Michael Sheen portrays Martin Whitly in a scene from 'Prodigal Son.'
TV children usually fall into one of two categories: those who want to grow up to be like their upstanding, honorable fathers, and those who do not. There's no shortage of reasons why children fall into the latter category, but what if your father was a serial killer, and you're the one who turned him in? The inner turmoil would be unimaginable, knowing that, regardless of how much you try to distance yourself — changing your name, moving, etc.
— you live with it, further complicated by the fear that you might have inherited the very traits that led to your own father committing horrific acts. Such is the case for Malcolm Bright , whose father is Dr. Martin Whitly , a world-renowned doctor who also happens to be"The Surgeon," a serial killer charged with the murder of 23 people after young Malcolm turned him in. Not only has Malcolm lived under those conditions, but now, as a former FBI profiler turned consultant for the NYPD, he faces a copycat serial killer case that forces him to work with his father to gain possible insight into the killer's actions. In Prodigal Son, now streaming on Netflix, Sheen masterfully creates a complex sociopath who might be even more dangerous than he appears. "The Surgeon" Slowly Dissects His Own Child in 'Prodigal Son' As explained in the premiere of Prodigal Son, Martin and Malcolm have not seen each other in over 10 years, with Malcolm cutting off his regular visits after an argument about his decision to become an FBI agent. So Malcolm's sudden appearance is a pleasant surprise for Martin, but his son has no interest in idle chitchat. A killer is working off stolen drawings of Martin's past research, and the most likely culprit is one of Martin's former clients. Malcolm wants a name, and Martin is willing to give it, on one condition: Malcolm has to promise he'll return for another visit. It's the first, and far from the last, time we see Martin manipulating situations to his advantage. It's fiendishly manipulative and clever, and Martin continues to drop bait to stoke Malcolm's reliance on him, offering both solicited and unsolicited insight into the cases Malcolm works on. He also drops just enough information to help, but not enough that he's no longer needed. In the case of Paul Lazar , aka the Junkyard Killer, Martin actively mentors Paul into creating a situation that forces Malcolm to reconnect with him, going to extreme lengths to maintain control of their"relationship." Related 30 Best Serial Killer Documentaries on Netflix That'll Keep You Up at Night Don't watch these at night. You've been warned! Posts By Hannah Saab But the most vile thing hiding behind that disarming cardigan is Martin leaning on the aforementioned guilt that plagues Malcolm. Martin toys with Malcolm's fears in ways both subtle and overt, trying to groom him into the"family business," as it were. And Malcolm has little choice: if he wants the insight from his father, he has to play the devil's games. It's a cat-and-mouse dynamic where Malcolm knows he's being played and parries Martin's machinations with his own intellect, but he doesn't know to what extent. Martin is in full control of what he allows Malcolm to see, and each passing week, Malcolm's self-being becomes more complicated as a result. Michael Sheen Kills It as a Serial Killer in 'Prodigal Son' It's easy to fall into the trap of playing a stereotypical serial killer, with most performances either one-note or lacking the nuances associated with a more complex iteration. On film, Anthony Hopkins evades the trap by infusing his Hannibal Lecter with intellect and complex, emotional depth, and on television, Michael Sheen does much the same with his Martin Whitly. Sheen is undeniably likable, and he uses that to his advantage in creating the unsettling character, whose warmth and charm come across as genuine, practically luring Malcolm, and viewers, into questioning if he really is the murderous psychopath he's purported to be — until he reminds us of the monster within. Subscribe to our newsletter for deeper TV character studies Dive deeper into TV psychology—subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth performance and character breakdowns that unpack masterful villain portrayals and the storytelling choices shaping complex, unsettling characters. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Sheen's performance captures the disparities of the character effortlessly, flipping from witty and nurturing to a dangerous psychopath instantly and, most importantly, believably, overcoming his own innate allure to do so. You believe in Martin's intellect, and Sheen plays the balancing act between using it for good and for his own manipulative means, without exposing his intentions for either. Sheen's approach suggests Whitly is playing chess while everyone around him is playing checkers, and he's content to let it play out. It's a performance that needs to be seen to be believed, making now the perfect time to binge Prodigal Son in its new home, if for no other reason than to take in Sheen's masterful performance as a serial killer that's a cut above the rest. Prodigal Son TV-14 Crime Drama Mystery Release Date 2019 - 2020 Network The CW Showrunner Chris Fedak
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