'Prodigal Son' season 1 (spoilers): Malcolm's night terrors are deeply rooted in his troubling relationship with serial killer father
Spoilers for season 1 episode 1 of 'Prodigal Son'
In the 1990s, Malcolm Whitly lives with his father Dr Martin Whitly, mother Jessica Whitly, and younger sister Ainsley Whitly. An affluent, influential family from New York, Dr Martin (Michael Sheen) is a gifted surgeon. He also happens to be a notorious serial killer -- The Surgeon, as he is known, and has killed 23 people with the help of his medical expertise. The Surgeon killed him victims by paralysing them looking them in their bodies and causing a slow, painful death.
Not long afterwards, he is arrested. That the elusive serial killer is put behind bars (of a psychiatric facility) is unclear at first. But as it is revealed in the first episode, it is Malcolm who calls the cops on his father leading to his arrest.
Dr Martin is adamant that he and his son are not that different -- that they are the same because they both find the criminal mind intriguing. But here is the deal with Malcolm -- he is not like his father. He doesn't completely give in to murderous tendencies shown by the predatory sociopath he has for a father. Instead, he suffers from a few demons of his own.
Malcolm is terrorised by 'night terrors', panic attacks, tremors and PTSD. Ever since his father was arrested, Malcolm has been living a tumultuous life -- he is troubled by his past and keeps seeing this one particular nightmare time and again. He thinks there is more to this nightmare, that there is something hidden in this chapter of his past that he must uncover.
In the first episode there are mentions about how Malcolm is similar to his father. He is fired from the FBI for showing inclinations akin to his father: Narcisstic tendencies, anger and such. But once he joins the NYPD these are aggravated mostly because he now happens to work and associate closely with his father, regardless of whether he likes it.
Malcolm's troubles are no secret. After the FBI firing, his sister Halston Sage's Ainsley suggests that he take a break from murderers and serial killers to find some peace of mind. His mother, the poised and collected Jessica (Bellamy Young) also does her best to keep Malcolm from destroying his mental peace. She shows up unannounced, makes him chamomile tea "laced with love", suggests drugs to help him sleep and is constantly worried about him.
She also pushes him to keep his past behind him, to not visit The Surgeon again and again and to maintain his distance from him. Her warnings fall of deaf ears as Malcolm is consumed by the larger questions of his past and refuses not to lurk in the shadows.
'Prodigal Son' airs every Monday at 9 PM ET/PT.