Bates Motel Season 4

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

Great show, and I am so happy that Amazon has it to watch! I do not have television and watch everything via Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu. YAY for Amazon! And what a great price for the season, Amazon! Huge plus in my book.

This show is brilliant in depicting Norman’s descent into madness and obsession! All of the characters are very well-played, and we could not ask for better actors. I cannot wait until next week’s episode! Robert Bloch, Alfred Hitchcock and Anthony Perkins would be proud of this series!

– Momosa

Norman and Norma Bates – the odd couple you hate to love and love to hate. Or not! I get so confused when watching this show – do I feel for Norma and Norman, do I love them, do I hate them, is Norma crazy and was it her craziness that led to Norman’s psychosis and blackouts and killings? Whatever the case may be, I am in love with this show. So much so that, since I’m not an A+E subscriber currently, I’m trying to find alternate ways to play the show. I figured Amazon Instant Video would work, but alas, nothing so far. Hopefully this is available ASAP, because I’m sitting here holding my breath wondering what the first episode has in store (while the premiere is simultaneously airing, no less!). At first, I didn’t think this show was for me, but after watching the first episode, I was hooked.

I can’t wait to watch the rest of Season 4! Hopefully I can find some options soon, or I might have to upgrade my TV subscription!

-Celisa Stratton

Things really go to Hell in a hand basket in Season 4! I can’t think of another series based on a hit movie or book that EVER stood so well on its own merits as Bates Motel. Up until the ~late ’90s or so, such series were often very pale, low budget imitations of the originals at best (the ’80s Bates Motel series for example fell far short….). It would have been very easy for them to fail with such a huge shadow to overcome. But nothing is lacking here. The cast is tremendous, the atmosphere convincing, and the writing consistently brilliant. Vera and Freddie anchor the series, but the supporting characters are fully developed and intertwined as well. The series succeeds in making you actually care about what happens to them.

There is a powerful sense of tragedy in this season when we finally see that Norma and Norman’s last chance for happiness is gone forever. Likewise, in spite of their best efforts, Dylan and Sheriff Romero are destined for bleak futures as well. I was truly drained after watching the last two cathartic episodes “Forever” and “Norman”, wow! Let’s just say that a certain scene reminded me of why I’ve always thought the old classic song Mr. Sandman was creepy and disturbing. I must not be the only one, because it’s been used in numerous horror movies over the years. The overwhelming, inescapable loneliness and sadness Norman feels throughout this season especially is penetrating. You may not want to watch too many of these in a row if you don’t like residing in his world. On the lighter side, it was fun to see the delightfully deadbeat Caleb again, if only briefly. He has an uncanny resemblance in manner and appearance to a former neighbor of mine (also a bit sketchy), and his thought process and behavior are so ridiculous, I’m often on the edge of laughter when he talks. The expression on his face alone makes me laugh! And especially in the past when he has dealt with his nemesis, an even bigger deadbeat in the woods who looks like walking roadkill (Chick).

My only disappointment on the later seasons is the lack of many special features on the discs such as commentary and interviews, which were fantastic early on. I’m have no doubt they will add these to a future box set——so you can buy it again of course!! Sucker that I am, I will probably do it. I believe it was Season 1 where the extras included a casual and funny live interview with Vera and Max Thieriot (Dylan), with Freddie connecting via satellite. I had no idea he was not only British, but VERY British! It takes considerable skill to pull off such an effective American accent. Ditto for Olivia Cooke (Emma). I’ve almost never heard an American pull off a highly convincing British accent.

I think the show is strong enough to continue well into Norman’s adulthood beyond the planned final Season 5, with further appearances by Norma in dreams and hallucinations. After all, she won’t really be gone, anyway. She’ll be residing in her rocking chair in that “cold fruit cellar”….forever….

– CJ

DVD Wholesale Main Features :   

Actors: Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore
Format: Box set, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles: Portuguese, French, Spanish
Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. )
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 3
Rated: NR – Not Rated
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: October 18, 2016
Run Time: 439 minutes
ASIN: B01J3FDJ9G