, then they changed it again to some random Middle Eastern war(s). I suppose if they re-did his origin I would feel better about it. Because all I can imagine (with the Nazi timeline running thru my head ) is him trying to be menacing and eat a victim ...while reaching for his dentures and a glass of Ensure to wash down the guest he had for dinner.

As for Norman---the entire isolation of his existence is being systematically dismantled. He now has a brother, a bunch of different gals who want to (and some have) sleep with him. He has a teacher thats clearly hot and bothered for him, and would like to give him a little private tutoring.  I suspect it wont be long before he starts accumulating pets-- so he has something to kill and stuff for his parlor. Plus---if he gets bored, or feels isolated, he can always skype some dudes or gals from his previous town, or make a youtube video and get friends or start up a Facebook page with his nifty new tech. Isolation in the current era? Hard to do.

Let's not forget: "Norman and his mother lived as if there was no one else in the world for years." Yup. Except Dillon, Bradley, Sheriff pretty boy,Sheriff Romero, The little sick girl crushing on Norman,etc, etc, etc.

Plus---Norma was supposed to "have met a man that talked her into building the motel" after Norman's father died. But in our new series: Presto! Instant motel and home. Why it even has furniture! because every gothic manor house filled with antiques would stay filled with said antiques during a foreclosure. Because banks love people and want to shower them with gifts. Just change a sign and tear up the bloody carpet from the murder you commited and you are in business, girl!

I still havent seen them open for business yet...or have any guests. Maybe I blinked and missed it,lol.

Oh man---I have given myslef a headache.  :-[I prolly just gave all ya'll one too,lol. Time for a nap.

[aura of foreboding]

Isolation in the current era? Hard to do.

I actually think isolation in the current era is easier than in years past.  It's less physical and more psychological, which is probably where they will take the Norman story -- if they do it right.  I still have not watched the latest episode, but I will come back with my thoughts when I do.

As for Hannibal... Despite all of the tech, which I did shudder at (as I dislike tech in stories of any time, except for telephones and cars), I think it was more interesting than the first episode and that Hannibal himself was more interesting.  I don't know what they can do about his origins in regards to tying him to a war, but there are probably a number of localized crises, captivities, and otherwise very unpleasant events that could cause for an equally interesting back story.  I'll wait and see. 

In any event, Hannibal is much better than Bates.  It's less YA than Bates seems to be.

[Phantom Stranger]

Watched the first couple of episodes, I just couldn't get into it. The acting is good and it's great to see the old house (my favorite horror movie house) but the show just lacks any sort of thrills, in fact it's actually kind of dull.
I think i'm going to have to let this one go.

[Gillfan]

[FACTO2]

I think you posted those in the wrong thread.

[Gillfan]

I think you posted those in the wrong thread.

We started to talk about Hannibal....

[Anton Phibes]

Honestly---they are both  cut from the same cookie cutter and airing contemporary of one another. It was inevitable the comparisons and flaws of both merge into a single conversation at some point.  Merge to form Devastator. From Cybertron. A decipticon. Which also ties in as Normie and Hannibal as both are also quite "deceptive". Heeeeeyyy-- there's an idea. Robot Norman and Hannibal. 

Does away with hannibal's age problem, and Normie's  "tech". Hey Hollywood---you listening.

[Haunted hearse]

At the risk of being told I'm posting this in the wrong place, If you made Hannibal a victim of the Serbian conflict, it could still work.  Otherwise, I guess since Hogan's Heros was filmed in the 1960's, a case could be made that, in come places,World War 2 continued after 1945.

[aura of foreboding]

Personally, this thread is more interesting than the Hannibal thread. 

[Scatter]

At the risk of being told I'm posting this in the wrong place, If you made Hannibal a victim of the Serbian conflict, it could still work.  Otherwise, I guess since Hogan's Heros was filmed in the 1960's, a case could be made that, in come places,World War 2 continued after 1945.

Ummmmmmm..........no. HH was filmed in the 60s but SET in the 40s. The "new" Psycho and Hannibal are both FILMED and SET in the present, when they COULD and SHOULD have been set in their proper periods.

[marsattacks666]

Honestly.......I think we should all eat cake?! Yum!

[aura of foreboding]

Ummmmmmm..........no. HH was filmed in the 60s but SET in the 40s. The "new" Psycho and Hannibal are both FILMED and SET in the present, when they COULD and SHOULD have been set in their proper periods.

We saw what happened when they did that in Dark Shadows, Scatter.  If they're going to do that, they have to find some way to take a jab at the era.  Because society nowadays feels so inadequate it has to beat up on the previous decades.