While ostensibly beginning life as a prequel to the classic Alfred Hitchcock shocker Psycho, A&E drama Bates Motel ended up becoming so much more, creating multiple original characters and relationships that helped enrich the tale of young Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his uncomfortably close bond with mother Norma (Vera Farmiga). Bates Motel is the rare series that many feel has continued to improve as the seasons have gone on, with last year’s season 4 continually ratcheting up the tension between Norman and Norma, until things finally reached a breaking point.
That breaking point ended up being the event that any fan of Bates Motel knew would eventually arrive, no matter how many times it might have seemed like it could be avoided. Norman killed his mother - albeit during a botched murder-suicide attempt - retrieved her corpse, and now keeps her in his basement. Unlike Hitchcock’s film though, this Norman refuses to let his mother rot, instead preserving her body with the help of a large freezer. Of course, Norman doesn’t accept this reality, holding constant conversations with Norma in his own mind, and convincing himself that she’s simply pretending to be dead for the benefit of escaping her outside world problems.
With Bates Motel’s currently airing 10-episode fifth and final season three episodes in, the time when the titular business will finally close its doors for good draws near. Bates Motel’s series finale is set to air on Monday, April 24, and Deadline reports that A&E has decided to celebrate the occasion by airing a retrospective special following the conclusion of the series. Entitled Bates Motel: The Check-Out, the 30-minute special will air from 11:04 to 11:34pm EST.
Set to appear on The Check-Out are cast members Highmore, Farmiga, and Nestor Carbonell (portrayer of former sheriff Alex Romero), along with creators and executive producers Kerry Ehrin and Carlton Cuse. The group will answer fan questions sent in via social media, as well as reminisce about their experiences making Bates Motel into the success it became. Clips of the cast and crew’s favorite scenes and amusing bloopers will also be presented.
It’s been a long and tumultuous road for the characters of Bates Motel, and it’s hard to imagine that the series’ final resolution will prove to be any less difficult. Still, one wonders what will become of Norman, and if the seemingly doomed Marion Crane (Rihanna) will end up meeting the same grisly fate that she met back in 1960.
Next: Bates Motel Season 5 Premiere Review
Bates Motel season 5 airs Mondays at 10pm on A&E.
Source: Deadline
