Prodigal Son

• Title: Prodigal Son – Bad Manners
• IMDb: link

While Malcom (Tom Payne) and Jessica (Bellamy Young) both worry about Ainsley (Halston Sage), the murder of the week gives the daughter of the Surgeon (Michael Sheen) the inside track on a big story involving a killer targeting failed debutants from her old finishing school. “Bad Manners” is most notable for the creepy doll maker (Christopher Denham) and the manner in which the victims are displayed after death to hide perceived imperfections. The episode also ties back to JT‘s (Frank Harts) run in with a racist cop, which seems to conclude here (although it’s possible there could be lingering consequences down the line). The experience, in which Ainsley almost dies by taking a huge chance and walking into a murderer’s lair, gives Malcolm second thoughts on whether keeping the truth from his sister is the best thing for her. His parents, on the other hand, may have their own plans on how to best protect their daughter.

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• Title: Prodigal Son – Take Your Father to Work Day
• IMDb: link

The humorously titled “Take Your Father to Work Day” brings the NYPD to Claremont Psychiatric Hospital where the Surgeon (Michael Sheen) witnesses the death of one of the other inmates. Writer Elizabeth Peterson has fun with Gil’s (Lou Diamond Phillips) disdain at working with Martin to solve the case. A group therapy session, made up of the prime suspects for the murder, also reveals some pent-up frustration Malcom (Tom Payne) has for his father. Other than the setting, the murder of the week isn’t terribly interesting, but it does clue Malcolm into the possibility that his father may be looking to break-out.

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• Title: Prodigal Son – Alma Mater
• IMDb: link

“Alma Mater” sends Malcolm (Tom Payne) back to the boarding school where he attempted to remake himself to help solve the murder of the headmaster who expelled him. The episode presents three cheating students (Lily Ganser, Arthur Langlie, and Salena Qureshi) with obvious motive not only for the crime but the prankish presentation of the body, although a late redirect works as a red herring. It also allows Malcolm to revisit the cause of a vicious attack he suffered as a student and raise questions about what led to a traumatic event that followed. The episode is most notable for flashbacks which reveal the source of Malcolm’s hand tremor, which has been a staple of the show, while also highlighting the similarities and differences between Malcolm and his father. Speaking of dear old dad, the Surgeon’s (Michael Sheen) plans on escape take one giant step forward thanks to the help of one of his fellow inmates.

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• Title: Prodigal Son – It’s All in the Execution
• IMDb: link

Prodigal Son returns for its Second Season with Malcolm (Tom Payne) even “more brightish than usual.” Still feeling the effects of helping his sister get away with murder, it’s not until the final scene where the Surgeon (Michael Sheen), now reinstated back to the asylum, correctly diagnoses the true cause of his son’s guilt. With Gil (Lou Diamond Phillips) still recovering from his wounds, JT (Frank Harts) has done a solid job running the unit which catches a new case in a justice killer dispatching the guilty by obscure means (one by guillotine and walling another inside a literal dungeon while still alive).

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