I watched the series premiere of Fox's Prodigal Son. The show stars Tom Payne and Michael Sheen. It is about a criminal profiler whose father is a serial killer. It didn't really do it for me. The show is too derivative of other shows and movies. The writing is cliched and generic. The show simply isn't interesting enough to make me want to tune in again. My rating is a C.
shareI disagree. I see a lot of potential in Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne's character). How alike is he to his father? Is he faking empathy or does he really feel for the victims. And honestly, how many protagonists
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have cut off a victim's hand to save them from dying? While we have seen similar shows, I think this one has a lot of originality in it. I'll be watching.
I'd say I agree with that. You can refer to my post below for further thoughts, but I do agree that there's potential in the Malcolm Bright character. I'll call him intriguingly unhinged.
shareI will agree that it's derivative, but I will disagree that it's generic. Yes, it does borrow a lot from other shows--Hannibal especially--but it has enough style that it FEELS relatively fresh and distinct. It features some great sets and cinematography, and there are some nice directorial flourishes, as well as some clever dialogue (the banter between Malcolm and his mother, for instance).
I also think that, while Malcolm Bright is clearly a character who borrows a lot from Hannibal's Will Graham, he is interesting and there's enough originality to him that Tom Payne is able to make the character his own. I will also say that Lou Diamond Phillips is always great and is an underappreciated performer. And this is not even to mention the brilliance of Michael Sheen.
With all that said, I didn't LOVE it. I wasn't riveted to my seat. It could've been better. But I did think that it was above-average for a network show and I enjoyed it enough to tune in again next week.
It had very good visual storytelling, the sets were nicely done, but the editing was choppy and scene transitions were rough, which is becoming more common, impatience of youth maybe. The mains are all serviceable actors. Tom Payne has on screen charisma. The script was just okay. It would have been better if they weren't rushing and trying to get too much plot into the first episode and trying to make every scene the most dramatic scene so that they end up feeling the same. I think it does have potential and will find a small audience that will carry it a couple seasons, four max.
shareTotally disagree. Best new thing on tv.
shareSeems to me more of a ripoff of Mindhunter above all else. The lead investigator appears directly modeled after Jonathan Groff's Holden Ford character.
shareThe FBI boss from Mindhunter playing a serial killer in this cracked me up. 😄
seen both, these two shows are not really anything the same. Mindhunter is based on real experiences, and is a period piece. This one is inventive, and fictional.
I love both.