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

[Anton Phibes]

The house is a pretty thing. The cast is talented. But this is by no means a prequel to Psycho proper. Its its own entity now. Much like the Hannibal show on nBC.

Incidentally---the Hannibal show on NBC is gory as heck....but very interesting.

[aura of foreboding]

The house is a pretty thing. The cast is talented. But this is by no means a prequel to Psycho proper. Its its own entity now. Much like the Hannibal show on nBC.

Incidentally---the Hannibal show on NBC is gory as heck....but very interesting.

I totally get that.  Unlike Hannibal, however, this show specifically says it is based on the characters from the theatrical film at the end of every episode.  It's the first thing in the credits.  Hannibal says it is based on the Red Dragon novel. 

Speaking of Hannibal, that show is far superior in every way.  I watch Hannibal for my "cultured" fix and I watch Bates for my "mindless entertainment" fix.  I love both, but Hannibal exceeds my every expectation while Bates barely hits the lowest common denominator.  It's like Bride of Frankenstein and House of Frankenstein.  Both are enjoyable.  One is a masterpiece.  The other is just sort of fun.  I honestly don't expect much from Bates, but watch it because I love the actors, the sets, some of the crazy plots and characterizations.  I watch Hannibal to be blown away by the gorgeous directing, music, acting, and twisted script-writing.  It's like every scene of Hannibal is perfection while we're lucky if we get two thoroughly enjoyable scenes in each episode of Bates Motel -- especially lately. 

Bates is already renewed for Season 3.  I'm holding out hope that Hannibal will be as well.  I'd like to see both run for five seasons.  I'd like the networks to accommodate this whim.   

[aura of foreboding]

The latest episode had two nice shoutouts to Hitchcock's film.  First, Norman's (Norma's) apron.  Second, Norman saying that he will never forget the face of a certain person as he fell down the stairs (a shoutout to Arbogast's unforgettable murder). 

[Mord]

I know it's not perfect, but there are enough cool little touches (like those) to make it worth watching.

[Monsters For Sale]

If you just forget about the Hitchcock classic, the TV series has enough surprise reveals and twists to make it interesting in its own right.

If it can bring it all around to even a half-assed tie-in to the movie by the end, so much the better.

[aura of foreboding]

If I forgot about the Hitchcock film, I would not be watching this series.   

[Haunted hearse]

If I forgot about the Hitchcock film, I would not be watching this series.   

Since I can't forget the Hitchcock film, I find I can't watch this series.

[charp13]

I read the description of tonight's episode, while I was setting up to record it for my husband....and hmmmm...it's called "MELTDOWN". I like the way that sounds.  It also describes the ep. with the sentence, "Norman pushes Norma away."  This sounds intriguing to me...maybe we will see some trouble tonight!   Yeah-yuh!

[Mord]

The house is a pretty thing.

So is Vera Farmiga.

[charp13]

Who am I, MOTHER?!?!   That was a half & half episode last night. I feel like I'm losing interest in Dylan's storyline.  I am hopeful that next week's ep. is going to be explosive! At least that's what the preview looked like!

[Anton Phibes]

  So is Vera Farmiga.

Yeah. The show's still a trainwreck though.  The isolation of Norman in Hitch's Psycho added to Norman's psychosis. Explained why he was so immediately taken with Marion. The hotel is a cavalcade of cooks in the show. Norman was also believeably harmless, bland, and boring in the movie. In the show, he's pretty much known by quite a few people as being cuckoo for co-co puffs already....and is quite a risk taking ladies man...having unprotected sex in the world of AIDS.

In the flick, mother was prudish and didn't allow liquor. In the show Mother is extremely promiscuous, as is Norman. I dunno---but I keep looking at it for some reason.

I'll keep watching. But any similarities between this program and Psycho begin and end at the House. Even the motel is different.

But the house is a pretty thing. Always had a hang up for that place ever since I saw the movie 25 years or so ago.

[charp13]

I spazz out EVERY time someone goes up that glorious staircase!  I love that house!! 

[Mord]

I spazz out EVERY time someone goes up that glorious staircase!  I love that house!! 

I loved it when they first started to clean it up. I would have loved to help them just so I could spend a night in the place.

[aura of foreboding]

  So is Vera Farmiga.

Good point.  Between her and the house, though...  I'd definitely take the house.   

[aura of foreboding]

Who am I, MOTHER?!?!   That was a half & half episode last night. I feel like I'm losing interest in Dylan's storyline.  I am hopeful that next week's ep. is going to be explosive! At least that's what the preview looked like!

I actually really enjoyed this episode.  It was the first this season that actually spoke to me.  True it didn't have any real "over-the-top" moments, but all of the elements were there.  It felt like the first season again...  Probably because that Cody girl is gone.   

The show is so much better when it's just Norman and Norma.  I really have come to hate Norman, and I love the human side of Norma.  I also respect Dylan's character a lot more than I did before.  Lots of good things happening, I would say.  Plus the taxidermy!  That room started to look just like Norman's back office...