Norma Bates and her 17-year old son, Norman move from Arizona to White Pine Bay, Oregon where they buy a run down motel after the death of Norman's father and Norma's husband. Norman is approached by popular girls at his new school to come and party with them. While Norman is at the party, the former owner of the property Keith Summers breaks into the house. Norma tries to defend herself and calls Norman to help her. The former owner then rapes Norma; Norman, who arrives just in time, ultimately witnesses Norma stabbing her assailant to death. The duo carry his body to one of the room's bathtubs. While clearing the carpet, Norman finds a drawing booklet full of women being tortured and injected. Norma and Norman then dump the body in the harbor covered in chains to make sure that the body will sink.

Bates Motel is an American drama television series developed for television by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin and Anthony Cipriano for A&E. The series, inspired by the novel Psycho by Robert Bloch and Alfred Hitchcock's film of the same name, depicts the life of Norman Bates and his mother Norma prior to the events portrayed in Hitchcock's film. After the death of her husband, Norma purchases a motel located in the coastal town of White Pine Bay so she and Norman can start a new life. A&E chose to skip a pilot of the series, and ordered a 10-episode first season.[1] The series was filmed in Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada and premiered on March 18, 2013, at 10 pm ET/PT.