Prodigal Son: Season 1
2019 · 20 episodes · ★ 7.2
What Season 1 of Prodigal Son
Malcolm Bright is a former FBI profiler who works for the New York Police Department. He views crimes from the killer's perspective, and that gift lets him notice details his colleagues miss. What weighs on him most is the fear of becoming like his father, Martin Whitly, a cardiothoracic surgeon known as “The Surgeon.” As a child, Malcolm alerted the police about him, and since then he has changed his name and has not seen him in ten years. Every case forces him to face what he is trying to escape. Gil, Jessica, Ainsley and Dani make up the team that supports him as his family past demands its place.
Season 1 Episodes
1x01 Pilot
Bright deals with the repercussions of seeing his father for the first time in years.
Directing: Lee Toland Krieger · Writing: Sam Sklaver, Chris Fedak · Starring: Jeb Brown, Michael Cerveris, James Cusati-Moyer, Esau Pritchett
1x02 Annihilator
As Bright slips into the mind of a serial killer, he must deal with the repercussions of seeing his father for the first time in years.
Directing: Adam Kane · Writing: Sam Sklaver, Chris Fedak · Starring: Michael Esper, Zachary Booth, Sohina Sidhu, Esau Pritchett
1x03 Fear Response
A drug-induced homicide forces Malcolm to rethink his fears. Gil, Jessica and Ainsley catch wind that Malcolm has been seeing his father again.
Directing: Rob Bailey · Writing: Lisa Randolph · Starring: Sakina Jaffrey, Frank Wood, Charlayne Woodard, Esau Pritchett
1x04 Designer Complicity
As Malcolm's childhood memories surface, he realizes his father's killing spree may not have been a surprise to everyone in the family. Malcolm, Gil, Dani and JT hunt for a stalker with a creepy eye for design.
Directing: Leon Ichaso · Writing: Wendy Calhoun · Starring: Shawn Andrew, Julian Elijah Martinez, Daniel London, Charlayne Woodard
1x05 The Trip
Malcolm searches the depths of his mind to unravel the mystery of the girl in the box. When the NYPD investigates a homicide and assumes it is linked to a drug cartel, Malcolm discovers a secret about Dani's past that draws them closer together.
Directing: Omar Madha · Writing: Jeremy Carver · Starring: Hampton Fluker, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, Pascale Armand, Robert Montano
1x06 All Souls and Sadists
When Bright uncovers a photo of himself and Martin from when he was a kid, he is forced to focus on the repressed memories from his childhood psyche. Jessica and Malcolm agree they must put a stop to Ainsley's idea.
Directing: Megan Griffiths · Writing: Justin W. Lo · Starring: Clark Furlong, William Hill, Charlie Semine, Katie Kreisler
1x07 Q&A
Bright's quest for answers about his childhood leads him to a junkyard, where he's bombarded with gunshots. Ainsley's exclusive interview with Martin takes an unexpected turn, forcing her to team up with Bright.
Directing: Adam Kane · Writing: Elizabeth Peterson · Starring: Raymond Lee, Matthew Maher, Esau Pritchett, Kasjan Wilson
1x08 Family Friend
Malcolm realizes the suspect in the "Junkyard Killer" case may have a connection to his father.
Directing: Rob Hardy · Writing: Wyatt Cain · Starring: Raymond Lee, Matt Servitto, Meagan Good, Molly Griggs
1x09 Pied-A-Terre
When Martin is locked away in solitary confinement and the FBI takes over the Junkyard Killer case, Malcolm uses his spare time as an excuse to try out a “normal” lifestyle.
Directing: Antonio Negret · Writing: Lauriel Harte Marger · Starring: James Cusati-Moyer, Kristen Connolly, Carra Patterson, Jeremy Shamos
1x10 Silent Night Mid-Season Finale
Knowing that the “Junkyard Killer” was in cahoots with his father, Malcolm goes against the FBI’s wishes and continues to investigate. His findings reconnect him with a disgruntled ex-detective who was once heavily involved in the search for “The Surgeon,” delivering them both into danger.
Directing: Valerie Weiss · Writing: Sabrina Deana-Roga · Starring: Sean Pertwee, Meagan Good, Ashley Austin Morris, Marylouise Burke
1x11 Alone Time
The FBI and NYPD band together to save Malcolm from the "Junkyard Killer," aka John Watkins, who reveals shocking details about his involvement in the camping trip memories that have been plaguing his psyche. Meanwhile, as Gil looks for answers from The Surgeon, Ainsley and Jessica search through their memories of the past, hoping to find some sort of clue as to where Malcolm could be hidden.
Directing: Adam Kane · Writing: Nora Zuckerman, Lilla Zuckerman · Starring: Meagan Good, Charlayne Woodard, Meredith Garretson, Marylouise Burke
1x12 Internal Affairs
Following a mysterious and catastrophic incident in the precinct, Bright faces an internal affairs review as Gil and the team worry about his mental health.
Directing: David S. Tuttman · Writing: Lisa Randolph, Alexis Siegel · Starring: Daniel Sunjata, Scott Shepherd, Isabel Arraiza, Happy Anderson
1x13 Wait & Hope
Malcolm takes a detour from his mandated vacation time when he finds out a killer on the loose is mimicking homicides from one his favorite children's books, "The Count of Monte Cristo." With added help from a very excited Martin Whitly, the NYPD trace the case back to a high society family planning one of the biggest weddings of the season, so Malcolm and Dani get dressed up to attend the event and track down their culprit.
