It has been precisely 5 years since Prodigal Son premiered on FOX.
This daring idea emerged from a sea of actuality tv sequence, reboots, and revivals, carving its personal distinctive place within the tv panorama.
Sadly, nothing has been in a position to replicate the specialness of this crime, police, and household dramedy that stole our hearts nor fill the void it left behind. Community tv continues to be begging for the whole lot a sequence like Prodigal Son gives.
In honor of the anniversary of Prodigal Son Season 1 Episode 1 dropping and altering our lives, we’re discussing the whole lot we nonetheless miss about this late, nice sequence.
Test it out under and hit the feedback with any additions!
Snuggly, Diabolical Serial Killer Dad
It is no secret that in a sequence that was incredible from prime to backside with no complaints or drawbacks, Martin Whitly stole the present.
Michael Sheen’s means to shift from joke-telling, a subtly manipulative however doting dad, Martin Whitly, to the sinister, sociopathic “The Surgeon” from one second to the following was completely fascinating and sufficient to have you ever glued to the display screen.
It is also why it was really easy for Martin to win our hearts, regardless that we knew who and what he was. For those who ever questioned how anybody may fall in love with a recognized serial killer, Martin made a great case for himself along with his complexities, making him one of the vital attention-grabbing characters to seem onscreen within the final decade.
It is no marvel many people had combined emotions about his destiny throughout Prodigal Son Season 2 Episode 13. And after that surprising cliffhanger adopted by an much more gorgeous cancelation, it is no marvel it did not spark our personal villain origin story.
Tom Payne’s Outstanding Efficiency
Anybody acquainted with Tom Payne’s earlier work in sequence like The Strolling Useless or different issues knew and not using a shadow of a doubt that he was a proficient actor who may helm his personal sequence. However understanding that and seeing it are two completely various things.
And Payne really shined and impressed as Malcolm Shiny. He had a deceptively difficult function to make his personal.
He needed to seize the complexities of Malcolm’s conflicting feelings relating to his love/hate relationship along with his father, navigating psychological sickness in an genuine and respectful means, and balancing a genre-bending sequence that required him to put on many hats, pulling off horror, humor, drama, and procedural components.
Payne’s work on Prodigal Son was so nuanced and underrated, from his physicality to his diction, and we miss the hell out of it.
Wealthy, Complicated Characters
There was nothing easy about any of the characters on this sequence. If, for a second, you thought they have been simple, you have been confirmed incorrect.
Whereas Malcolm and Martin have been undoubtedly the primary to return to thoughts when contemplating complexity, every character had one thing to present on this regard.
Ainsley was a personality that took a bit to evolve, however when she did, she grew to become one of the vital intriguing characters the sequence needed to provide, rife with a lot potential, and you could possibly sense how a lot Halston Sage had enjoyable taking part in this function.
Ainsley’s evolution from the seemingly “regular” little one to the one with a few of Martin’s tendencies made for such a compelling arc, and it was sufficient to have us wishing for a Prodigal Sister spinoff.
Bellamy Younger’s function as Jessica was additionally spectacular in that the character may’ve simply been written off as one-note.
Nonetheless, the sequence does quick work of dismantling any preconceived notions or bins one would ascribe to her and showcasing the complexities of a girl who did the whole lot she may to guard her youngsters.
Dani was such a multifaceted and layered character who matched and balanced Malcolm out effectively.
It was genuinely one of many strongest facets of the sequence that we slowly received to peel again layers about her, and she or he was in contrast to another feminine detective we have seen in conventional procedurals.
JT was a traditional scene stealer, set as much as be an antagonist to Malcolm just for issues to flip, changing into an important counterbalance to Malcolm and the 2, forging a bromance that was enjoyable to see evolve.
They introduced a buddy-cop ingredient to the sequence that nodded on the conventional procedural however put a quintessentially Prodigal Son spin on it, making it one thing refreshing and new.
And he was a consummate straight man to the shenanigans, amusing viewers along with his dry wit and one-liners.
And Lou Diamond Phillips really nailed the function paternal function of Gil, giving us this excellent mix of a flawed however sage chief. His grounding drive to the sequence made so lots of the components click on.
Whereas Edrisa was the quirky, nerdy character who got here off as a preferred archetype on the floor, the sequence would flip issues on its head in such attention-grabbing ways in which implied that Edrisa was a lot greater than she’d appear.
