Prodigal Son Episode 10: Silent Night
Things are heating up on Prodigal Son this week despite the dropping temperatures in New York City. The girl in the box is real, Malcolm is spiraling, and his case has been taken over by the FBI. So how do Bright and crew plan to ring in the holiday season? Another murder, of course.
It’s Personal
While Colette Swanson, a profiler on loan from the FBI, has taken over the junkyard case and taken Dani with her, Gil, JT, and Bright are dealing with a double homicide. Colette has an issue with Malcolm for his unorthodox way of doing things, which is shown right away as the two cases split. He is quick to focus on his new case, though his eyes never leave the Junkyard killer for too long.
Our victim, Detective Turner of the NYPD, and escort Emily, prove to be an interesting dynamic. Was Detective Turner a dirty cop? Absolutely not, which we see early on. Trying to gather more information on his career, Malcolm and Gil meet with his former partner, Detective Shannon. Shannon and Bright have history… back in the day, he was on his father’s case. He charmingly opens the door with a gun to their faces, though settles down once a little more information is given.
We soon learn that Turner never gave up on finding out more about Martin Whitly’s crimes and has a storage unit filled with information on the Whitly family, including Malcolm. Shannon and Malcolm team up when they realize they have more in common than they initially thought. Obsession is something to watch, clearly. Together, they make a shocking discovery. Martin’s accomplice may be closer than they think. Comparing suspect pools, they find one name in common: John Watkins. Things just got serious.
Meanwhile…
Ainsley and Jessica are at odds following Ainsley’s interview airing on national TV. Her mother wants nothing to do with it (even smashes her shoe through Malcolm’s TV at the start of the episode when she sees it), and the two bicker over what ambition means. These two have shown that character growth can be positive or negative. Ainsley continues to spiral into negativity for the audience, and Jessica is making a comeback in my eyes. She is finally showing that things need to change and supporting her son. I really like it.
She ends up speaking to the press, releasing information about the charm bracelet photo she stole from Gil’s office, which annoys her daughter.
And what about Gil and Jessica? I have to say, this dynamic makes sense, and it works. I would not mind seeing those two pursue a deeper relationship, and they have the chemistry. What do we think?
Back on the Case…
Shannon and Malcolm head to John Watkin’s childhood home, where they meet his blind grandmother. She appears sweet and helpful upon the first review, sharing details about his childhood that help Malcolm’s profile. His father was never in the picture, and his mother chose drugs over her son. The grandmother and her husband raised him. She seems like she might be helpful to them, but it quickly becomes more sinister as the episode progresses. Malcolm excuses himself to the restroom, wanting to spy on his home, and when he returns, he notices Shannon’s throat is slit.
JOHN WATKIN’S IN THE HOUSE. The grandmother knew all along and is trying to kill him too! Malcolm, as usual, heads toward the danger. He and Watkin come face to face, which throws Malcolm into a flashback. He is the owner of the old station wagon and has the body in the back. Watkins examines Malcolm’s knife as he leans against the station wagon, providing creepy details that we’ve been missing.
And then, we cut back to the current time frame, to see him standing over Malcolm. He knocks him out and tells him they’ll never find him. Meanwhile, Gil and Dani are rushing his way, aware he found the junkyard killer. He was also the killer of Detective Turner, as everything is connected. Wow.
Thoughts
That episode flew by. There were so much action and many details given that it was such a whirlwind of an episode. Malcolm is so close to completely losing touch with reality; the details of his childhood torturing him more and more. His cases help, but having Colette there to tell the others he can’t be trusted does the opposite. And now, he’s landed himself in another situation. What even?! How do we survive until January?
I’m surprised the identity of the Junkyard Killer was revealed this early, but it made for an excellent cliffhanger. How much does he truly know, and how involved was he? We know some, but not all. And this guy has a history that makes him all the more dangerous, so I hope the team finds Malcolm fast. He is a witness to his crimes and could easily put him away for a long time.
My favorite part of this episode, though, is watching the relationships grow and evolve. I couldn’t stand Jessica for the majority of the season thus far, but we’re finally seeing her soften and show empathy for her son, something that he desperately needs and the audience needed to see. Otherwise, she comes off so cold. On the other hand, Ainsley has gone from cute and bubbly to determined and detached from the others. Where does she go from here? And what about Dani and Colette? Will she start to believe what the other profiler says? Or will she stay focused on what she believes?
There is so much that can happen in the second half of the season. The showrunners and writers have done an excellent job telling this story, and I look forward to how they tell the second half!
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