‘Prodigal Son’: 6 of the Craziest Things Malcolm Bright Has Done (VIDEO)
Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) has done some crazy things in just one and a half seasons of Prodigal Son, and that’s part of why we can’t get enough of him. But what else would you expect from the profiler whose father Martin (Michael Sheen), in Claremont Psychiatric for being the Surgeon, and sister Ainsley (Halston Sage) are killers?
“In a way, he needs the craziness and the mania in his life to have that release because it’s been years and years of pent-up stuff,” Payne told TV Insider. Covering up his sister’s bloody murder of Nicholas Endicott (Dermot Mulroney) — a crime coming back to haunt them with Europol’s Simon Hoxley (Alan Cumming) in town in the drama’s April return — is just the latest. He’s the one who, as a kid, called the cops on his serial killer dad.
And the craziness will continue, given the trailer for the second half of Season 2 includes Malcolm bursting out with, “You have no idea what I’ve been doing to keep this family safe. … Maybe you’d like to know about the thumb in my freezer.”
In honor of what’s to come (we have a feeling the thumb is just the beginning), we’ve rounded up some of Malcolm’s craziest (some might say best, too) moments so far.
Chops a Guy’s Hand Off to Save His Life (Season 1, Episode 1)
With no other way to save a man locked to a chair, which is locked to the ground, Malcolm cuts off the only thing he can: the guy’s hand. (“There’s really no other option,” he promises.) It’s quite the introduction for him and the Major Crimes Unit. And one of the best parts? Malcolm, holding the cooler, pointing to the EMTs and telling Detective Dani Powell (Aurora Perrineau), “I gotta give them a hand.”
Holds Down a Landmine Without an Exit Plan (Season 1, Episode 13)
When medical examiner Dr. Edrisa Tanaka (Keiko Agena) lifts a victim off a landmine, activating it, at a crime scene, Malcolm leaps into action, vaulting over a desk and taking control of the bomb before it can go off. He forces everyone else to leave before he’s even come up with a plan … which he does, after answering Martin’s call. He survives the run and jump out the window, but Lieutenant Gil Arroyo’s (Lou Diamond Phillips) car isn’t as lucky.
Stabs His Father in the Heart (Season 1, Episode 14)
When a killer tells Malcolm’s mother Jessica (Bellamy Young) she must stab Martin in the heart to save an innocent victim, the profiler steps in and does it. A flashback reveals that father and son once discussed the exact place someone can be stabbed in the heart and survive.
Chops up a Dead Body to Cover His Sister’s Murderous Side (Season 2, Episode 1)
After Ainsley brutally kills Endicott, it’s Malcolm who acts and ends up cutting up his body and disposing of it and a blood-covered rug. The discovery and state of Endicott’s head is what brings a suspicious Hoxley stateside.
Joins a Killer on a Ledge (Season 2, Episode 1)
How far will Malcolm go to catch a killer? Well, he’ll taunt one while standing high up on a ledge before the team has the tether anchored to keep him alive and from falling to his death. One of his mistakes? Assuming the Penthouse Slasher ditched his knife before climbing out a window.
Saves a Life With Cocaine (Season 2, Episode 7)
While dealing with a killer “Botoxing” the victims to death, Malcolm and Dani find one still alive — and Malcolm figures out that he needs a stimulant. Fortunately, one of the doctors in the victim’s practice has cocaine in a statue of a cheetah on his desk. Malcolm mixes up a solution to inject straight into the victim’s heart. “He’s going to die anyway,” Malcolm points out. “We can’t kill him twice.”
Prodigal Son, Tuesdays, 9/8c, Fox
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