Kooky, Unorthodox Instances and Fascinating Villains
Top-of-the-line issues about Prodigal Son was that it may enchantment to lovers of procedurals whereas providing one thing completely different from the standard procedural.
No sequence may match a few of the genuinely out-there instances the workforce would tackle and all of the enjoyable issues that may transpire whereas making an attempt to unravel them.
Prodigal Son instances would nearly put 9-1-1 calls to disgrace, with snakes slithering out of mouths, creepy elevator deaths, Malcolm chopping off an individual’s hand, intercourse dungeons, and that is not even the long-arching instances just like the Lady within the Field thriller.
And the killers, villains, and antagonists inside the sequence have been all the time a blast. They typically included unbelievable visitor stars like Michael Raymond James, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dermot Mulroney, and Alan Cumming.
The Romance and Ships
Prodigal Son had rattling good ships that you could possibly get pleasure from with out them essentially detracting from the whole lot else nice concerning the sequence.
It was genuinely endearing to observe Malcolm and Dani’s relationship evolve because it did. They seemingly grew to become quick companions and mates, confiding in one another as they opened up and have become extra susceptible over time.
The strain between them inbuilt a beautiful means, and by the point they kissed, it was effectively definitely worth the wait and earned. And the obstacles and issues that got here into play for them made sense for the characters and what they have been up in opposition to.
We’re nonetheless Brightwell Endlessly!
In the meantime, the sequence did not hesitate to ship on a secondary romance, and it was an actual thrill when that relationship was between Gil and Jessica.
It isn’t typically that we get romances that cater to the over-50 crowd. Jessica and Gil actually sizzled as a pair with their wealthy historical past, sexual pressure, and the additional drama of getting Martin’s presence continuously between them.
It was exhausting to not root for the 2 by all of it.
The Darkish Humor
Prodigal Son was humorous. Plain and easy.
There is not a single installment of this sequence that does not make you snort out loud, whether or not it is the zany antics of the characters that teeter into absurdity or the whip-smart, witty dialogue and snark.
It is a type of uncommon sequence the place each single character has a comedic id that differs from the others, they usually every get to shine in their very own means due to that, catering to all of the comedic kinds whereas additionally balancing the intense, horror, and different tones.
Prodigal Son understood the artwork of darkish humor and executed it effectively in every installment.
Twisted Household Drama and Dynamics
Nothing may ever prime Martin and Malcolm’s twisted father/son dynamic.
The complete sequence hinged on the electrical chemistry between Tom Payne and Martin Sheen and their means to create and painting the intoxicating bond between Malcolm and his father.
Martin’s obsession with drawing out his son’s “internal killer,” hoping that he’d created a progeny who was the apple of his eye and the spitting picture of him to hold on the serial killing legacy, was riveting.
And it made his each interplay with Malcolm, who spent many of the sequence questioning his personal nature and what he was able to whereas desperately attempting to fight it, one thing that saved you glued to the display screen.
However that wasn’t the one compelling Whitly dynamic.
Each interplay among the many Whitly household was splendidly complicated and distinctive in its personal proper. The Whitly siblings had one thing really particular as Malcolm typically labored to guard Ainsly at each flip, solely to be taught that she might have been the one who carefully resembled Martin’s maturity.
Ainsley’s makes an attempt to even be on her father’s radar was one thing the sequence may’ve simply explored in future seasons and made the familial dynamic extra partaking than ever.
Jessica’s respective relationship with each of her youngsters and her fixed doting and makes an attempt to guard them have been so deeply rooted, whereas her equal components alluring and lethal reference to Martin was mesmerizing to observe.
It is a disgrace we needed to say goodbye to the Whitly household. They’re in contrast to something we have seen on tv in a while.
5 years later, we nonetheless miss the sequence that received our hearts a lot that we devoted a Prodigal Son Love Letter to it.
Turning issues over to you, Prodigal Son Fanatics. What do you miss most about this sequence?
If you wish to relive it over again or rewatch the pilot in honor of its anniversary, you possibly can stream Prodigal Son on The CW app or meet up with our Prodigal Son Evaluations!
Jasmine Blu is a senior employees author for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching means too many reveals and binge-drinking means an excessive amount of tea. Her eclectic style makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complicated characters, various illustration, dynamic duos, compelling tales, and responsible pleasures. You may positively discover her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Observe her on Twitter.
