The Bates Motel series finale titled “The Cord” had some deeper, darker meanings. At the end, former sherriff Alex Romero goes down a dark road and Norman Bates kills him. Finally, Dylan kills Norman and goes off happily with his own new family. Though a twisted series, the Bates Motel finale teaches us that the mentally ill can be killed off; furthermore, we can abandon family. Indeed, the Bates Motel series is dark.