There has always been that certain psychological thrill with this show, and this week is no exception, surprising us Prodigies by pushing the envelope just a little further than before. While we were already sufficiently surprised and, well, appalled by what happened last week with Eve, read on for this week’s recap of Prodigal Son featuring her sister (a.k.a., the girl in the box) and how the ballet can be just as deadly as your everyday murder.
Everyone and everything has a method. This is something that is covered heavily in this week’s episode, from flashbacks to Martin when he was practicing as The Surgeon, to how Malcolm operates as a profiler. This show is destined to give us nightmares for a long time to come given the opening of this week’s episode. When the show opens, we are in Malcolm’s apartment while he is talking to the girl in the box, with Eve asleep on the couch. “Find me”, she has cried before … and they have tried, searching the cabin, the woods, Martin’s old dumping grounds, with no body. She tells Malcolm that she is dead, and that only one person knows where she could possibly be. Malcolm suddenly wakes up knowing who he has to go see and who he needs to take with him this time.
Moving on, we go to the charity ballet gala where Malcolm was to accompany his mother, Jessica. She ends up attending alone, additionally threatening to donate Malcolm’s entire inheritance for leaving her. While she runs into old society, like Nicholas Endicott, the owner of the new theater for the ballet company, everyone is there to celebrate the upcoming ballet production. After a salty tit-for-tat with Cricket, Nicholas comes over to rescue Jessica and escort her for the evening while the press takes their photos. Nicholas is pulled away to do his press opening for the ballet, since as much as he hates public speaking, he has to show the investors where their money is going. He introduces the Prima Ballerina, Fiona, and the newest star to the show, Javier Suarez. The two begin to put on a taste from the production, “Scheherazade”. As the two are dancing, Nicholas and Jessica are stealing glances at each other, away from the crowd, however Javier begins to drop Fiona in the middle of their production. He spits blood forcefully on a guest, breaks her glass, collapses, and dies while everyone watches! Ballet never has a shortage of drama.
When the team from the NYPD shows up with Malcolm, Dani reminds him that his mother called this in and he should probably find her. He coyly replies that he was supposed to accompany her, and if she sees him, he will likely be the next victim instead. While Edrisa is examining Javier and how he died, determining it was “death bed poisoning”, someone tries to take the stage away, however it is literally evidence now. She further notes that Javier should have felt the effects of the poison long before taking the stage, which is true, even if he danced until his very last breath. Elite dancers are trained to repress and ignore pain, trauma, injury, anything that will hurt them in the short term. Because no one else was sick, Javier was clearly targeted. Could it be because he defected from Cuba only eight weeks ago and took another dancer’s spot, or what other secrets did Javier hold?
Gil begins conducting an investigation with Nicholas who is closely talking with Jessica. While Gil appears to be slightly broken up that Jessica has found a romantic attraction with someone else, he remains professional. Nicholas tells him that he did not know Javier very well, and he was just trying to raise money for the arts. Jessica leaves the boys alone to find Malcolm, running by Edrisa and saying “I should have known it would take a murder for you to show up for your mother!” Malcolm tries to apologize for missing the event, however Jessica doesn’t know if he is more sorry for standing her up or for missing a murder. Deducing that Malcolm was with Eve, she asks that whatever he is planning to leave Martin out of it. Malcolm can’t exactly do that since that’s where he and Eve go the next day.
During the rundown of instructions going into the cell, clear direction is given to not step across the red line as that’s where Martin’s restraints end. The tension walking in there is palpable to say the least. As the two of them walk in, Martin turns around delighted to see his boy. Eve is stunned silent while Martin speaks, talking about how meeting the parents can be intimidating and that in comparison to Jessica, he is a pussycat, and the nice one. Eve collects herself, walks up to Martin (she crossed that line on the floor), and smacks him right across the face. It’s a heck of a way to make an impression! Eve wants to know about the girl in the box, Sophie Sanders, her sister. She goes on to tell Martin that he is not a father, surgeon, or a self-styled genius. Martin is not even a man to her, he is a void that consumes anyone unfortunate enough to meet him. She and Malcolm turn to leave. Martin begs Malcolm to leave it alone, he has told them all he can, but you can see there is more. Just as they are about to leave Claremont, Eve asks Malcolm how she did (so it was an act! sort of …) Malcolm is pleased as Martin and his narcissistic ways have been fed, he has been cut off from feeling relevant at the moment, and it will not be long before he cracks and gives them what they need to find where he put Sophie’s body.
Edrisa is detailing the autopsy, noting that the New York Times had called Javier the most beautiful man in the city. She notes she disagreed with the assessment while staring straight at Malcolm. JT asks about a massive bruise on Javier, it could be from being punched or a number of unusual injuries dancers can sustain. Javier was killed using oleander laced into his cortisone shots, and while poisoners are more particular with their murders, they don’t kill for the thrill or the blood. They keep their distance. But who stood to gain the most from Javier dying? Joseph, the former Danseur Noble (lead dancer.)
