Prodigal Son Review: The Last Weekend (Season 2 Episode 13)

Of all the ways I imagined Prodigal Son Season 2 Episode 13, “The Last Weekend” going, nothing could have prepared me for what actually happens.

It makes sense that they needed a story for Martin and Malcolm to chase, but to introduce completely new characters in less than an hour makes the episode seem a bit stretched thin. I was hoping the episode would be more character-based instead of them having a side quest, but alas. 

We’ll go back to Malcolm and Martin in a second, right now I want to talk about the ladies of Prodigal Son.

Right out of the gate, Capshaw claims that Malcolm is working with Martin, and my goodness, did we all not see that coming? She is exhausting. Truly.

Jessica kicking Capshaw’s ass is so good, and I’m going to miss seeing her in the show. When Capshaw first drugs Jessica, the possibility is there that she just won’t finish her drink, but she does and still comes out on top. 

Jessica is one of the most interesting characters on the show and I wish we had been able to get to know her better from Gil’s perspective, not just Malcolm’s. 

Dani worries about Malcolm the entire time, never once believing that he’s who the media is saying he is, clearly frustrated with not being able to find him. Then she does and… yikes. 

The first and only thing Dani says when she sees Malcolm is “what did you do?”

She doesn’t ask how he is, what happened, if he’s hurt, just what did you do. Because she knows how everyone sees Malcolm right now. She knows his reputation even without being seen as an accomplice.

Now, he’s done what everyone expects him to do, and Dani seems more scared for him than anything else. 

Maybe she’s not wrong to be scared for Malcolm. 

Ainsley needs to watch herself. It just seems like maybe she’s not as much of her mother’s light as she thinks. How does she know where Martin and Malcolm are from just a fax?

So, so many people enjoy Malcolm and Martin “working together” and I could not relate less. 

They’re both incredibly intelligent minds, and if Martin was in prison for, I don’t know, vandalism, it might be fun. But y’all, he’s a serial killer! He killed 23 people! 

Malcolm battles with his father for the entire episode, whether physically, mentally, or silently. Malcolm Bright knows that Martin is a bad man. But he also knows that he’s his father. This is where the lines begin to blur.

Malcolm finally calls the police at the end of the episode and it’s one of my very favorite parts because it’s so fitting for him. Though he debates doing it the entire time, he only really does it once they save the kidnapped girl and he doesn’t need anything else from his father. And only then does he call because Malcolm bends the rules — but he doesn’t break them. 

We see this earlier in the episode when Malcolm begs, as Martin’s son, to help save the girl and get out of there. Martin is visibly glowing, almost proud that his son has asked him to do this. But, as Malcolm points out, it’s only to get out and save the girl. 

Martin sees it as his own personal project. He walks out of the shelter where he’s just tortured Don with a large smile on his face. Because again, he’s a serial killer. 

Thus begins one of the only breaks from reality that both Malcolm and Martin experience together. 

Martin clearly enjoys, misses, craves, the pain he inflicts on others. He’s out of it when he walks out so much so that he needs to shake himself to remember where is he, that his son is standing in front of him. This gives us evidence that the person Martin “used to be” is still exactly who he is — he just deludes himself into thinking he’s changed. 

Something else that happens in this scene that’s incredibly significant: Malcolm’s hand not shaking. The easy answer is to say that Malcolm isn’t anxious. He’s with his dad, they’re working a case, and he’s fine. 

But nothing about Prodigal Son is ever easy. 

I believe that Malcolm is too anxious. He’s alone in the woods as his serial killer father actively tortures a man, and a girl is still missing. He’s literally just had an aortic embolism. He’s not with Dani, he hasn’t spoken to Gil, and he’s got no clue if his mother and sister are safe.

Malcolm is simply moving on autopilot. This is exactly why he stabs Martin as well. Maybe he would’ve moved to the side, or tried to take the knife instead, but he’s acting on pure instinct and autopilot. 

Martin spends the entire episode telling Malcolm that he’s changed, that he’s not a threat, that he doesn’t want to be the person he was. And then he completely ruins it. 

Overall, this is a great finale. I hope the show will find a way to keep going, especially considering that cliffhanger.

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Prodigal Son airs Tuesday’s at 9/8c on FOX.

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