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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
    6.9/10(30 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...
    7.0/10(31 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
    7.2/10(28 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 8 - A Boy and His Dog
    7.3/10(29 votes)

    #4 - 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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  5. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 1 - First You Dream, Then You Die
    7.4/10(40 votes)

    #5 - 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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  6. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 1 - Gone But Not Forgotten
    7.4/10(34 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

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  7. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 9 - Underwater
    7.5/10(28 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

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  8. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 3 - Caleb
    7.5/10(25 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

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  9. Bates Motel Season 3 Episode 2 - The Arcanum Club
    7.5/10(25 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

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  10. Bates Motel Season 3 Episode 3 - Persuasion
    7.5/10(24 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

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  11. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 3 - What's Wrong with Norman
    7.6/10(29 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

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  12. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 5 - Ocean View
    7.6/10(30 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

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  13. Bates Motel Season 4 Episode 4 - Lights of Winter
    7.6/10(19 votes)

    #13 - 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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  14. Bates Motel Season 4 Episode 5 - Refraction
    7.6/10(17 votes)

    #14 - 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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  15. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 4 - Trust Me
    7.7/10(29 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 2 Episode 2 - Shadow of a Doubt
    7.7/10(28 votes)

    #16 - 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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  17. Bates Motel Season 5 Episode 7 - Inseparable
    7.7/10(16 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

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  18. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 4 - Check-Out
    7.8/10(26 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

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  19. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 5 - The Escape Artist
    7.9/10(26 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

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  20. Bates Motel Season 3 Episode 4 - Unbreak-Able
    7.9/10(21 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

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  21. Bates Motel Season 4 Episode 7 - There's No Place Like Home
    7.9/10(16 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

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  22. Bates Motel Season 1 Episode 6 - The Truth
    8.0/10(28 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
    8.0/10(26 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 7 - Presumed Innocent
    8.0/10(26 votes)

    #24 - 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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  25. Bates Motel Season 2 Episode 8 - Meltdown
    8.0/10(23 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

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Worst Episodes Summary

"The Man in Number 9" is the worst rated episode of "Bates Motel". It scored 6.9/10 based on 30 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...".