In this week’s rewatch, we tackled “Scheherazade,” a huge episode for twists as we learn a shocking secret about Sophie (aka the girl in the box). We also meet Nicholas Endicott for the first time, and from the outset, we know he can’t be trusted. Read on for the moments we noticed the second time around!
Eve vs. Martin
When it was revealed at the end of the previous episode that Eve’s sister, Sophie, was indeed the girl in the box, it was only just a matter of time before Eve would confront Martin about it. She goes to the prison with Malcolm and the two get to Martin’s cell. At first, Eve just stares at Martin angrily, not knowing what to say. Then she steps over the red line and slaps him before Malcolm can bring her back over. Eve, while being held back by Malcolm, tells Martin that the girl in the box that Malcolm found was named Sophie Sanders, her sister. She asks Martin where she is but Martin’s afraid he doesn’t know. Eve tells Malcolm he was wrong, this was a waste of time. She turns back around and tells Martin his son thought he would tell the truth, but she knew better. Eve tells Martin that he’s not some self-styled genius. It’s all fake, pretend. He’s not a surgeon. He’s not a father, he’s not even a man. He’s a void, a hole that consumes anyone unfortunate enough to meet him. Like his son, like her sister. After having her suspicions, Eve is finally able to confront the man who killed her sister, even if it was pretty hard for her. And even if it means that she would soon be joining Sophie.
Nicholas Endicott Being Shady and Punch-able
Martin Whitly may not be so bad after all. In this episode, we meet Nicholas Endicott, an arrogant, powerful businessman and a cozy “friend” to Jessica Whitly. As the episode continues, we grow more and more suspicious of this character and his involvement with the case involving the ballet run in a building owned by Endicott. When Gil and Malcolm go to question him about his entanglement in the case, Jessica Whitly appears after having a date with Endicott and defends his actions. Surely she couldn’t be dating ANOTHER seemingly perfect man with a shady past? But wait, there’s more! Little did we know, Sophie Sanders kept herself from being Martin’s last victim by giving him a tell-all special about Endicott. Endicott is sneaky, slimy, and an all-around unpleasant man. We do have to give props to Dermot Mulroney, who plays Nicholas Endicott, because he does well to portray this type of character and be able to give fans an uneasiness with his presence on screen. All in all, during this rewatch we couldn’t help but become increasingly angry at our television screens when we saw Endicott.
Martin Struggles with Isolation
In what at this point should not be a surprise, Dr. Martin Whitly spends a good portion of this episode struggling with the isolation of his cell. In the past, Martin has made it clear that visits from his family are of paramount importance to him, but this is one of the first times we see Martin really breaking down because of his isolation. It starts following Malcolm and Eve’s visit as Martin is visibly shaken, begging Malcolm to leave the issue alone and not continue his search for Sophie. This is one of the first times we see Martin actually showing concern instead of his usual anger and narcissism. He even goes on to make some awkwardly apologetic and needy phone messages for Malcolm, which included the word “please.” Then when he can’t get a hold of Malcolm he calls Jessica, which goes about as well as any conversation between the two of them. Here we see Martin visibly riled up and pacing his cell like a caged tiger as he tries to explain himself to Jessica at the top of his voice. Unfortunately, while all Martin wants is for Jessica to listen to him, all Jessica wants is to rub the fact that she is starting to move on with her life in his face, starting with the fact that her picture is on Page Six alongside Nicholas Endicott. Not only is Martin furious that Jessica is not actually paying attention, but the fact that it was Endicott in the photo with her pushes him over the edge. He throws the newspaper across his cell and lays down on his bed to sulk like a child, because no one will visit or even pay attention to what he has to say. It is rare that we see Martin acknowledge how much he cares about his family or how much his isolation gets to him, so this episode is a real treat in that way.
He Was A Punk And Did Ballet
I don’t know why anyone was even surprised at this one. Throughout the episode, Malcolm spouts off many small facts about the ballet, constantly correcting his team about the pronunciation of terms such as Danseur Noble and applying more than a passing knowledge of how ballet and the dynamic between the company members works. While he initially passes his knowledge off as stray facts learned from being dragged to the ballet by Jessica as a child, the truth comes out near the end of the episode when Malcolm saves the prima by shouting “Détourné!” This gives her the cue to spin sideways out of her captor’s grip, allowing the baddie to be incapacitated by a shot from Gil. Malcolm bashfully admits why he can “speak ballet,” as Gil puts it, revealing that he took ballet for five years and “showed great promise.” We loved getting a random (non-trauma related) fact about Malcolm’s childhood years. Who knows, maybe we’ll get to see Bright and Dani do an undercover ballet-related mission next season. Here’s to keeping our fingers crossed.
Martin Tells The Truth – And Sophie Is Alive
Eve’s big sister has a lot to say from beyond the grave in this episode. While she continues to haunt Malcolm, Eve is relentless in tracking her down, going so far as to meet (and assault) Martin himself. However, it is not always the monsters we know who are the most dangerous, is it? We flashback to a time 25 years ago where we learned that not only did Martin make a deal with Sophie to keep her alive in exchange for some very useful information, but that information would be against none other than Nicholas Endicott. The reveal that Sophie is alive has big consequences for both Eve and Malcolm and will propel both of their arcs through the end of the season.
Martin Gets His Groove On
While collecting his thoughts on the events with Sophie, Martin cues up “Operator” on his iPod, then lays back, and remembers everything. This is the first time we see Martin, through his own eyes, interacting with a victim. What’s even more interesting is we see Martin 25 years prior, playing the very same song on a tape player before turning his attention to Sophie with intentions to torture and kill- I mean research. If Martin chose this particular song for Sophie, it stands to reason that perhaps he did the same for his other 23 victims. If so, could the other songs on his iPod all correspond to a victim? As he scrolls, we see 13 song titles including, “It’s All Over Mary Ann,” “Next Time This Time,” and “Five Short Minutes,” all 13 songs are by Jim Croce. Of course, we can’t know what songs are under “Operator” on his iPod, but it’s a very interesting moment. Could Martin have a song for each victim? Or is it a coincidence? Perhaps Jim Croce ties into something from Martin’s childhood. We’ll have to see what season two reveals!
Gil’s Got Competition
Throughout this season we’ve seen Jessica and Gil grow closer, and we’ve been invested in watching this storyline. This episode throws a third person into the triangle, Nicholas Endicott. Nicholas invites Jessica to the ballet and nobody is less thrilled than Gil. We start to see Jessica spend more time with Nicholas as he is part of the social circle she strives to be included in. It’s too early to tell if Nicholas is genuine, but this love triangle is definitely an interesting addition to the Jessica and Gil storyline.
Malcolm Danger Count: 1 (shockingly, our renegade investigator appears to actually be following police procedure lately. Gil’s influence?)
Prodigal Son returns for season 2 this January, and season 1 is available now on Hulu and Fox Now. Check back next week for another rewatch!