While the team splits and interviews suspects, err … fellow dancers, at the theater, they find out the former lead male had nothing to do with it and it’s the women who have the power. While talking with Suzie and Gina, they find out dancers live by a code: pirouettes, cigarettes, easy sex, no regrets. Shortly after, Suzie collapses after putting her contacts in; someone put pepper spray in her solution! Ouch! After treating Suzie for the injury, the team locks the theater down and brings everyone out to the stage while the police clear every room to find the culprit behind both attacks.
As Gil lists off what was found in the dancers rooms, noting that he has raided drug dealer’s homes with less incriminating evidence, none are giving themselves up as the one who either killed Javier or injured Suzie. When it is Malcolm’s turn, he points out how much dancers are trained to suppress their pain and fear. He then goes on to describe the effects of what handing the pepper spray will do and Gina succumbs. While she cannot tell them who put her up to hurting Suzie, Joseph lends his voice as to who is behind the rest of the attacks: Fiona, the Prima.
Martin calls Jessica at home, and while Jessica does not want to take the call, she kindly tells him she is distracted by her photo on Page Six, and praises Eve after finding out that she slapped Martin, urging him not be such a helicopter parent. Martin seems distressed that Nicholas Endicott is in the photo with Jessica. Martin then curls on the bed and relives what happened to Sophie before his arrest in pieces.
Gil and Malcolm confront Fiona about Suzie. She informs the gentlemen that nothing happens at the company without her knowledge. Malcolm notes it’s like the rules of the jungle, no one steps to the lioness. Fiona goes on to tell them she never would have done anything to hurt Javier and would have done anything to keep him. He had wanted out of his contract, upsetting some powerful people. They also find out that Nicholas Endicott made the escape from Cuba possible for Javier. While the two visit Endicott at his home a familiar voice rings around the corner: Jessica. Poor Gil. As they talk, Nicholas reveals that Javier was recruited as a young kid in Cuba to their dance company. However, he was one of the surviving members of a company the former director had embezzled from and murdered six members of. The six dancers in Cuba were also murdered by poison, and Ivan Castillo, the Cuban director, was presumed dead.
Gil and Malcolm return to speak to Fiona a little further after the new information from Endicott. She reveals that Javier not only wanted out, but he wanted to leave shortly after they got to the theater to begin rehearsals there. Nothing can ruin a dancer faster than a rumor, let alone one that follows you through your life. Malcolm notes, imagine being a kid and having someone you looked up to and respected murder people you care about, it’s a trauma that stays with you. He and Gil think that maybe Ivan Castillo could still be alive and that’s what spooked Javier. But it’s soon revealed that Castillo is not only alive, he’s at the theater!
While the police are moving everyone out of the theater, Malcolm notices the floor mics are on. Gil rushes over just in time to tackle him out of the way of crashing ceiling lights! Just as they spot Castillo for the first time, he drops a curtain in their way and rushes out the first exit. The two of them have to wait for it to finish falling before chasing after him. JT stops Gina to find where Fiona is, but the Prima left, right into the path of Castillo at the front door.
Castillo admits to killing Javier, while Gil and Malcolm lie and tell him they spoke to Cuban DI. If he leaves, Castillo is theirs, and Cuba isn’t exactly forgiving on fugitives. Malcolm tells him the delivery truck in the street is the Cuban DI, but is there a delivery truck? Malcolm says “it’s New York, there is always a truck”. Malcolm commands “Detôurné”. Fiona spins out while Gil shoots Castillo. Dani and JT show up letting him know the ambulance was blocked by a delivery truck. Malcolm knew so much about ballet since he took it for five years thanks to Jessica.
At Claremont, we revisit Martin’s memory of Sophie, as a new approach is warranted. Eve’s phone goes off with Claremont as the caller ID. After solving the murder of Javier, Malcolm and Eve decide to visit Martin again and find out exactly what happened to Sophie. Malcolm gets confirmation that Sophie was brought to the cabin, Watkins attacked him, and eventually Malcolm fell asleep. Martin begins to tell Eve the story of her sister being in the cell, tied up. In the memory, Martin tells us that Sophie thought he was hired to kill her and she was surprised to be taken by The Surgeon. But if he’s The Surgeon that means he is smart, she can be of value, alive. She asks for one hour to tell him a story of money, influence, and power, if it is interesting enough, she gets to leave. Martin is trying to wrap his brain around the idea of this girl wanting to save her life from one person, to cut a deal with him, another serial killer. Whomever she is running from is worse in Sophie’s eyes, so Martin gives her the hour.
Martin tells Eve and Malcolm it was quite the story, and convinced him to let her go. She is alive after all, however Eve does not believe it, later leaving Malcolm behind. Eve has been chasing someone who does not want to be or cannot be found.
In closing, we see Jessica sorting through dresses for an evening with Nicholas Endicott, while Martin returns to the memory he has of Sophie and of the sounds of young Malcolm waking up, “I can’t let him see you like this, imagine the damage it would do to a young child’s psyche”, while holding a scalpel. Sophie’s presumed last words: “Nicholas Endicott is a monster”.
Prodigal Son returns Monday, April 20 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox