prodigal son episode count s1
“Prodigal Son,” starring Tom Payne, has more new episodes on the way than originally planned. Peter Kraemer / Fox

With an upgraded Season 1 episode count, it seems Fox’s new serial killer drama, “Prodigal Son,” isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Ahead of airing the show’s third Season 1 episode last Monday (Oct. 7), the network announced it had ordered nine additional episodes of the crime drama, which follows psychologist Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) as he helps the NYPD solve murders, thanks to his talent of knowing how murderers think because his father, Dr. Martin Whitly (Michael Sheen), was one of the worst serial killers around.

Originally, the Fox series was set to have 13 episodes, but that total has now been raised to 22 episodes for Season 1.

“PRODIGAL SON delivers a fantastic crime procedural with a complicated and compelling father-son relationship at its core, thanks to the stellar performances from Tom Payne and Michael Sheen,” Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment for FOX Entertainment, said in a press release. “The series has razor-sharp writing, cinematic visuals and is an inventive twist on the genre. We want to thank our executive producers, Greg [Berlanti], Sarah [Schechter], Chris [Fedak] and Sam [Sklaver], Peter Roth and our partners at Warner Bros., and the entire cast and crew. We can’t wait to see how this twisted journey continues to unfold.”

Extending the run of the season is a good sign for the future of the show, but it doesn’t mean it’s been renewed for a Season 2 just yet. It does mean a renewal is more likely now than it would’ve been had the network decided to keep the episode count at 13, though.

There’s still a ways to go until viewers have to worry about whether or not there will be a Season 2 of “Prodigal Son.” Until then, episode 4, titled “Designer Complicity,” airs tonight. Here’s what the new episode is all about:

“As Malcolm’s childhood memories start to take shape, he realizes his father’s killing spree may not have been a surprise to everyone in his family. While Malcolm continues to investigate his past, the murder of a famous model and social media influencer sends him, Gil [Lou Diamond Phillips], Dani [Aurora Perrineau] and JT [Frank Harts] on the hunt for a stalker with a creepy eye for design.”

Catch new episodes of “Prodigal Son” on Mondays on Fox at 9 p.m. EDT.