The bosses at the A&E network think it’s time for children to grow up – their way.
The network, better known for family fare like “Ducky Dynasty” and “Storage Wars,” has decided to push disturbing, sick and violent fare – and designed it for 14-year-olds.
Welcome to “Bates Motel.” The show, based loosely as a prequel to Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” which first welcomed viewers last week with a graphic rape [1], a violent stabbing and hints of incest. Despite criticism, the network has not modified how it targets the show at young teens.
The second episode [2] lived down to its predecessor. This time the themes were: incest, drawn images of women in their underwear bound and held hostage, live action at a strip club and violence.
The incest story line is especially disturbing for the network’s TV-14 audience. Throughout the episode, the mother-son combo appeared overly close. When a young love interest came to the house to study with Norman, she was given the third-degree from an obviously jealous mom. That was followed by a seemingly jealous son as the mom went out on a date. The arrival of a step brother caused several odd conversations where he questioned the relationship.
The lowlight of this particular plotline occurred when Norman’s mom changed her top right in front of him and he turned away. Her reaction was classic Hollywood morality. “Lord Norman, I’m your mother. It’s not like it’s weird or anything.” Weird? Having a 17-year-old son stare at his mom while she changes her clothes? Nooooooooo.
Yet major media outlets think it cute. Entertainment Weekly gave the show a B+ and loved the mother-son dynamic. “The premiere suggested most of the show’s fun would be found in tracking the oedipal, homicidal, progress of the central relationship,” wrote the magazine’s Clark Collis.
Co-producers Kerry Ehrin and Carlton Cuse promise more outlandish TV in the remaining episodes [3]. “There's probably moments that are as dark as the pilot, but there are also humorous moments to balance that out,” said Cuse.