'Bates Motel's first season has come to a close with tonight's finale episode "Midnight," and never has it been more apparent that Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) has a dark future in front of him. The series won't return until 2014, but what can we expect from Norman's dark turn at the climax of tonight's finale? What major story arcs will dominate season 2? Get the inside scoop on future 'Bates Motel' from showrunner Carlton Cuse himself inside!

Norman Bates may have a long way to go before becoming a full 'Psycho,' but tonight's 'Bates Motel' finale certainly put him on the path after an illicit encounter with his teacher Miss Watson (Keegan Connor Tracy) left Norman in a fugue state, with the woman's body turning up shortly thereafter. Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) also had her share of violence, as Sheriff Romero (Nestor Carbonell) took matters into his own hands with the sinister Jake Abernathy, seemingly putting her family out of harm's way.

So while we wait for 2014, what can we expect from 'Bates Motel' season 2? The Hollywood Reporter spoke to showrunner Carlton Cuse, who previewed that Norma's own incestual upbringing would be explored in the second season, along with the crumbling walls of different states within Norman's mind.

We definitely are going to delve further into Norma's past in season two. We meant that scene [where Norma reveals she was molested by her brother] to be not only an answer but also something we hoped would make the audience want to know more about her life and what made her into the woman she is. We will definitely be exploring more of her story and we'll learn more about her brother in season two. We're arcing out details of season two then we'll start casting.

Perhaps most importantly of all, the 'Bates Motel' writers room will expand beyond Cuse and writer Kerry Ehrin to include Liz Tigelaar ('Nashville'), Alexandra Cunningham ('Prime Suspect,' 'Desperate Housewives') and Nikki Toscano ('Revenge'). The new season won't directly follow a search for Miss Watson's killer, but rather come to terms with the death overall, picking up an undisclosed amount of time after the body's discovery.

"The most fundamental question of season two comes down to Norman understanding Norman more than he does," says Cuse. "He obviously is capable of actions that he's not aware of when he finds himself in an altered mental state. The barriers separate the different parts of him over time are going to become a little bit less rigid." Rather than turn Norman into an outright murderer however, the series will continue to explore his relationships with family and friends, leaving the effects of deeper psychological issues for later in the journey.

The 'Bates Motel' certainly left plenty of story and characters for season 2, but what say you? Did you feel the first season of A&E's 'Bates Motel' successfully put Norman Bates on the 'Psycho' path? What did you think about the finale? Hit the comments with your thoughts on 'Bates Motel' season 2, debuting in 2014!

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