Bates Motel

The writers of this Psycho prequel evidently take great satisfaction from playing with the mythology of Hitchcock's film. Look! There's young Norman Bates (terrific Freddie Highmore) looking at a pervy drawing of a woman in a shower. Look! Norman's friend's father has filled his shop with taxidermy. Listen! Norman's mother as she changes tops in front of her son: "I'm your mother. It's not like it’s weird or anything.”

Away from the fun and games, the episode packs in so much it ends up a bit of a mess: Norman's wayward stepbrother shows up to add a third wheel to Norman's close relationship with his mother; Norman and new friend Emma stumble across gun-toting cannabis farmers; Norma is drawn to the police deputy, who proudly describes the town's biblical style of justice – an eye for an eye.