Now that I am three episodes deep into the recently full-season ordered, Prodigal Son, I figured now was the time to share my thoughts on the freshman show.
Seeing previews for it, what stuck out to me initially was Michael Sheen and this lead guy who was pretty nice to look at 😉 it also reminded me of the show Hannibal but with a focus on a father and son. All of these things appealed to me, so naturally I had to add it to my watch list!
A lot is unearthed in that first episode, including that Dr. Whitly is the notorious serial killer, The Surgeon, and that his son, Malcolm, as a child is the one who turned him into the police. As an adult, we learn that Malcolm was recently fired from the FBI, has night terrors, and a physical tremor. But that doesn’t stop the police officer who arrested Dr. Whitly from reaching out to Malcolm to help with a copycat case. This means that Malcolm has to go visit his father after a decades long absence. Dr. Whitly is thrilled, but just puts Malcolm in an even more precarious mental state.
Most of the episodes have had a focus on those two characters, along with Malcolm’s small team on the NYPD, but you get a very surface level glance into Malcolm’s sister, Ainsley’s, life as a crime reporter. She was too young when everything transpired with their father, so she seems to be on the periphery in the family. Malcolm’s mother is a bit smothering, but also well-to-do and is always checking in on the siblings.
Before the first episode aired, and based on the premise, I had assumed we’d be following the case of the copycat killer all season long, but it turns out each episode is its own standalone crime that Malcolm and the gang must investigate. I almost wish they’d spread it out, because nothing really seems too deep yet, and I’m finding it hard to connect to any other characters besides Malcolm. But maybe we’re getting the other characters in small doses for a purpose, and I hope that the extra episodes ordered the other day end up helping Prodigal Son in the long term. It’s dark enough to keep me interested and to keep a permanent place on my watch list.