History Series / ProdigalSon

** Martin gets hit with this again near the end of Season 2, when [[spoiler: everyone thinks he manipulated Vivianne into helping him escape and then kidnapped her, when in reality ''she'' kidnapped ''him'']].

* OutGambitted: As of the end of "You Can Run...", it would appear that [[spoiler: Martin's escape attempt has been intercepted by Vivianne, who is keeping him prisoner for herself]]. This is confirmed by the following episode, which shows that [[spoiler: she jumped and sedated him as he was fleeing the hospital]].

** "Sun and Fun": [[spoiler:Vivian frames Martin for ''kidnapping'' her and Malcolm escaped with Martin since he was injured from an attempt by Vivian to botch a surgery op.]]

The second season began airing in early 2021. Due to low ratings, Fox canceled the series the week before the finale, leaving the story arc resolved.

* BatmanGambit: How Malcolm brings down the killer in "Designer Complicity". [[spoiler: He confronts Axel seemingly on his own, knowing that his stalker will come to his defense and expose himself, at which point Gil and the others swoop in to arrest him.]]d

* NotMeThisTime: When a patient at the asylum is killed a few feet away from Martin, he has to repeatedly protest that he had nothing to do with it. Martin was in chains and watched by an orderly at the time, so he could not have physically committed the crime, but Gil and Malcolm still suspect that he manipulated the situation somehow. [[spoiler: Martin was innocent of the crime, but still used it for his own ends.]]

* OutGambitted: As of the end of "You Can Run...", it would appear that [[spoiler: Martin's escape attempt has been intercepted by Vivianne, who is keeping him prisoner for herself]].

* DramaticallyWrong: Malcolm is racing to save [[spoiler: Capshaw, who he feels is "a victim brainwashed by Martin" into helping him escape. Over the course of the case, Malcolm soon discovers Capshaw is actually a twisted killer herself who kidnapped Martin.]]

The second season began airing in early 2021. Due to low ratings, Fox canceled the series the week of the finale, leaving the story arc resolved.

The second season began airing in early 2021.

* BatmanGambit: How Malcolm brings down the killer in "Designer Complicity". [[spoiler: He confronts Axel seemingly on his own, knowing that his stalker will come to his defense and expose himself, at which point Gil and the others swoop in to arrest him.]]
* BoomHeadshot: How [[spoiler:Friar Pete]] is killed by a Marshal in "You Can Run..."

* SinisterMinister: In Season 2, Martin befriends Friar Pete, a former friar-turned-serial killer also incarcerated in Claremont.

* VillainsOutShopping: After [[spoiler: escaping the hospital]], Friar Pete helps himself to a few games of bowling.

* LuxuryPrisonSuite: Martin's cell is spacious and well-furbished, thanks to some rich clients (primarily Saudis, apparently) who don't mind employing the services of a doctor who happens to be a psychopathic serial killer. [[spoiler: This turns out to be a lie -- the cell was actually paid for by Nicholas Endicott, in order to buy Martin's silence over his knowledge of Eddicot's crimes.]]

* BuryYourGays: ''Twice'' in 'Silent Night'. The episode revolves around the murder of a decorated officer who's revealed to be gay, and his former partner and lover decides to come out of retirement and help Malcolm find the Junkyard Killer, ending up murdered offscreen while going undercover with Malcolm in the Junkyard Killer's house.

* LargeHam: Creator/MichaelSheen as Martin Whitly. He has a very theatrical way of speaking and he is as AffablyEvil as they come.
** Not to be outdone by Creator/AlanCumming as Europol's Simon Hoxley, a Sherlock Holmes Expy who is the epitome of IAmVeryBritish.

* SelfDisposingVillain: In "Ouroboros", [[spoiler: the killer is dangling over the edge of a yacht. Rather than let Malcolm pull her up to safety, she tries to shoot him, causing him to instinctively drop her, causing her to fall onto some equipment with impales her.]]

The series centers on Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne), whose father, Dr. Martin Whitly (Creator/MichaelSheen), is the infamous {{serial killer}} known as "The Surgeon". Malcolm was the one responsible as a child for enabling the police to arrest his father, and has not (of his own volition) seen his father in 10 years.

** On the other hand, Halston Sage is 24/25 years younger than her on-screen parents. It seems that her character is meant to be older (just a little younger than Malcolm). She's actually a decade younger than Payne, portraying her brother.

* NotMeThisTime: When a patient at the asylum is killed a few feet away from Martin, he has to repeatedly protest that he had nothing to do with. Martin was in chains and watched by an orderly so could not have physically committed the crime, but Gil and Malcolm still suspect that Martin manipulated the situation somehow. [[spoiler: Martin was innocent of the crime but still used it for his own ends.]]

* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: If Martin starts to approve of your actions, you should probably seriously re-examine what you are doing. It is a constant fear of Malcom's and he becomes really concerned about Ainslery when Martin expresses his pride of her actions. In contrast, Gil seems to take great comfort in how much Martin disaproves of him.

* NotMeThisTime: When a patient at the asylum is killed a few feet away from Martin, he has to repeatedly protest that he had nothing to do with. Martin was in chains and watched by an orderly s could not have physically committed the crime but Gil and Malcolm still still suspect that Martin manipulated the situation somehow. [[spoiler: Martin was innocent of the crime but still used it for his own ends.]]

** The Junkyard Killer, a protege of Martin's, becomes a recurring antagonist later in the season. His MO is targeting people he feels are sinners, abducting and torturing them before killing them; the majority are crushed in a car compactor in his junkyard (hence the name), though he changes the methods of execution once his kill grounds are discovered.

* DarkSecret: As of Season 2, there's the matter of [[spoiler: Ainsley killing Endicott and Malcolm disposing of the body to protect her. This is even a secret to Ainsley herself, as she blacked out the killing and Malcolm told her he did it so she wouldn't have to live with the guilt. Even with Martin finding out about it, Malcolm tries to ensure that she doesn't have to kill again]].

* DarkSecret: As of Season 2, there's the matter of [[spoiler: Ainsley killing Endicott and Malcolm disposing of the body to protect her. This is even a secret to Ainsley herself, as she blacked out the killing and Malcolm told her he did it so she wouldn't have to live with the guilt]].

** Malcolm himself is hit by this when he makes up a cover story for [[spoiler: Endicott's muder]] by telling his mom a major story of he and Ainsley spilling wine on the rug. But she realizes something is off...

*** When Jessica calls Martin about it, he just laughs on how crazy it is as "you think they [[spoiler: killed him and shipped his body to Estonia]]?". She's initially swayed by this, but his follow-up attempt at trying reassure her over her paranoia ("They are my children after all") gets Jessica thinking...

* SayingTooMuch: A common bit is Malcolm figuring out the killer by something they shouldn't have known.
** Malcolm is hit by this when he makes up a cover story for [[spoiler: Endicott's muder]] by telling his mom a major story of he and Ainsley spilling wine on the rug. But she realizes something is off...
-->'''Jessica''': If you spilled a bottle of wine months ago, would you remember the exact ''vintage?'' No, you wouldn't, unless it was a story you'd rehearsed a thousand times.
** When Jessica calls Martin about it, he just laughs on how crazy it is as "you think they [[spoiler: killed him and shipped his body to Estonia?"]]. That specific place (combined with his line on "They are my children after all") gets Jessica thinking...