Bates Motel has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and The CW. 5 seasons means there is plenty to get through without ever feeling padded. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Vera Farmiga sets the tone, and the ensemble matches it scene for scene. Start it on Amazon Prime Video whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Bates Motel arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Bates Motel treats its mystery as a means, not an end in itself. A "contemporary prequel" to the 1960 film Psycho, depicting the life of Norman Bates and his mother Norma prior to the events portrayed in Hitchcock's film, albeit in a different fictional town and in a modern setting. The series begins after the death of Norma's husband, when she purchases a motel located in a coastal Oregon town so she and Norman can start a new life. The writing gets a boost from Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, who sell every scene they're in. It ran for 5 seasons (2013–2017), and the writing holds up across every one of them. The plot mechanics of Bates Motel never overwhelm the human cost underneath them. The hit rate here is high enough that skipping ahead never feels like an option.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in Bates Motel. The tonal similarities to The Assassin are real, though Bates Motel carves out its own identity quickly. The complete run is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Watch Vera Farmiga work — it is a masterclass in the genre. Few crime dramas earn their twists this consistently.

Bates Motel wrapped up in 2017, created by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin and Anthony Cipriano — and 5 seasons are available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.