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The Worst Episodes of Bates Motel

Every episode of Bates Motel ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Bates Motel!

A "contemporary prequel" to the 1960 film Psycho, depicting the life of Norman Bates and his mother Norma prior to the events portrayed in Hitchcock's...
Genres:DramaCrimeMystery
Network:A&E

Worst Episodes Summary

"Nice Town You Picked, Norma..." is the worst rated episode of "Bates Motel". It scored 7.8/10 based on 2925 votes. Directed by Tucker Gates and written by Kerry Ehrin, it aired on 3/25/2013. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "The Man in Number 9".

  • Nice Town You Picked, Norma...
    7.8/102,925 votes
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    #1 - Nice Town You Picked, Norma...

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 3/25/2013

    Dylan wastes no time causing trouble at home and all the while, the Bates family is inexorably drawn into the dark underbelly of White Pine Bay.

    Director: Tucker Gates

    Writer: Kerry Ehrin

  • The Man in Number 9
    7.8/102,348 votes
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    #2 - The Man in Number 9

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 4/29/2013

    Norma's first guest at the Bates Motel is not what she expected. Norman discovers that even popular girls are complicated.

    Director: S.J. Clarkson

    Writer: Kerry Ehrin

  • Underwater
    7.8/102,265 votes
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    #3 - Underwater

    Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 5/13/2013

    Abernathy amps up the pressure, but Norma doesn't know what he wants. Dylan and Bradley connect. Norman has an active imagination, which Miss Watson encourages. Emma goes on a trip.

    Director: Tucker Gates

    Writer: Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin

  • A Boy and His Dog
    7.9/102,318 votes
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    #4 - A Boy and His Dog

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 5/6/2013

    Norma finds herself in conflict with a mysterious strangers. Rumors spread at school, and Bradley is not enthused. Dylan and Remo go on a road trip that has a violent outcome. Norman takes up a grisly hobby.

    Director: Ed Bianchi

    Writer: Bill Balas

  • Shadow of a Doubt
    7.9/102,040 votes
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    #5 - Shadow of a Doubt

    Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 3/10/2014

    Norma tries to distract Norman from his obsession with Miss Watson by having him audition for a play. A new player in town has Dylan and Remo on edge.

    Director: Tucker Gates

    Writer: Kerry Ehrin

  • The Escape Artist
    7.9/101,878 votes
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    #6 - The Escape Artist

    Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 3/31/2014

    Norman trusts Cody with a family secret. Dylan finds himself fighting for his life as Zane’s war escalates. Norma makes a deal with a mysterious man to help stop the bypass.

    Director: Christopher Nelson

    Writer: Nikki Toscano

  • Unbreak-Able
    7.9/101,691 votes
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    #7 - Unbreak-Able

    Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 3/30/2015

    Emma and Norman spend a day away from the motel. Romero looks into two strange deaths in White Pine Bay. Norma returns to school. Caleb and Dylan's hidden secrets unravel.

    Director: Christopher Nelson

    Writer: Erica Lipez

  • First You Dream, Then You Die
    8.0/103,682 votes
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    #8 - First You Dream, Then You Die

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 3/18/2013

    Widow Norma Bates and her shy teenage son, Norman, seek a fresh start in a coastal town filled with secrets. The arrival of an unexpected guest turns the Bates' lives upside down.

    Director: Tucker Gates

    Writer: N/A

  • What's Wrong with Norman
    8.0/102,720 votes
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    #9 - What's Wrong with Norman

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 4/1/2013

    Dylan starts his new job and learns that there is more to it than he thought. Meanwhile, Norman and Emma make a shocking discovery.

    Director: Paul A. Edwards

    Writer: Jeff Wadlow

  • Trust Me
    8.0/102,574 votes
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    #10 - Trust Me

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 4/8/2013

    Norma's suspicions about people in town are raised, but other distractions continue to surface.

    Director: Johan Renck

    Writer: Kerry Ehrin

  • Presumed Innocent
    8.0/101,833 votes
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    #11 - Presumed Innocent

    Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 4/14/2014

    Norman questions Norma's faith in him. Zane's thirst for revenge threatens Dylan. Romero is presented with new evidence while Cody's friendship with Norman reaches a breaking point.

    Director: Roxann Dawson

    Writer: Alexandra Cunningham

  • Meltdown
    8.0/101,797 votes
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    #12 - Meltdown

    Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 4/21/2014

    Romero digs for the truth behind Miss Watson's murder, while the war between the drug families presents Dylan with an impossible choice. Norman pushes Norma away when she won't tell him the truth about his blackouts.

