Can someone start a #SaveProdigalSon campaign, please?
It was only speculation a few days ago as Fox began doling out orders for new shows, but now, our worst fears are coming to fruition.
Prodigal Son has been canceled a week before its second season finale, now the series finale.
Fans of the show know what a mistake this is, but outlets report that the ratings didn’t justify a third season.
So, while I’d like to place all of the blame at Fox’s feet, ratings do still matter, and waiting for an entire season to air before watching great television doesn’t do anybody any favors — least of all, the shows themselves.
Tom Payne’s Malcolm Bright has been just that — a bright spot on what can feel like a very blase broadcast special these days.
The son of the notorious serial killer known as The Surgeon aka Dr. Martin Whitly(gloriously played by Michael Sheen), Malcolm struggles with startling anxiety disorders while still managing to solve cases the police cannot crack without him.
It’s an odd silver lining to finding your father’s victim in the house before she was carted off to be murdered, but Malcolm uses it wisely.
Lou Diamond Phillips stars as family friend, detective, and Malcolm’s handler, Gil Arroyo, who also happens to be romantically linked to Malcolm’s mom, Jessica (Bellamy Young).
Their family is completed with burgeoning psychopath and reporter Ainsley (Halston Sage), who has gotten a little too close to her father’s legacy of murder during Prodigal Son Season 2.
Aurora Perrineau also stars as a detective and the girl we all want Malcolm to wind up with — a story that will no longer have the ending it deserves.
Keiko Agena has been a joy to watch as medical examiner, Edrisa, whose crush on Martin is relatable in many ways.
The latest story arc found Martin escaping the asylum where he’s housed. Unfortunately for him, his escape was short-lived as he was kidnapped, safely tucked inside of an automobile trunk.
Prodigal Son leaned hard into its macabre side with a dash of the absurd.
Large personalities befit the quirky characters, and you never know what any of them will do next.
Fox’s upfronts presentation is on May 17, so it’s time to determine who will be a part of it, and some of the shows we love the most are hanging in the balance in light of many pickups.
Now that we know Prodigal Son is out, we have to hold our breath for The Resident, 9-1-1, and its spinoff, 9-1-1: Lonestar.
Fox picked up Call Me Kat for a second season earlier today.
New shows on the agenda include a single-cam comedy called Pivoting, a crime drama titled The Cleaning Lady, a country music drama, Monarch, a Scott Foley vehicle called The Big Leap, Paul Feig’s mockumentary, This Country, and Lee Daniels and Karin Gist’s drama, Our Kind of People.
There is also an untitled comedy set in ancient Greece from Dan Harmon.
We don’t need to ask how much this hurts. We know.
Now, you have a place to share your pain and frustration. And if you get any petitions going to help Prodigal Son find a new home, let us know so that we can help promote your efforts.
If you have missed any of this worthy and now canceled darkly comedic drama, you can watch Prodigal Son online to find out what has slipped out of your hands.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.