'Prodigal Son' Episode 9: Psychiatrist Deux tells Malcolm Bright that his nightmares need not be linked to his serial killer father
Major spoilers for Episode 9 of 'Prodigal Son' titled 'Pied-A-Terre'
At the beginning of the ninth episode of 'Prodigal Son', Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) is discussing his most recent nightmare with his psychiatrist Dr Gabrielle Le Deux (Charlayne Woodard). While Bright sees it as one of the many nightmares he has previously had, Dr. Deux suggests that it might not have anything to do with his father The Surgeon (Michael Sheen) at all. She suggests that the dreams are a part of a subconscious that demands different things - things that don't necessarily include his serial killer father. "It's a different part of your subconscious that demands to be heard; a part that needs sleep, food, sex", she says, adding, "Not everything is about your father."
And that is pretty much what this episode is about - not Malcolm Bright's serial killing father Dr. Martin Whitly, as we had hoped.
Nonetheless, 'Pied-A-Terre' is not exactly disappointing an episode. In fact, it was intended to intrigue by packing a punch of everything from sex, scandal, suspense, fright, and a good old dose of foreboding.
With the Junkyard Killer case now handed over to the FBI and The Surgeon locked away in solitary confinement, Malcolm and the team at the NYPD concentrate on a new homicide that is linked to an underground sex club that strongly believes "lust is easy, love is dangerous."
The procedural would have been an exciting one to follow had it not been riddled with the tropes. So much of the mystery of the episode was drained away with the usual on the detective drama menu - a crime of passion, a seemingly strong suspect, an emotional backstory to an elusive suspect, and the ultimate killer being the very first witness. A tried and tested recipe sure, but grown to be tedious to watch by now. You'd have to sift through the episode to find anything related to the bigger mystery of the girl in the box.
But one particular exchange between Eve (Molly Griggs) and him (when they are on a date that was destined to go downhill - like the characters knowingly walked into), where Malcolm sets to profile her. He notes that there was something deep inside her, something she kept a secret, that was the reason she got to help other women. Malcolm also notes a tattoo on her wrist - now faded - which seems to be a duet, but the other person, a mother or a sister, is now missing. And whatever happened to them motivated Eve to become an anti-human trafficking activist.
It is a pretty close call to the girl in the box. Could Eve be related? There are theories floating around that perhaps Eve is related to the girl in the box and holds a personal vendetta against the Whitlys; what with her mysterious air and all.
However, it seems way too easy. At the moment, it looks like Eve is attracted to Malcolm, but the incident in his apartment when he is living one of his nightmares might have succinctly scared her off of him.
With the fall finale 'Silent Night' next week, we hope that the makers deliver an episode that'll keep us holding on till it returns in 2020.
'Prodigal Son' airs on Mondays at 9 PM ET/PT on Fox.