'Prodigal Son' Season 1 Episode 2 review: The quadruple homicide could be a subplot as Malcolm Bright's mystery carries more layers
Spoilers ahead for Season 1 Episode 2 of 'Prodigal Son'
By now, we have established time and again that 'Prodigal Son' is a warped show that explores the twisted world of serial killers through the protagonist Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) and the main antagonist Dr. Martin Whitly (Michael Sheen).
Last week, following the premiere of the show, we learned that it is actually Bright who had called the cops on his father in the '90s leading to his arrest and consequent shutting up at Clairmont Psychiatric facility.
Fast forward to the present and after being fired from the FBI, Bright works as a criminal profiler with the NYPD catching murderers and killers.
In episode 2 titled 'Annihilator', Bright is investigating a quadruple homicide for the NYPD. But having recently met his father when solving the first case, his already debilitating mental health takes a turn for the worst.
His hands twitch and tremor with each mention of his serial killer father. At night, he sleeps with harrowing nightmares reminding him of a past unanswered.
Throughout the episode, Bright is at loggerheads with his mother Jessica (Bellamy Young), who reminds him time and again that he must stay away from his father. From the looks of it, perhaps Jessica knows a lot more than she is letting out.
She keeps pushing Bright to forget the past and to simply move on instead of dwelling there in a desperate quest for answers, but her constant persuasion only hints at secrets she is harboring deep down.
The actual investigation in 'Annihilator' is a little predictable — the quadruple homicide could actually be considered a subplot with Bright's mystery carrying more substance.
Consider episode 2 'Annihilator' as a cursory glossary into the characters of Bright, Dr. Whitly and Jessica — each of them essential to the answers that Bright is desperate to find.
'Prodigal Son' shows potential — from its character development to its convoluted plotline — but it shows a lot of potential with respect to Bright's past and the answers that he is desperate to find.
Against wishful thinking, we hope the truth behind the "girl in the box" is revealed — but we are thinking this will be a slow and steady exploration by the show.
The official synopsis for 'Annihilator' is "Bright jumps at the chance to help Arroyo solve a quadruple homicide for the NYPD. As Bright slips into the mind of this serial killer, he finds himself dealing with the repercussions of seeing his father for the first time in years."
"Tormented by the terrors of his childhood, Bright is faced with a question: are his dreams just nightmares or did they actually happen?" the synopsis concludes. 'Prodigal Son' airs on Mondays at 9 PM ET/PT on Fox.