Directing: Glen Winter · Writing: Sam Sklaver · Starring: Dennis Boutsikaris, Michael Siberry, Chris Ghaffari, James Saito
1x14 Eye of the Needle
Jessica continues to search for more information on the "Girl in the Box," but is confronted by the "Carousel Killer," who has a very public vendetta against the Whitlys. While the NYPD investigates families tied to Martin's victims, it's ultimately up to Malcolm and Jessica to track down the tip-line caller, turned killer, who is blackmailing her. Meanwhile, Ainsley receives a big promotion at work, but quickly realizes she may never escape the high demand for serial killer reports.
Directing: Lisa Robinson · Writing: Wyatt Cain · Starring: Hettienne Park, Giuseppe Ardizzone, Saul Stein, Jeremy Holm
1x15 Death's Door
When a body is found professionally preserved and embalmed, the NYPD teams up with Edrisa to go undercover at a convention of funeral directors. While there, they discover their top suspects - morticians Tilda and Dev - who used to be in business with the victim. Then, enter the mind of a serial killer as Martin revisits his past through a series of hallucinations.
Directing: Adam Kane · Writing: Elizabeth Peterson · Starring: Richard Topol, Sathya Sridharan, Ashlie Atkinson, Ana Gasteyer
1x16 The Job
When a motorcycle gang robbery turns into a murder, Malcolm and team are called to the scene to investigate. While he's working on a profile, he runs into an old friend from boarding school, licensed insurance investigator Vijay (guest star Dhruv Singh). Together they work to uncover the identity of the murderer and his accomplices who stole millions in watches. Meanwhile, Martin blackmails Jessica, exchanging his silence about who stabbed him for more quality time with his son.
Directing: Satya Bhabha · Writing: Justin W. Lo · Starring: Steve Blanchard, Young Mazino, Justine Cotsonas, Maureen Sebastian
1x17 Stranger Beside You
The NYPD dives into a case surrounding a famous mommy blogger, whose husband was mysteriously stabbed just days after their baby was born. Meanwhile, Bright finds his way back to Eve, but can't shake his paranoia that there's more to her than meets the eye. To help ease his nerves, Ainsley helps him do some investigating and uncovers a secret she has been keeping.
Directing: Pamela Romanowsky · Writing: Lauriel Harte Marger, Sabrina Deana-Roga · Starring: Heather Lind, Evelyn Giovine, Cameron Scoggins, Anna Eilinsfeld
1x18 Scheherazade
When an up-and-coming ballet dancer is mysteriously poisoned, the NYPD dives deep into the rigorous world of dance. Meanwhile, Jessica reunites with an old friend, socialite Nicholas Endicott, and Bright and Eve turn to Martin for answers regarding the girl in the box.
Directing: Dermott Downs · Writing: Lilla Zuckerman, Nora Zuckerman · Starring: Annet Mahendru, Andy Karl, Joseph Melendez, Molly Griggs
1x19 The Professionals
After a catastrophic turn of events, Malcolm and Ainsley are convinced there's more to Nicholas Endicott than meets the eye. Their only hope just might be an impromptu Whitly family reunion.
Directing: Lily Mariye · Writing: Lisa Randolph · Starring: Molly Griggs, Richard V. Licata, Dagmara Dominczyk, Matthew Lawler
1x20 Like Father... Season Finale
Malcolm continues to unravel as the mystery of the girl in the box comes to a head. As Nicholas Endicott's (guest star Dermot Mulroney) true colors continue to show, the Whitlys must decide to what lengths they are willing to go in order to take him down
Directing: Adam Kane · Writing: Elizabeth Peterson, Chris Fedak, Sam Sklaver · Starring: Brian Stokes Mitchell, Matthew Lawler, Richard H. Blake, Khalil Maasi
Season 1 Cast
Tom PayneMalcolm Bright20 episodes
Michael SheenDr. Martin Whitly20 episodes
Bellamy YoungJessica Whitly20 episodes
Aurora PerrineauDani Powell20 episodes
Frank HartsJT Tarmel20 episodes
Keiko AgenaDr. Edrisa Tanaka20 episodes
Esau PritchettMr. David11 episodes
Molly GriggsEve Blanchard8 episodes
Charlayne WoodardDr. Gabrielle Le Deux5 episodes
Raymond LeeJin3 episodes
Meagan GoodColette Swanson3 episodes
Matthew MaherTevin2 episodes
James Cusati-MoyerNico Stavros2 episodes
Hettienne ParkLeslie2 episodes
Brian Stokes MitchellEverett Sterling2 episodes
Matthew LawlerEddie2 episodesWhere to Watch Season 1 of Prodigal Son
It is currently not available on the major streaming platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Prodigal Son season 1 have?
Prodigal Son season 1 has 20 episodes.
When did season 1 of Prodigal Son premiere?
Premiered on September 23, 2019.
Where to watch Prodigal Son season 1?
Currently not available on the major subscription platforms (availability may vary by country).
What is the best episode of Season 1?
According to the audience rating on TMDB, episode 1x07, "Q&A", with a 7.5.