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 film, albeit in a different fictional town and in a modern setting. The series begins after the death of Norma's husband, when she purchases a motel located in a coastal Oregon town so she and Norman can start a new life.
Lowest Rated Episodes Summary
The worst episode of "Bates Motel" is "Nice Town You Picked, Norma...", rated 7.8/10 from 2906 user votes. It was directed by Tucker Gates and written by Kerry Ehrin. "Nice Town You Picked, Norma..." aired on 3/25/2013 and is rated 0.0 point(s) lower than the second lowest rated, "The Man in Number 9".
7.8/10 2,906 votes#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
7.8/10 2,331 votes#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
7.8/10 2,248 votes#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
7.9/10 2,300 votes#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
7.9/10 2,025 votes#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
7.9/10 1,864 votes#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
7.9/10 1,679 votes#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
8.0/10 3,660 votes#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
8.0/10 2,705 votes#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
8.0/10 2,558 votes#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
8.0/10 1,786 votes#11 - 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
8.0/10 1,950 votes#12 - 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
8.0/10 1,776 votes#13 - 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
8.0/10 1,497 votes#14 - 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
8.1/10 2,455 votes#15 - 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
8.1/10 1,919 votes#16 - 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
8.1/10 1,821 votes#17 - 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
8.2/10 2,223 votes#18 - 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
8.2/10 1,592 votes#19 - '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
8.2/10 1,540 votes#20 - 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
8.2/10 1,513 votes#21 - 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
8.3/10 2,048 votes#22 - 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
8.3/10 1,780 votes#23 - 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
8.3/10 1,650 votes#24 - Crazy
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 5/4/2015
Norman spends the day with a surprising visitor. Norma struggles to keep secrets contained. While at the farm, Caleb helps Dylan follow through on a good deed, but at a cost.
Director: Tucker Gates
Writer: Alyson Evans, Steve Kornacki, Torrey Speer
8.3/10 1,584 votes#25 - 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