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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!

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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

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  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 7 - The Man in Number 9
    6.8/10(26 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:S.J. Clarkson
    Writer:Kerry Ehrin

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  2. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 2 - Nice Town You Picked, Norma...
    6.9/10(27 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

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  3. Bates Motel Season 3 Episode 1 - A Death in the Family
    6.9/10(24 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

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  4. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 1 - First You Dream, Then You Die
    7.2/10(36 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

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  5. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 8 - A Boy and His Dog
    7.2/10(25 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

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  6. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 3 - Caleb
    7.2/10(21 votes)

    #6 - 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

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  7. Bates Motel Season 3 Episode 3 - Persuasion
    7.2/10(20 votes)

    #7 - 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

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  8. Bates Motel Season 4 Episode 4 - Lights of Winter
    7.2/10(15 votes)

    #8 - 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

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  9. Bates Motel Season 4 Episode 5 - Refraction
    7.2/10(13 votes)

    #9 - 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

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  10. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 9 - Underwater
    7.3/10(24 votes)

    #10 - 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

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  11. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 1 - Gone But Not Forgotten
    7.3/10(30 votes)

    #11 - 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

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  12. Bates Motel Season 5 Episode 7 - Inseparable
    7.3/10(12 votes)

    #12 - 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

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  13. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 5 - Ocean View
    7.4/10(26 votes)

    #13 - 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

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  14. Bates Motel Season 3 Episode 2 - The Arcanum Club
    7.4/10(21 votes)

    #14 - 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

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  15. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 4 - Trust Me
    7.5/10(25 votes)

    #15 - 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

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  16. Bates Motel Season 5 Episode 6 - Marion
    7.5/10(13 votes)

    #16 - Marion

    S5:E6

    Norman checks in a special guest at the motel. Dylan grapples with devastating news. Sam and Madeleine face a crossroads in their marriage.

    Director:Phil Abraham
    Writers:Kerry Ehrin, Carlton Cuse

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  17. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 3 - What's Wrong with Norman
    7.6/10(25 votes)

    #17 - 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

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  18. Bates Motel Season 3 Episode 4 - Unbreak-Able
    7.6/10(17 votes)

    #18 - 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

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  19. Bates Motel Season 4 Episode 7 - There's No Place Like Home
    7.6/10(12 votes)

    #19 - 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

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  20. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 2 - Shadow of a Doubt
    7.7/10(24 votes)

    #20 - 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

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  21. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 5 - The Escape Artist
    7.7/10(22 votes)

    #21 - 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

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  22. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 6 - The Truth
    7.8/10(24 votes)

    #22 - 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

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  23. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 10 - Midnight
    7.8/10(22 votes)

    #23 - 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

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  24. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 4 - Check-Out
    7.8/10(22 votes)

    #24 - 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

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  25. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 7 - Presumed Innocent
    7.8/10(22 votes)

    #25 - 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

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Worst Episodes Summary

"The Man in Number 9" is the worst rated episode of "Bates Motel". It scored 6.8/10 based on 26 votes. Directed by S.J. 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...".