Bates Motel: Season One

This A&E series is a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, albeit one set in the modern world. Vera Farmiga is Norma Bates, a widow who buys a failing motel in foreclosure. Norma dominates her teenage son, Norman (Freddie Highmore), a socially awkward but endearing young man who unexpectedly charms the local girls with his nice-boy naïveté. Norma is mercurial, unstable, and impulsive—killing a man in the first episode (in sort-of self-defense) and enlisting Norman to help her hide the evidence, which lays the groundwork for major psychological dysfunction down the road. Although most viewers already know a thing or two about Norman Bates, Bates Motel smartly twists expectations, creating bigger and more interesting mysteries with intriguing characters—from Norman's older, very protective half-brother (Max Thieriot), to the amorous deputy (Mike Vogel) who helps Norma cover up the killing but also keeps evidence to maintain his hold on her, to a suspicious sheriff (Nestor Carbonell) whose place in the story isn't yet clear. Compiling all 10 episodes from the 2013 debut season on DVD and Blu-ray, extras include deleted scenes, and a panel discussion with the cast and creators. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)