October 7, 2014
Bates Motel - Season Two
Ken Tasho READ TIME: 1 MIN.
In the 1960 movie version of "Psycho," the voice of Norma Bates says that she wouldn't harm a fly. Norma, as played by the ever-increasing acting talents of Vera Farmiga in "Bates Motel: Season Two," instead inflicts psychological harm to son Norman (Freddie Highmore) and others in her destructive path. Farmiga's character is just one of many, many highlights of the sophomore season in a modern take on the story of serial killer Norman Bates.
The town of White Pine Bay becomes even more Twin Peak-ish in Season Two of "Bates Motel," and each character changes and becomes stronger. An abundance of new characters gets thrown into the mix also, causing some convoluted plots along the way. But it's "Bates Motel"'s continued emphasis on the dichotomy of Norma Bates' personality and her relationship with Norman that drives this viewer to keep on watching.
"Bates Motel: Season Two" has some inferior special features when compared to its first season's Blu-ray. The 2-disc, ten episode set (looking swanky in high definition) should still be purchased regardless.
Four bonus features are included, two on each disc. Deleted scenes seem a bit pointless and way too short. The ten-minute "Origins of a Psycho: Inside Bates Motel" does an intelligent comparison between the Hitchcock "Psycho" film and the TV series. One can see what changes were made, what was kept intact, and why. Two "After Hours" TV specials examine the premiere episode of Season Two and the finale, both of which should obviously be watched after the actual episodes for spoiler reasons.
"Bates Motel: Season Two"
Blu-ray
www.Great-TV-Shows.com
