Well this is a bit of a tough call to make. Which serial killer do you like the most and all that. Hopefully this will spark up a bit of debate amongst our readers, and although Bates Motel is really only in its infancy going into its third season and Dexter has been finished for a while now the main theme of these two series are hard not to compare when pitted against each other when they are on your to watch list.
Yesflix – Bates Motel
Based on one of the most significant films in the thriller genre Psycho about the infamous serial killer Norman Bates, this series gives a portrayal of how Norman Bates’ develops as from an awkward teenager to what he became. Fans are invited to experience the deeply intricate and dark relationship between Norman and his mother Norma. The acting between the two series in this article are very similar. Both Norman Bates and Dexter have a “dark passenger”. The brilliance of this show is that all the creepiness and comes from the characters which makes in extremely addictive with most of the scenes and episodes leaving you on the edge of your seat.
Even in the first episode Norman and his mother are involved in a crime scene. The scenes are so carefully shot which make it an excellent watch. What I like about Bates Motel is that each of the characters are compelling and unique. There isn’t a great amount of cast which I like as it gives the audience an opportunity to see each character for who they are and allow them to think about what they might bring to the table.
The cast is spot on from the way Freddie Highmore portrays the infamous Norman Bates in such disturbing accuracy to Vera Farmiga’s Norma Bates whose excellent portrayal will make you want more screen time for her. This is definitely a series you don’t want to miss !
This is looking to be a great dark, twisted and fun show. It does border on the absurd quite frequently but the impressive performances make up for this.
Fans of American Horror Story and Tim Burton will LOVE this!
Noflix – Dexter
Spoiler alert but if the show ended in season 4 then this would definitely be in the Yesflix pile but the final 4 seasons have tainted the series.
Dexter Morgan played by Michael C. Hall is a smart and witty self aware serial killer who kills only people who deserve to die. In his spare time he works as a blood spatter pattern analyst in the forensics lab of the Miami Dade Police Department. The TV series is based on a crime novel by Jeff Lindsay this is one of those cases where the book is better than the show by a great amount.
At the end of season there is a huge cliff hanger that leads to the audience to question how Dexter will keep going. And maybe they should have left it there. The introduction of a new character in season 5 is a big indication of where it heads south.
The ideas become incredibly well worn and tedious. The seasons begin to drag the audience through the same repeated monologue again and again. At the beginning the situations were tense and like Bates Motel would keep you at the edge of your seat but you can only flog a dead horse (that’s the saying right?) for so long! Season 5 onwards shows that the writers were running on fumes and the storytelling feels very lazy. Although the casting was excellent I found that the characters never really developed, especially as there were no real consequences after quite a serious plot.
My recommendation? Just watch up to season 4 and then start to read the books and comics.
Fans of Breaking Bad and Penny Dreadful will HATE this!
