Bates Motel backdrop
Drama•Crime•Mystery

The Worst Episodes of Bates Motel

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

Binge this in 1d 12h•Peaking at 9.1/10

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

Airs on
A&E
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons5

All12345

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
    Click to reveal
    Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 7 - The Man in Number 9
    7.0/10(2502 votes)

    #1 - The Man in Number 9

    S1:E7

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

    Director:SJ Clarkson
    Writer:Kerry Ehrin

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 2 - Nice Town You Picked, Norma...
    7.1/10(3113 votes)

    #2 - Nice Town You Picked, Norma...

    S1:E2

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Bates Motel Season 3 Episode 1 - A Death in the Family
    7.3/10(2105 votes)

    #3 - A Death in the Family

    S3:E1

    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
    Writers:Kerry Ehrin, Carlton Cuse

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 1 - First You Dream, Then You Die
    7.4/10(3912 votes)

    #4 - First You Dream, Then You Die

    S1:E1

    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:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 8 - A Boy and His Dog
    7.4/10(2466 votes)

    #5 - A Boy and His Dog

    S1:E8

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 1 - Gone But Not Forgotten
    7.5/10(2398 votes)

    #6 - Gone But Not Forgotten

    S2:E1

    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
    Writers:Kerry Ehrin, Carlton Cuse

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Bates Motel

    READ
  7. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 9 - Underwater
    7.6/10(2408 votes)

    #7 - Underwater

    S1:E9

    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
    Writers:Kerry Ehrin, Carlton Cuse

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 3 - Caleb
    7.6/10(2209 votes)

    #8 - Caleb

    S2:E3

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Bates Motel Season 3 Episode 2 - The Arcanum Club
    7.6/10(1934 votes)

    #9 - The Arcanum Club

    S3:E2

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Bates Motel Season 3 Episode 3 - Persuasion
    7.6/10(1939 votes)

    #10 - Persuasion

    S3:E3

    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
    Writers:Steve Kornacki, Alyson Evans

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 3 - What's Wrong with Norman
    7.7/10(2889 votes)

    #11 - What's Wrong with Norman

    S1:E3

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 5 - Ocean View
    7.7/10(2637 votes)

    #12 - Ocean View

    S1:E5

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 2 - Shadow of a Doubt
    7.7/10(2184 votes)

    #13 - Shadow of a Doubt

    S2:E2

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Bates Motel Season 4 Episode 4 - Lights of Winter
    7.7/10(1738 votes)

    #14 - Lights of Winter

    S4:E4

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Bates Motel Season 4 Episode 5 - Refraction
    7.7/10(1691 votes)

    #15 - Refraction

    S4:E5

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 4 - Trust Me
    7.8/10(2742 votes)

    #16 - Trust Me

    S1:E4

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

    Director:Johan Renck
    Writer:Kerry Ehrin

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Bates Motel Season 5 Episode 7 - Inseparable
    7.8/10(1774 votes)

    #17 - Inseparable

    S5:E7

    Norman and Mother are brought together as trouble looms large; Romero convalesces with the help of an old friend; Dylan comes home.

    Director:Steph Green
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 4 - Check-Out
    7.9/10(2077 votes)

    #18 - Check-Out

    S2:E4

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 5 - The Escape Artist
    7.9/10(2025 votes)

    #19 - The Escape Artist

    S2:E5

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Bates Motel Season 3 Episode 4 - Unbreak-Able
    7.9/10(1837 votes)

    #20 - Unbreak-Able

    S3:E4

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Bates Motel Season 4 Episode 7 - There's No Place Like Home
    7.9/10(1642 votes)

    #21 - There's No Place Like Home

    S4:E7

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 7 - Presumed Innocent
    8.0/10(1984 votes)

    #22 - Presumed Innocent

    S2:E7

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 6 - The Truth
    8.1/10(2829 votes)

    #23 - The Truth

    S1:E6

    Dylan asks Norman to move in with him. Chaos ensues at the Bates home as Norma tells Emma that some things are better kept to themselves.

    Director:Tucker Gates
    Writers:Kerry Ehrin, Carlton Cuse

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 10 - Midnight
    8.1/10(2625 votes)

    #24 - Midnight

    S1:E10

    Romero decides that it is time to act, and Norman takes Emma to the dance. Miss Watson gives Norman a ride home.

    Director:Tucker Gates
    Writers:Kerry Ehrin, Carlton Cuse

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 8 - Meltdown
    8.1/10(1946 votes)

    #25 - Meltdown

    S2:E8

    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
    Writers:Liz Tigelaar, Nikki Toscano

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Worst Episodes Summary

"The Man in Number 9" is the worst rated episode of "Bates Motel". It scored 7/10 based on 2502 votes. Directed by SJ Clarkson and written by Kerry Ehrin, it aired on 4/29/2013. This episode scored 0.1 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Nice Town You Picked, Norma...".