‘Bates Motel’ Season 2 Spoilers: Scoop On Norma’s New Love Interest; Is He A Bad Guy?

“Bates Motel” is returning to A&E for its second season on March 3, and despite the demise of villain Abernathy, the Bates family has a whole new slew of problems. Thanks to the new highway, the Bates Motel is lacking customers; Norman appears to be a murderer; Dylan’s caught in a drug ring; and Norma’s estranged brother is set to pay a visit. Fortunately not everything will be bad … especially for Norma.

As we previously reported, Norma will be getting a new love interest in season 2. The man in question is named George (played by Michael Vartan), and described as a “charming divorcé” who catches the widow’s eye. And George isn’t being introduced alone – he’s sort of a package deal. Besides George, viewers will be meeting Christine, his sister and a member of White Pine Bay’s “upper circle.” While Norma has had her problems with other White Pine Bay locals, Christine will end up becoming Norma’s first female friend.

TV Guide has released a first look photo of George and Norma, and it appears as if the two will be hitting it off. The site teases that the pair will be meeting at a party thrown by Christine, who believes that Norma would be a good fit for her brother. Christine seems to be right, but problems will arise when Norma tries to fit in while on a double date with George, Christine and her husband.

“He’s everything she ever hoped for in a man,” Norma’s Vera Farmiga dished to TV Guide of Vartan’s George.

“She’s finally finding some stability with a partner after a pretty bad track record,” Vartan added. “Hopefully she won’t mess it up.”

Fans of “Bates Motel” know that Norma Bates doesn’t have a great history with men. Splitting from her first husband, John Massett (father of her son Dylan), she went on to marry Sam Bates, who fathered her son Norman. Sam wasn’t Norma’s happily-ever-after, though, and after a particularly abusive exchange, Norman snapped and struck his father over the head … killing him. Covering up Sam’s death for her son, Norma used Sam’s life insurance money to move to White Pine Bay and buy a motel -- the Bates Motel.

After arriving in town, Norma began dating (and using) the hunky Detective Shelby. The relationship served both her needs to be showered with affection while covering up the death of Keith Summers. Unfortunately Shelby wasn’t her knight-in-shining-armor. The detective was keeping a nasty little secret – that he was involved in a sex slave ring. Things turned ugly when Norma, Norman and Dylan discovered his secret – leading to a deadly gunfight that ended Shelby’s life.

Norma’s previous relationship endeavors have fans suspicious about George – and for good reason! But Michael Vartan is insisting that his character is a good guy.

“Before I accepted the job, I asked the producers, ‘Be honest with me. He’s going to turn out to be a complete psycho, right?’ the actor explained to TV Guide. “And they said, ‘Sorry. He’s just a really nice guy with no weird skeletons in his closet.”

Season 2 of "Bates Motel" premieres March 3 on A&E. Do you think George will turn out to be a good guy? Or will a whole slew of crazy skeletons be exposed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or send a tweet to @AmandaTVScoop.