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Parents' Guide to

Prodigal Son

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Dark drama has OK plot, weak characters, lots of violence.

TV Fox Drama 2019
Prodigal Son Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Smic
Smic Adult
March 7, 2021
age 16+

Not rated for age

If you want a more accurate rating for this show, look at the criminal minds review.
Itszara
Itszara Adult
July 7, 2020
age 15+

The show is awesome

Yeah, it contains many violence scenes but its a “crime-drama” series so what to expect ?. In addition, those scenes are not off limits and you can see much more violence in many other overrated TV shows. About the show? It’s really exciting and amazing & u never feel bored watching it. Finally, watch your kids & try to monitor what they are watching instead of giving the shows low rating, we, the adult, need to have fun as well. Disney stuff are for kids, not +15 shows :).
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

PRODIGAL SON is a dramatic series about a gifted, but disturbed, criminal psychologist working with the NYPD. The son of Dr. Martin Whitly, a.k.a. the notorious serial killer known as "The Surgeon" (played by Michael Sheen), Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) is a genius when it comes to solving murders. His relationship with his father, and the fear of possessing his father's sociopathic traits, has left him struggling with his own psychological problems. Yet, he only feels a sense of normalcy when he's working murder cases, especially with his mentor, NYPD Detective Gil Arroyo (Lou Diamond Phillips). But his socialite mom (Bellamy Young) and his younger sister Ainsley (Halston Sage) want him to move past his father, and Arroyo's team, which includes Detective Dani Powell (Aurora Perrineau) and Detective JT Tarmel (Frank Harts), are both impressed and a little concerned about his behavior.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (8 ):

Part police procedural, part psychological thriller, this series tries to tell a unique story about a brilliant and dysfunctional son of a serial killer who profiles other serial killers. It's an interesting attempt, but ultimately lacks the solid writing to create a well-rounded tale. Malcolm Bright comes across as being more weird and confused than a troubled genius, and his homicidal father lacks the dramatic flair necessary to merit his notoriety (let alone to make him interesting). Some of the additional storylines, which range from family tensions to potential romantic interests, are also more predictable than compelling. Ultimately, Prodigal Son has the potential to be a good series, but just doesn't get there.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the ways Western media portrays mental illness. What stereotypes are often used by the media to describe people who are diagnosed with mental illnesses? In what ways are these characterizations problematic?

  • In Prodigal Son, is it Malcom or Dr. Whitly who appears more mentally unstable. How does this impact the way we understand, and feel about, these characters?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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