Conceived by Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver, ‘Prodigal Son’ is an American crime procedural drama TV series for the Fox network that was released on September 23, 2019. It stars Tom Payne, Lou Diamond Phillips, Halston Sage, Aurora Perrineau, Frank Harts, Keiko Agena, Bellamy Young, and Michael Sheen.
The show has so far launched a total of two seasons. The series is executively produced by Lee Toland Krieger, Sarah Schechter, Sam Sklaver, Chris Fedak, Greg Berlanti, and Adam Kane.
After a dramatic cliffhanger in the season two finale, fans can’t help but wonder about the third season of Prodigal Son. Here’s what we know about season 3 of Prodigal Son.
Is Season 3 of Prodigal Son Renewed or Cancelled?
Sadly, Fox canceled the show in May 2021 after airing for two seasons which came as an utter surprise to fans leaving them without a proper ending. Consequently, there’s been no official announcement or update
Speaking with TVLine, star Lou Diamond Phillips disclosed that both the cast and staff were beyond stunned to learn of the cancellation of Prodigal Son. “Ultimately, when [Fox] approved a cliffhanger at the end of Season 2, I thought there was no question. You don’t do that if you’re going to pull the plug,” he explained. The actor also expanded that if Season 3 had happened, the show would have shown the viewers a romance between Jessica Whitly and Gil Arroyo.
The actor also admitted he’s “stung by it” even after months of learning about the show’s abrupt cancellation. “I’m not denigrating any other shows, but there’s so much that’s run-of-the-mill and safe and middle-of-the-road on television,” Phillips proceeds. “For Prodigal Son to be as unique and different and exciting [as it was], and to have that cast — I just really feel as if this was a mistake.”
Prodigal Son Season 3 Release Date
There is no official announcement or update covering the air date for season 3 of Prodigal Son because Fox has canceled the show for good. The last episode was aired on May 18, 2021. However, fans are still demanding the series to continue and give the characters a proper send-off and a satisfying ending. Although it’s highly unlikely that season three will ever happen
The Cast of Prodigal Son Season 3
If ever a third season happens, the characters that are expected to return includes–
- Tom Payne will be back as Malcolm Bright, Lou Diamond Phillips will act as Gil Arroyo
- Halston Sage will play Ainsley Whitley
- Aurora Perrineau will portray Daniel Powell
- Frank Harts will play JT Tarmel
- Keiko Agena plays Edrisa Tanaka
- Michael Sheen portrays Martin Whitely
- Bellamy Young plays Jessica Whitly
In season two finale, we witnessed that Bright killed Martin (Michael Sheen) but he’ll most probably be back in the show if season three happens.
“I mean, he might be dead,” co-creator Fedak remarked. “However, if we did anything that would prohibit Michael Sheen from returning to the show in the future, we’d be awful writers.”
In addition, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones was also expected to appear in season three. “We hadn’t yet provided Catherine our S3 proposal,” Sklaver said to EW. “We have a normal and not at all unusual story for her in S3.” Despite all the plans for the next season, we’re highly disappointed that we won’t ever get to see it.
What Would Have Happened If Prodigal Son Season 3 is Renewed?
In a recent interview, the creators of the show did reveal that they had “big” plans for season 3. “The spine of the season was Bright becoming his own man,” Sklaver explained. “The Dani-Bright relationship was key, along with a new ‘venue’ where Martin could shine.”
Certainly, it appears Martin is still alive at the end of the second season even though he obtained a fatal injury.“I mean, he could be dead,” confessed Fedak. “But we’d be really bad writers if we did anything that means Michael Sheen couldn’t be a part of the show going forward.”
The executive producers also revealed they anticipated Catherine Zeta-Jones who plays Vivian returning in season 3 if only the show was not canceled. “We hadn’t pitched Catherine our plan for S3, but yes…” Sklaver said. “We have a totally sane and not at all crazy story for her in S3.”
So, will there ever be season three of Prodigal Son? “I don’t know what our chances are,” Fedak disclosed, “but writing for these actors and this crew was a great privilege. I hope we get to work together again.”
Seasons 1 & 2 of Prodigal Son are available for streaming on Netflix.
