Prodigal Son wraps up a strong first season for TWD alum Tom Payne

Tom Payne and the cast of Prodigal Son enjoyed a strong finish to their freshman season, with a second season pickup all but guaranteed.

Prodigal Son was the breakout hit of the 2019-2020 television season. Though this year’s upfronts will look different, there is little doubt that FOX executives will give the show a green light for a second season. That’s great news for The Walking Dead alum Tom Payne and the talented cast who bring the show to life.

Deadline reports that Prodigal Son’s season finale earned a 1.2 in the coveted 18-49 demographic. That, combined with the show’s 3.53 million viewers, was enough to give Prodigal Son the top spot in the 9pm time slot once again.

Though the TWD Family mourned Payne’s departure from The Walking Dead after Jesus was killed by the villainous Whisperers in season 9, Prodigal Son gave Payne a chance to spread his wings as an actor in ways he never could have done in the zombie apocalypse.

Payne joins forces on the show with Lou Diamond Phillips, who also has ties to the TWD Universe. He directed an episode of Fear the Walking Dead in season 4 and he’s a self-described TWD superfan.

Prodigal Son follows the story of criminal profiler Malcolm Bright (Payne), who has a keen understanding of the inner-workings of the criminal mind because his father, Dr. Martin Whitly (Michael Sheen), is one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. Phillips plays Gil Arroyo, the NYPD detective who, as a young beat cop, was almost one of Whitly’s victims if not for young Malcolm’s intervention.

If you haven’t watched Prodigal Son yet, now is a great time to binge the entire season on Hulu or on the FOX app. It has the perfect balance of action, drama, intrigue and suspense, and a whole lot of Tom Payne flexing his acting muscles. Malcolm Bright may not be Jesus, but he’s definitely divine.

News about Prodigal Son’s future should come in the next few weeks as television executives make decisions about the upcoming fall television season. With the impact of novel coronavirus, even if Prodigal Son is renewed it might not air again until 2021 depending on when the show, filmed in New York, can start production.