article_content: 
  there's a fine line between creative risk-taking and sacrilege when dealing with well-known properties. while "bates motel" might not have committed the latter  it has seemingly sacrificed the right to bill itself as a prequel to "psycho." the a&e series always appeared to come with a built-in expiration date  facing the danger of running out of real estate as it chewed through story related to alfred hitchcock's 1960 horror classic. the contemporary setting also made the proceedings less spooky  what with cellphones and other modern devices that alter the dynamics of  say  being alone in the basement with a murderer dressed like his mom. still  the announcement of a fifth and final season that would overlap with the movie actually created some excitement: after an ill-advised remake  this offered an alternate window into the story  including how these events unfolded from the perspective of norman/norma bates.
article_headline: 'bates motel' slashes into 'psycho' in final season