EPISODE

1. First You Dream, Then You Die

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.

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THIS ENTRY’S STORY

Plot summary and ending

Spoilers ahead. Coverage follows the scope labeled below.

Complete story — includes the ending

Widow Norma Louise Bates and her 17-year-old son, Norman, move from Arizona to the town of White Pine Bay, Oregon, where they buy a rundown motel six months after the sudden death of Norman's father Sam. Norma intends to reopen the motel in an attempt to build a new life. On his first day at his new high school, Norman befriends popular local girl, Bradley Martin, who takes him out for a night on the town with her friends. Norman also meets Miss Watson, his advanced English teacher. While Norman is out with Bradley for the evening, the motel's former owner, Keith Summers, breaks into the house and rapes Norma. Norman arrives back and knocks Keith out, before Norma murders him. The duo dump the body in the local harbor. That same night, Norma and Norman meet Sheriff Romero and Deputy Shelby, who show up to have a look around the motel for reasons unknown. In Room 4, Norman finds a sketchbook full of lurid drawings that show women being tortured. Similarly, a woman is seen drugged and chained somewhere, indicating that a sinister presence resides in the town. Norma renames the motel the Bates Motel.

Sources and content license

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