After a successful first season of Bates Motel, fans are now patiently waiting to hear more about the next chapter in A&E's prequel series to Psycho. Season 2 won't begin airing until 2014, but San Diego Comic-Con attendees were treated to a Bates Motel panel in Room 6A, where fans got their first taste of what's to come for the young Norman Bates and his mother Norma.
Leading the panel were writer-EPs Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin, as well as stars Vera Farmiga (Norma), Max Thieriot (Dylan Massett), Olivia Cooke (Emma Decody) and Nestor Carbonell (Sheriff Alex Romero).
There was a noticeable lack of Freddie Highmore, however, as Cuse quietly asked the moderator to not ask about the actor's absence. "I don't think that's appropriate to talk about in front of all these people," he said. "Actually, this is probably going to get out anyway -- just role the film."
That's when the panel screened a fun clip showing Highmore arriving back at the studio lot to meet with Cuse, only to learn that his Norman Bates role was being drastically reduced. This led to Highmore losing his mind -- essentially "becoming" Norman Bates and, in turn, a "real-life" psycho. When the lights came back on, Highmore took the stage to applause and cheers from the crowd.
Having been nominated for a Best Actress Emmy earlier this week, Farmiga talked about how she developed her character, noting that, when she first got the role, her initial instinct was to do an Internet search for "parents psychopaths." Regarding Norma, Farmiga said, "She's incredibly flawed and she comes with a lot of worked history and pain, but in her defense she is the mother of a child with mental issues... To me, I always approach Norma with a sense of compassion and reverence."
Later, Cuse was asked if there was a storyline any of the actors had pitched to him and Ehris for Season 2. "Vera did pitch a story idea to us that you will see in episode two," Cuse said. "It's great. We're very excited to do it, and it’s big, and that's all I can say." How about a cryptic one-word description of the episode? "Sandman," Cuse replied.
In terms of including more references to the original movie, Ehrin said, "That storyline is important because it's defining... obviously, there are iconic things like the peep hole or the rocking chair," but there are things, she said, that they still want to include that could naturally fit into the story, without pushing it too far.
As for the controversial nature of Norma and Norman's relationship, Highmore said, "I think it's slightly dodgy, but [Farmiga]'s always like 'No, no, I think it's very nice!' [Laughs]" When Farmiga tried to explain herself, Highmore interjected to poll the audience, "Well, do you think it crosses a line?" The audience, naturally, replied with resounding, "YES!"
When asked about the potential romance between Norman and Emma, Cooke said, "I keep getting rejected all the time! I think it's the nice the way it is... but it couldn't end well for them anyway."
Cuse also hinted that "there are some new romances for Norma and Norman [in Season 2] -- not with each other. [Laughs] There are <em>some</em> limits."
In terms of how long Bates Motel can go, Cuse said that "obviously this isn't a 14-season show," but, as with his previous show Lost, it's all about feeling out when and where to wrap things up. And as Season 2 goes into production, "I hope soon we'll have an idea of how long this show is going to last," he said.
Lastly, when asked if we might ever hear the iconic Bernard Herrmann theme from the movie at some point, Cuse replied, "That's a good question. We've sort of stayed away from it. The idea of doing homages to the original throws you out of the story your telling. You're immediately dislodged from Bates Motel... That's why we've resisted using [the theme]."
Bates Motel: Season 2 will begin filming this summer.
Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.
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