Some of the greatest horror TV shows are spinoffs of movies that have already scared up success. Bates Motel is no exception. Robert Bloch’s hit novel Psycho inspired the film Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Bates Motel functions as a prequel to the story, positioning its dynamic duo in their earlier era before the film’s storyline begins. The show puts a fresh spin on the classic and takes a lot of creative liberties, including setting the story in modern-day Oregon instead of California. Bates Motel follows Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) and her teenage son Norman (Freddie Highmore) as they seek a fresh start in the small town of White Pine Bay, where they renovate an old motel.

Throughout its progression, Bates Motel develops an increasingly dark atmosphere, mirroring the events that the Bates family faces as they descend deeper into their true nature. The show straddles the lines between the mystery, drama, and horror genres, appealing to all kinds of audiences – and of course, longtime Psycho fans. This series was also the last of A&E’s scripted shows before they turned their attention to strictly nonfiction. Let’s look back at the best episodes of Bates Motel, ranked.

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7 “Midnight” - Season 1, Episode 10

     A&E Networks & NBCUniversal Television Distribution

As the finale of the first season, “Midnight” draws Norman’s first chapter in White Pine Bay to a close. Norman and Emma (Olivia Cooke) attend their high school’s winter dance. Norman gets punched in the face after a spat, and his English teacher, Miss Watson, suggests that he come home with her so that she can clean him up. Norman watches her undress and hallucinates Norma telling him that Miss Watson is trying to take advantage of him. He blacks out, and the episode ends with Miss Watson’s death as we see her throat is slashed. This episode results in a cliffhanger, setting up the events of the entire next season.

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6 “Norma Louise” - Season 3, Episode 6

After Norma leaves for Portland, Norman’s half-brother Dylan is left to take care of him in her absence. Norman’s still not doing well, and he begs for his mother to come home as his mental health worsens and his hallucinations plague him. In the wee hours of the morning, Dylan wakes up to some loud noises coming from downstairs. He follows them to find Norman getting breakfast ready, wearing Norma’s clothes and taking up her voice to encourage Dylan to go wake up Norman. In this episode, we see Norman dressed up as Norma for the first time, as his brain decides to adopt her personality in times of severe stress.

5 “The Truth” - Season 1, Episode 6

This mid-season episode gives audiences exactly what the title says. The tumultuous timeline further reveals the intentions of the unsavory Shelby as he meets his well-deserved doom at the hands of the Bates family. Dylan plans to tell the truth to the authorities, but Norma tells him exactly why he can’t. We finally learn what really happened surrounding the mysterious circumstances of Mr. Bates’ death. After he physically abused Norma, an infuriated Norman killed him and completely blocked out the memory from his mind, and Norman believes the death was accidental.

4 “Norman” - Season 4, Episode 10

     NBCUniversal Television Distribution

“Norman” follows the events of the previous episode, “Forever,” capturing the fallout created by Norman’s actions. The finale of season four sees Norman survive that tragic night, with Sheriff Romero’s suspicions of his behavior finally coming to a head. After Norma’s funeral, which only Norman (met by Romero) goes to, her devoted son digs up her body and hauls her back to the house. Chick arrives and understandably freaks out, making Norman finally realize what just happened. “So begins the questions,” an Entertainment Weekly review read. “Is Norman dead? Is that final scene merely a dream brought on by Norman’s blackouts… Would the show really kill its two main characters? "

3 “Forever” - Season 4, Episode 9

This episode is the ultimate crux of Norman’s mental breaking point, as his mind finally drives him to do the unthinkable. Romero begs Norma to put Norman back into the hospital for his safety and theirs, but she breaks up with him before that can happen. After an extremely emotional night, Norma goes to bed, and Norman sees his chance. In a sickening and heartbreaking sequence, with “Mr. Sandman” playing in the background, Norman diverts carbon monoxide to Norma’s room to kill her in her sleep. He lies down with her, and Romero breaks in to rescue them, but it’s sadly too late for Norma.

2 “The Cord” - Season 5, Episode 10

     NBCUniversalA&E

The final episode of Bates Motel packs quite a punch. Norman, having fully become “Mother,” shows Romero Norma’s body before shooting him dead. An armed Dylan comes over for dinner at Norman’s invitation, where he sees a dead Norma propped up at the table. After an emotional exchange, desperate to get Norman to recognize the whole truth of what he’s done, Dylan is faced with a knife as Norman tries to defend the false reality he’s constructed. As Norman moves to stab him, Dylan shoots. Norman bleeds out, envisioning his heavenly reunion with Norma. This is truly a heart-wrenching conclusion to the entire series, but Dylan is able to move onto a new life with Emma and their child.

1 “Marion” - Season 5, Episode 6

Perhaps the best installment in the entire series because of its commitment to fan service, “Marion” re-imagines the events of Psycho within the Bates Motel universe. The episode features Rihanna as the titular Marion Crane, the victim of the infamous shower scene in Psycho. But in this episode, Norman spares her life, recognizing his murderous intentions before he acts on them as he tells her to leave. A Vox review sums it up: “In one particularly meta moment, Marion, in the shower, where her film counterpart famously dies, says, “I’m not doing this,” before turning off the water and getting out.” Repositioning this scene within a more modern context revives the most memorable part of Psycho for a new generation. We still get our scary shower scene though, as Norman elects to stab Sam instead.