    Director: Ed Bianchi

    Writer: Liz Tigelaar, Nikki Toscano

  • A Death in the Family
    8.0/101,962 votes
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    #13 - A Death in the Family

    Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 3/9/2015

    Norman and Emma make a decision about their future. Norma sets boundaries with Norman. An unexpected visit causes trouble in Dylan's fresh start.

    Director: Tucker Gates

    Writer: Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin

  • The Arcanum Club
    8.0/101,787 votes
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    #14 - The Arcanum Club

    Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 3/16/2015

    Norman and Norma fixate on Annika's disappearance. Norma learns what the Arcanum Club really is. Dylan and Caleb encounter a new neighbor.

    Director: Tucker Gates

    Writer: Kerry Ehrin

  • There's No Place Like Home
    8.0/101,507 votes
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    #15 - There's No Place Like Home

    Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 4/25/2016

    A chance discovery motivates Norman to return home. Norma throws herself into new projects with Romero's help, while Dylan searches for Emma's mother -- with troubling results.

    Director: Nestor Carbonell

    Writer: Philip Buiser

  • Ocean View
    8.1/102,470 votes
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    #16 - Ocean View

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 4/15/2013

    Norman desperately seeks his mother's return home as Norma gets some much needed help. Norman and Emma find more clues that lead to a big discovery, while Norman continues to pursue Bradley.

    Director: David Straiton

    Writer: Jeff Wadlow

  • Check-Out
    8.1/101,931 votes
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    #17 - Check-Out

    Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 3/24/2014

    A new revelation forces Dylan to question his loyalty to Norma and Norman. Christine brings Norma into the White Pine social scene.

    Director: John David Coles

    Writer: Liz Tigelaar

  • 'Til Death Do You Part
    8.1/101,604 votes
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    #18 - 'Til Death Do You Part

    Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 3/21/2016

    Norma and Romero take a big step together, but neither knows what it means to the other. As Norman struggles to accept his new circumstances, Dylan attempts to shed old business.

    Director: Phil Abraham

    Writer: Alyson Evans, Steve Kornacki

  • Gone But Not Forgotten
    8.2/102,238 votes
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    #19 - Gone But Not Forgotten

    Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 3/3/2014

    Norman fixates on the death of Miss Watson. Norma gets unexpected news about the bypass project while Bradley's hunt for her father's killer drives her to dangerous extremes.

    Director: Tucker Gates

    Writer: Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin

  • Lights of Winter
    8.2/101,596 votes
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    #20 - Lights of Winter

    Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 3/28/2016

    Norman has an adventure with his new friend. An annual festival in White Pine Bay gives Norma her first taste of real happiness in some time but puts Romero in a potentially awkward situation. Dylan finds himself caught between two families.

    Director: T.J. Scott

    Writer: Tom Szentgyorgyi

  • Refraction
    8.2/101,551 votes
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    #21 - Refraction

    Season 4 Episode 5 - Aired 4/11/2016

    Norman tries to confide in Dr. Edwards, but worries he might be saying too much. Norma hires an artisan to fix a window, while Romero pieces together a crime that threatens his new life.

    Director: Sarah Boyd

    Writer: Erica Lipez

  • Hidden
    8.2/101,525 votes
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    #22 - Hidden

    Season 5 Episode 4 - Aired 3/13/2017

    Norman discovers whom he can trust as he attempts to protect his secrets. Romero struggles to find safety.

    Director: Max Thieriot

    Writer: Torrey Speer

  • Caleb
    8.3/102,061 votes
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    #23 - Caleb

    Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 3/17/2014

    Norma meets an ally in her battle to stop the bypass. Emma's memorial for a friend leads to a new relationship. Norman falls under the influence of a townie girl.

    Director: Lodge Kerrigan

    Writer: Alexandra Cunningham

  • Plunge
    8.3/101,924 votes
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    #24 - Plunge

    Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 4/7/2014

    Dylan is asked to take control of a volatile situation. A secret spreads, threatening Norma and Norman's relationship. Emma finds herself in a very dangerous situation.

    Director: Ed Bianchi

    Writer: Kerry Ehrin

  • Persuasion
    8.3/101,792 votes
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    #25 - Persuasion

    Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 3/23/2015

    Norman and Norma grow apart as he and Emma grow closer. Norma balks when Romero asks Norman some tough questions. Romero meets his competition for re-elections.

    Director: Tim Southam

    Writer: Alyson Evans, Steve Kornacki