Prodigal Son

Sheen is brilliant as Whitly, combining the face of a Blue Peter presenter with the mind of the Yorkshire Ripper. ... It is ludicrous, but there’s sufficient sadism, psychobabble and Sheen to keep you distracted from the odd confusing plotline.

Performances carry the day, here: Payne is edgy and hopped-up as a young man in a perpetual state of ultra-anxiety. ... Sheen cleverly carries off a character with all the urbane wit of Hannibal Lecter, but evil buried further under the surface. ... The show, though, is completely in control, deploying Sheen carefully, well, and never too much. It’s a program that provides a creepy jolt while never reveling in darkness for its sake.

“Prodigal Son” isn’t going to set ratings charts on fire, but it’s a solid mystery/drama after a long Monday, one that plays on our increasing obsession with serial killers and grisly murders with an engaging, talented ensemble.

Or, “My Dad’s a Serial Killer.”

The two lead performances make me want to see more. ... Prodigal Son is more than several cuts below that Oscar-lauded classic. Still, it’s better than chopped liver, of which Dr. Martin Whitly has shown he knows a thing or two.

What a richly bonkers soup it is.

“Prodigal Son,” on Fox, is the Foxiest, an edgy, eccentric, style-forward series. ... It’s all a little overheated and fancy for my taste. ... Still, says Malcolm’s mother (Bellamy Young), “the media loves a charismatic serial killer.” So do TV writers, and so, perhaps, do you.

So weirdly stupid that it might actually be good. Or, then again, just weird and stupid.

Through three episodes, Sheen goes very light on psychotic menace, a refreshing choice that also allows for future revelations about Martin’s motives. When the show leaves Martin’s cell, it becomes an unexceptional procedural.

The entire story line, in fact, is a bit extreme for prime-time network TV. The problem is, the creators seem to think so, too. Any sense of dread is diluted by the light comedy generated among the supporting cast. ... It's a bit baffling. ... Basically, “Prodigal Son” is, at the outset, a dark show that doesn’t take its darkness seriously enough. By episode 2 matters settle down, and pilots are always misleading, so there’s hope the program will find a groove.

Malcolm cut off communication with his dad 10 years ago but turns to him for consultation on a new case. These scenes are far less entertaining than those with Malcolm’s mother, played by “Scandal” star Bellamy Young, hamming it up. These moments give “Prodigal Son” an occasional “Castle” vibe.

Some tonal tweaks could turn this eagerly outrageous crime drama into something enjoyably out there, but for now, it’s just the craziest “Silence of the Lambs” knock-off yet.