People have long been fascinated by serial killers. Whether it is true crime documentaries or slasher films with endless sequels, there is something extra-terrifying about a real human being who kills because he likes it.
FOX’s Prodigal Son doesn’t follow a serial killer. It follows the son of a serial killer.
Malcolm Bright is the son of infamous (and fictitious) serial killer, Dr. Martin Whitly. As “The Surgeon,” Martin killed over twenty victims – until his son, as a child, came across a girl Martin was hiding in a box. He called the police, and brought his father down. Martin, a brilliant narcissist, has been committed to a high-security mental facility ever since.
The cast is filled with faces that will be familiar to genre fans: Tom Payne (The Walking Dead) as Malcolm; Michael Sheen (the Underworld franchise) as Martin; Lou Diamond Philips (The First Power) as Gil Arroyo, the cop who was first on the scene at Martin’s arrest; and Halston Sage (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse) who plays Ainsley Whitly, Malcolm’s younger sister.
Malcolm is a former FBI profiler who was dismissed for a host of psychological and genetic reasons. There were concerns that his chronic insomnia, panic attacks, and night terrors that cause him to strap himself to the bed made him too big a liability. Plus, the whole “son of a serial killer” thing. Gil, now a lead detective at NYPD, brings Malcolm in as a contractor. This is partly because Gil has a fatherly concern for Malcolm; partly because Malcolm is a gifted profiler.
Focusing on Malcolm rather than Martin is a unique way to tell the serial killer plot. Usually, shows about serial killers try to examine the psychology of the killer, or focus on giving voice to the victims. But Prodigal Son focuses on a different kind of victim: the killer’s family. How do the children, the wife, of a serial killer get on with their day-to-day life? Do they have any contact with the killer? Do they cash in on their notoriety? How do they move on?
What’s more, Malcolm spends the first season worrying about whether or not murder is a genetically transferrable trait. “We’re the same,” was the last thing Martin said to his son before he was taken away in handcuffs. This haunts Malcolm. He worries that the ease with which he gets into the killer’s mind to solve crimes, and the calming nature of crime scenes is indicative of a predilection to kill. By Season 2, that concern shifts to his sister, who was only five when her father was arrested.
Sure, there is a lot of procedural cop stuff. Every week, there is a new murder for Malcolm and his team to investigate. The murders aren’t always the work of a serial killer, nor are they always gory. But they frequently require – for better or worse – Malcolm seeking the expertise of his father.
The joy of the show is in visiting with Martin Whitly. Michael Sheen plays the role brilliantly. He blends Father Knows Best and Hannibal Lecter in a seamless fashion. In the same breath, he can be a loving father to Malcolm, who has recently reengaged with his father, and a diabolical serial killer, who shows no remorse for his crimes. He is undeniably brilliant and wickedly funny – even if his sense of humor is dark as night.
So yes, Prodigal Son isn’t the standard monster-of-the-week show that horror fans tend to gravitate towards, but it is far more intense than the standard procedural crime show. Give it a whirl. It’s my current addiction.
Season 1 is available on HBO Max. The first half of Season 2 is available to stream on Hulu. The second half of Season 2 returns to Fox on April 13th.
