'Prodigal Son' Episode 4 finally reveals what Jessica knew about her serial killer husband and it is not what we think
Spoilers ahead for Episode 4 'Designer Complicity' of 'Prodigal Son'
We had spent a long time wondering if Malcolm Bright's (Tom Payne) mother had any inkling of her husband's actions as a serial killer. And 'Prodigal Son' finally answers the burning question about Bellamy Young's Jessica Whitly.
So far, the show had us believe that Jessica might have known about her husband, Dr. Martin (Michael Sheen), who is also known as The Surgeon, a serial killer who killed 23 people.
The foreboding on the show through the last three episodes pointed to this very fact — how much did Jessica Whitly really know about the murders her husband committed while acting like the perfect partner and doting father.
The real question, however, is how much did she really know about the night of his murder? In flashbacks, she was shown asking the police to "take that man away" that night.
Bright, however, doesn't trust this and wants to know the truth as his memories that he triggered with chloroform only worsened his mental health.
He turns to Gil (Lou Diamond Phillips) for help asking him for the evidence tapes from the night of his father's arrest, specifically his mother's as he wants to know what she said and how she said it.
At first, Gil refuses to get him the tapes since the NYPD will never release those tapes for personal reasons. Eventually, though, he comes around and provides Bright with the video.
In the video, Bright sees his tormented mother being questioned by a younger Gil. At first, she says that she had no idea. Then with some coaxing from Gil, she admits that she knew.
But it is not what Malcolm had imagined this whole time. Jessica admits that she knew he was having an affair. She tells him how she had picked up on cheap perfume from his late-night outings and thought that he was cheating on her.
Breaking down, she says, "I should've known. I let him get away with this. I enabled him."
This substantiates the flashback that is shown earlier in the episode where she is seen wearing the red dress Malcolm points out from his memories. She tells Martin that "it has to stop" because it would "destroy" them.
Martin asks her, "Don't you think I would stop all this if I could? Don't you think I want to be the perfect man, the perfect husband?"
She, however, calls him a monster. Before Martin leaves the room, he tells her that they can continue living their life the way they have lived so far and no one has to know that the decision is on her.
So now that this is taken care of, we must now see how Ainsley (Halston Sage) deals with her brand new visits to her father.
'Prodigal Son' airs on Mondays at 9 pm ET/PT.
