The Prodigal Son is a twisted show about the son of a serial killer named Malcolm Bright who now works for the NYPD. He has his fair share of problems, and his with his father is far from helpful to his mental health. Things have a knack of going awry in each episode as Malcolm profiles the criminals in amazing ways in an effort to uncover the truth.
Several moments throughout the show have taken a fairly dark turn and it leaves fans wondering how things will ever get better. We see the main characters suffer because of traumatic events, and fans even lay eyes on more than a few twisted killings. Keep reading to learn about the 10 darkest moments in The Prodigal Son!
Young Malcolm Finds The Girl In The Box
The first thing that we see during the show is that a young Malcolm Bright finds a girl in a box in his family home. His body has suppressed this memory so all we know is that the girl exists, but no one believes that he is telling the truth.
It showed the darkness hidden beneath the folds of the series as fans realize just how traumatic his childhood must have been. Malcolm had to deal with the morality of his situation while internally debating whether or not he should have his father put behind bars.
Dani Reveals She Overdosed On The Job
We learn during one episode that Dani's past isn't as sparkly and clean as we would like to believe. She worked undercover for a time and found herself addicted to cocaine after trying to fit in with those she was supposed to be monitoring.
One day she overdosed and was brought back by one of the dealers, but it showed us a dark part of her past that we never expected to see. If it wasn't for the kind dealer than she might have died on the job those many years ago and never would have been there to help Malcolm with some of his own problems.
Malcolm Catches The Knives As They Are Cut
One episode shows us a killer who followed a pattern based on the book The Count of Monte Cristo. Malcolm puts his own life in danger in order to save that of a man who is trapped amidst an array of knives.
He has his coworkers cut the lines one by one and he attempts to catch them as they come down. Malcolm narrowly manages to catch them all, but it shows the darkness inside of Malcolm that has little respect for his own life. He could have been impaled himself in an effort to save the man, as he has been injured on the job several times before.
Ainsley's Interview Goes Awry
Ainsley wanted to interview her father in order to advance her career as a reporter, but things went wrong shortly after it began. The hospital went on lockdown because a patient stabbed his therapist, and then he came to their room to share his story with the world.
The cameraman, and Ainsley's boyfriend, ended up stabbed after trying to prevent him from entering and it led to Martin Whitly performing emergency surgery to save his life. It was dark as fans were uncertain of his survival, but also because Ainsley seemed more concerned with filming the encounter than care about her dying boyfriend.
Paul Lazar's Mother Knows Her Son Is A Killer
Malcolm Bright was working with the retired Owen Shannon on a case to find the junkyard killer when they uncovered clues about the killer's childhood. They went to the killer's mother's house to talk with her and find the whereabouts of Paul Lazar.
She seemed nice at first, despite being blind, and even made them some dinner. Malcolm left the room to check out the house, only to return and find Owen Shannon to be dead. We then learned his mother was in on it the whole time and even called for her son to finish off Malcolm as well.
Malcolm Finds Out His Father Wants Him Dead
When Paul Lazar took Malcolm he revealed an ugly truth about his father that left him confused about his past. Apparently, his father wanted to kill him back when he was a little boy because he feared he knew too much.
It is obvious he ended up not being able to go through with the plan as Malcolm was still alive, but the truth still hurt. It darkened his heart toward his father as it opened his eyes to the man he really was.
Malcolm Breaks His Hand To Free Himself
When Malcolm is chained to the floor of a dungeon-like room we watch as he breaks the moment Paul Lazar says he is going to end the lives of his family . We watch as his mental status enters a state of instability as he looks to break his hand to free himself.
It could have ended there but the rampage he goes on to protect his family is a dark side of Malcolm we have never seen before. He turns into a monster similar to that of his father and it is something we had hoped to never see as he strives to be different.
A Man's Body Is Found Perfectly Preserved
One of the episodes features a killer who enjoys embalming their victims so they look completely normal. The first we saw was a man relaxing on his couch, but it turns out he was actually dead.
The handiwork was sinister and dark as it leads us to imagine what other skills killers employ to dispose of their victims. It showcased the dark side of a killer's mind that shares how they all lash out in their own ways.
Jessica Hides Her With The 'Carousel Killer'
It is never good when someone who is ed by a killer neglects to give information to the police. This grows even worse when that family member is a Whitly. Jessica Whitly hid her with the 'Carousel Killer' from the police in an effort to meet his demands and prevent any more deaths.
It obviously didn't work as he continued on his killing spree and now it has ended with her in a heap of trouble. Her heart was darkened from her husband's past transgressions, but she should have known how this would impact her own life.
Malcolm Stabs His Father
The final task the 'Carousel Killer' gave to Jessica Whitly was to stab Martin Whitly in the heart. She was prepared to do it, but Malcolm stepped up and did it for her in an effort to prevent his death.
The look in Malcolm's eyes shows his remorse for his actions, as well as a want to kill the man who caused him so much pain. It reveals the dark side of Malcolm's heart as he struggles with his mental health because of his terrible childhood.