'Prodigal Son' episode 3 'Fear Response' cements suspicions that Malcolm's mother Jessica knew about The Surgeon's murders
Spoilers ahead for episode 3 'Fear Response' of 'Prodigal Son'
The ending to 'Fear Response', was definitely something! Everything that the series has been playing on up till now almost feels like a red herring.
Early in the episode, Malcolm (Tom Payne) checks in with his trusted childhood therapist. He tells her how his mental health is degrading but refrains from telling her the reason behind it despite the prodding. "My mental health is fractured, it's eroding, maybe past the point of repair," he tells her. After discussing repressed memories, Malcolm expresses his theory about The Surgeon aka Dr Martin Whitly (Michael Sheen) using chloroform on him, which led to a lapse in his memories which is why he cannot recall who the girl in the box is.
Malcolm's therapist figures he is meeting with his father and warns him to stay cautious. "In order to preserve any hope of overcoming your PTSD, I would recommend that you stay as far away from Martin Whitly as humanly possible," she tells him. And we all agree, but Malcolm is on the path to find the truth.
After a conflicting episode, Malcolm decides to take the big step to know the truth about that night - and more importantly, the girl in the box - so he smells chloroform. He uses chloroform to revive his memories from the night.
As Malcolm is nearing the box and reaches out to open it, his mother Jessica shows up from behind! She yanks at him telling him how his father's things are "off-limits". When Malcolm tells her he saw a woman, Jessica looks surprised to know he has found out and blurts "That doesn't concern you". She tells him to "never speak of her again" and warns him that he has no idea what his father is capable of.
This cements our theory that Jessica could be in cahoots with The Surgeon. If she hadn't any idea, she wouldn't have reacted the way she did. Perhaps this also explains why she has been reiterating that Malcolm stays away from his father - because she knows exactly how impressionable he can get.
There are many ways of looking at it. Maybe The Surgeon manipulated her throughout into helping him through with his crimes. And now that he is locked up, she is no longer shackled, or maybe, they had always been in on the crimes together. But that doesn't explain her conversation with Ainsley (Halston Sage). The more we think of it, the more convoluted it becomes. Monday seems like a long time away now.
'Prodigal Son' airs Mondays at 9 PM ET/PT.