Prodigal Son Review: Sun and Fun (Season 2 Episode 12)
On Prodigal Son Season 2 Episode 12, “Sun and Fun,” we get romance, thrills, and a twist I don’t think anyone saw coming.
The buildup to “Sun and Fun,” the now penultimate episode of the series, was nothing compared to the reveal we got. Turns out not trusting Capshaw was smart… kind of.
Finding out that Vivian Capshaw is a literal psychopath is so fun. Some of you probably saw this coming, but I was absolutely shocked.
Thinking back to my review of Prodigal Son Season 2 Episode 10, “Exit Strategy,” I talk a lot about how I couldn’t believe that Capshaw didn’t see the breakout coming, but I never considered even once the possibility that she did know and was anticipating it.
Vivian Capshaw is a lot of things — stupid isn’t one. She probably pieced together exactly what Martin was doing and decided to add her own fun.
But… how?
Capshaw made it seem like when Martin takes her badge that there’s no other way out — so how did she get to the parking lot before him? Martin’s phone call to Malcolm could be the cause of this, but it’s still odd that both Martin and Jessica seemed to miss her.
That Capshaw has malignant hero syndrome is a fascinating additional detail. Her being a prison doctor makes perfect sense with this.
In terms of the hierarchy of People the Police Care About, prisoners or those with mental illnesses are right down at the bottom with sex workers — especially if one of them happens to be a person of color.
Capshaw making herself the victim when she’s anything but makes this a genuinely compelling story. Clearly, we know she does it because she lacks the appropriate emotions such as guilt, but her performance is truly incredible.
The scene in which Capshaw makes the fake 911 call is one of the best of the episode. It’s of course meant to be serious, but I personally thought it was absolutely hilarious. Then she stabs herself? Girl.
Don’t cross Vivian Capshaw. And never underestimate Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Martin frustrated me a bit on Sun and Fun, as when he’s in a wheelchair (that, in my defense, might not have worked as such) instead of wheeling himself over to a phone, he basically army crawls to it.
Then, the reverse happens towards the end when Martin cuts his tape and physically walks to Malcolm’s side to save him. We can assume by now that the spinal block has worn off, but it’s hard to believe Capshaw wouldn’t restrain him further.
On the other side of things, absolutely nobody believes Malcolm about Capshaw, which… yeah. That checks out. He does sound a little… unhinged. It’s only once Ainsley questions Dani that even she takes his theory seriously.
Another great detail on “Sun and Fun” is how often Malcolm calls his father Martin. Sometimes he does refer to him as Martin, but more often than not, it’s usually “my dad/father.” I think Malcolm does this to distance himself from the fact that Martin is Malcolm’s father.
Watching Dani and Malcolm finally kiss was both exciting and wildly upsetting at the same time. Had we not known about the cancellation, it would have been much better, but knowing that Dani and Malcolm won’t ever get to be their own complete selves with each other is really disappointing. (Lookin’ at you, FOX.)
The way Dani holds Malcolm’s hand before they kiss shows how much she cares for him, that she wants him to be okay, and healing, and she doesn’t just want him available for a hook-up.
Malcolm saying “what if he [Martin] makes me who I am?” was absolutely heartbreaking. He wants so badly to be more than what he is — he wants his father alive but he’s resentful of how Martin has made him feel.
Martin has a hold on Malcolm that Martin himself will never quite understand because as Malcolm tells Capshaw, Martin can’t love.
Malcolm probably isn’t only speaking to Vivian when he makes this statement.
The very end of this episode was confusing, to say the least. Malcolm tells Martin to run or they’ll kill him, and his solution is to take Malcolm with him. Things can only go down from here, right? There’s no way kidnapping will make authorities want to kill Martin less.
Stray Thoughts:
- The music in this episode was phenomenal. It was like Silence of the Lambs meets Halloween — thrilling and exciting and perfect for Prodigal Son.
- Jessica not doing a single thing to help Martin is a bit funny, but I’m worried her guilt will skyrocket once she realizes he’s taken Malcolm.
- Vivian really with no hesitation gave Malcolm an arterial air embolism and then just left him chillin’ while she made a fake 911 call. Girlboss?
What did you think of this episode of Prodigal Son? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Prodigal Son airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on FOX.
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Laura Wanberg
Laura is a homebody who loves everything about TV. Some of her favorite shows include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Parks and Recreation, and The Morning Show. With her ever-growing list of new shows to watch and books to read, her favorite thing to do is to cuddle up with her cat and get lost in someone else's world.