This Max Thieriot TV show from 2013 is absolutely underrated in the horror thriller genre (and it's IMDB rating is proof)

Before he was battling wildfire in CBS's drama Fire Country, Max Thieriot was caught in something much darker. Rewind to 2013, and you'll find him brooding through the eerie halls of Bates Motel- a psychological horror series that remains underrated to this day.

The A&E thriller series Bates Motel was a twisted prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, but it never got the attention it deserved. Which is wild because it had all the right ingredients. A haunting Vera Farmiga. A brilliantly unhinged Freddie Highmore and Max Thieriot as Dylan Massett, who played an emotionally scarred half-brother

Despite its high ratings on IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and a loyal fan base, Bates Motel often gets left out of the top horror shows conversations. It boasts an IMDb rating of 8.1 stars out of 10, which is higher than the average score and in par with The Walking Dead, yet it remains underrated to this day. It garnered a whopping 93% critics' score and 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It's high time that this Max Thieriot TV show got the recognition it deserves.

Bates Motel: A TV show that deserves attention

When Bates Motel was initially announced, skepticism followed. A modern-day origin story for Norman Bates? Sounds like a perfect disaster recipe. But the creators Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano turned the doubt into fire.

Set in the town of White Pine Bay, Bates Motel carved its own chilling identity. Freddie Highmore stunned as Norman Bates, while Vera Farmiga played Norma, his controlling yet protective mother.

But it was Max Thieriot's Dylan Massett who gave the show its heart. A character not found in Psycho, Dylan grounded the series. Theiriot played him like a quiet storm —steady, loyal, and constantly torn between survival and saving his broken family. He didn't need a spotlight to steal the scene.

Max Thieriot's performance in Bates Motel was exceptional. His love for his broken family never wavered, even when it hurt him. He protected Norma and tried to save Norman. And in the end, it was Dylan who ended the madness with a bullet. That final act of shooting Norman in self-defense was both mercy and heartbreak.

With Farmiga and Highmore, Max Thieriot's arc was the glue holding the series together.

What makes Bates Motel a must-watch horror series?

It isn't the usual jumpscares or gore that make this horror psychological series stand out; instead, it is the deep and inevitable tragedy. This show isn't about monsters hiding in the dark; it's about family secrets and small, quaint towns.

Each season builds upon the last with haunting precision. By the time Norma's lifeless body sat at the dinner table, dressed and preserved by her son, Bates Motel had done something very few horror shows ever manage-it made you care. It made you cry for a killer. Bates Motel never got the credit it deserved. It built tension through character, not cliches, jump scares, pulling viewers into Norman's psyche. The show didn't follow headlines; it stayed focused on its unusual storyline.

This Max Thieriot show is more than a stepping stone; it's a testament to long-form horror content done right.

Bates Motel is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

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Also read: 10 must-watch shows for fans of American Horror Story

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