Cho Friday

I know it’s Monday. Cho Friday is what I call Kimball Cho. He’s a character on a crime show: The Mentalist. He’s Chinese*. His manner is curt. His delivery is clipped. His attitude is cool, not to say cold. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, next to the entry for “flat affect” is this picture.

I call him Cho Friday because he reminds me of Joe Friday in the old Dragnet series.

Next time you have seven spare minutes, you might enjoy this video of what the maker calls “the best of Cho“. Not the bits I would have chosen, but good, anyway. And Cho picking up women in a bar is classic.

*I stand corrected: Cho is Korean, not Chinese. Which only goes to prove that, when Cho is on the screen, it ain’t the dialog I’m paying attention to.

WRITING PROMPT: How would three of your characters go about it if he/she had to pick up a stranger in a bar? If you don’t have any characters, yet, come up with three and plan the scenes.

MA

 

About

I was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but now live in the woods in southern Indiana. Though I only write fiction, I love to read non-fiction. The more I learn about this world, the more fantastic I see it is.

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One thought on “Cho Friday

  1. Laura Campbell

    April 4, 2011 at 9:59am

    I never miss an episode of The Mentalist. The writers have been building up Cho’s characterization. Abducted by aliens? Hilarious! Patrick Jane is my favorite. His mischievous behavior keeps you on your toes, trying to figure out the mystery before he reveals it.

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    • Author

      Marian Allen

      April 4, 2011 at 10:21am

      They do very interesting things with the characters. Patrick Jane is a wonderful character. He’s all elfin and twee, but then something touches on his wound and the bleakness behind the fun shows through. The actors all do wonderful jobs. I love how Tim Kang can communicate so much with a deadpan face! And Cho reading WUTHERING HEIGHTS…. lol!

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  2. SueH

    April 4, 2011 at 12:49pm

    I love Cho – sooooooo deadpan in his delivery! ๐Ÿ™‚

    He’s the perfect foil for Rigsby – what a duo!

    I sometimes feel sorry for Van Pelt – she tries so hard to fit in – I wish she and Rigsby could have stayed together…….can’t imagine it’ll all work out well with her current squeeze….

    Lisbon does her best to keep the ‘three-ringed-circus’ under control but is always outdone by Jane, with that mischievous glint in his eye and cheeky grin!

    Yup – The Mentalist is a regular date in this house (daughter watches it too and texts me from her house to comment during the advert breaks!)

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    • Author

      Marian Allen

      April 4, 2011 at 12:59pm

      LOL! I love your daughter texting you comments! I watch it with my mother at her house, so we can comment out loud. She tapes it and we watch it the next evening, so we can pause it if we need to and replay funny bits.

      I never liked Rigsby! I have deep suspicions about him, especially since he persuaded Cho to back him up in a serious lie. I don’t think things will work out with Van Pelt and the FBI guy, either–he looks like he has Red John Victim written all over him.

      My younger daughters and I used to love these little WonderWorks movies back in the (’90’s?) called Frog and Frogs. One of them featured a young Robin Tunney as the geeky love interest. ๐Ÿ™‚

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  3. Carol Preflatish

    April 4, 2011 at 6:23pm

    How can you not love Cho? He has such good timing with his delivery of his lines. Has that guy ever smiled on that show? Love him!

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    • Author

      Marian Allen

      April 4, 2011 at 6:38pm

      He actually has smiled once or twice. ๐Ÿ™‚ He’s totally my favorite character!

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