TV’s worst psycho: Bates Motel’s Norman Bates or You’s Joe Goldberg

Twitter is having too much fun comparing Norman Bates from Bates Motel and Joe Goldberg from Netflix’s You. Who’s the worst (and best) TV psycho?

You‘s Joe Goldberg, brilliantly portrayed by heartthrob Penn Badgley, is the latest psycho to charm audiences, but he isn’t the first.

Twitter users were quick to point out that the original insane killer is Norman Bates, a role most recently seen in A&E’s Bates Motel, where he is played by Freddie Highmore. This raises the question: Who is the worst, Joe or Norman?

Note: Before you read on, please note that we are not encouraging Norman or Joe’s behaviors, nor are we glamorizing it. We understand there are real crazies out there, and most can be as charming as they get, making them even more dangerous. Be safe out there!

Let’s compare Joe and Norman’s actions to determine who’s the worst of the worst. Spoiler warning if you have yet to finish watching the latest season of You on Netflix or have never watched Bates Motel:

Joe Goldberg

Worst crime: Murdering Beck.

Other crimes: Kidnapping, identity theft, theft, hacking, and other murders (murder tally is eight).

Redemption: No. He tries, but by the end of season 2, we see he is back to his old ways, hinting that he will never change. Joe also never confesses to his crimes and continues to run and hide from his gruesome past.

Capable of love: Yes. Joe has shown compassion, particularly towards youngsters (Paco in season 1 and Ellie in season 2). He also proves he wants to be a good father, and, as obsessed as he can become by the next attractive female he spots, his initial intentions truly are to keep them safe.

Norman Bates

Worst crime: Murdering his mother, Norma Bates.

Other crimes: Other murders (including his dad and Norma’s love interest), for a total of seven.

Redemption: Yes, in a way. When Norman realizes he will never change and is too far gone, he forces his brother to kill him in order to put a stop to his crimes and lies.

Capable of love: Yes and no. It’s clear Norman loves his brother, and definitely his mother (a little too much), he also had a few friends he cared about. Once his “Norma” personality takes over, though, it didn’t matter who was in front of him. No one was ever truly safe with Norman.

Who’s the worst?

This is a serious toss-up, while Joe Goldberg’s crimes and murder tally are higher than Norman’s, it’s the latter who appeared more heartless at his worst. To be fair, Norman did suffer from a poor upbringing and serious mental health issues that his mother always failed to address or get help for.

Meanwhile, Joe also didn’t have the best childhood, either, but has had various opportunities to truly come clean, he just refuses to do so. And when it comes to the most frightening, I have to say Norman Bates is more chilling.

The entire series of Bates Motel is streaming on Netflix, You season 1 and 2 are also available now to binge-watch. Which TV psycho do you believe is the worst, Joe or Norman?