Prodigal Son was hailed as one of the most anticipated new shows on television and for a good reason. With fast-paced action, intriguing crime, and witty writing, it’s no wonder the show has quickly gathered an ever-growing fanbase. While the show centers on profiler Malcolm Bright, he’s joined by an amazing group of NYPD detectives, including Lt. Gil Arroyo, Dani Powell, and JT Tarmel.
JT and Malcolm have a strained relationship initially, which results in some hilarious banter and one-liners from JT. With season 2 just around the corner, we’re taking a look back at our favorite JT lines from season 1!
“Was it weird?”
JT and Malcolm had a strained working relationship from the very beginning of the show, and it has blessed us with some truly hilarious and sometimes awkward moments like this one. Malcolm finally decides to address the elephant in the room, the fact that his father is a notorious serial killer, and lets JT ask all the questions he wants. Of course, JT is a man of few words, and he gets right the crux of the matter, “Was it weird?” he asks. When we’re expecting some deep questions, his simple and straightforward one is both funny and perfect!
“If Bright was an actual state, he’d be Florida.”
Many of JT’s best lines poke fun at Malcolm, be it his unusual crime-solving methods or, in this case, his generally chaotic personality. When a “professional psychologist” asks about JT’s impression of Malcolm, he gives a truly hilarious answer, “If Bright was an actual state, he’d be Florida”, and we can’t say that we disagree with him!
“He’s literally covered in drugs.”
When the team arrives on a crime scene where the victim has his tongue cut out and several thousand dollars worth of drugs dumped on him, Malcolm questions where drugs are the motive, to which JT rightly replies, “he’s literally covered in drugs.” Thanks to Frank Harts’s excellent comedic timing, his delivery of this very matter of fact line gets a chuckle every single time. Sometimes detective work is straightforward, and JT isn’t afraid to point it out.
“Nobody.”
Any interaction that the NYPD squad has with Martin Whitly is sure to be interesting. With that many intelligent people in one room, or one phone call, we were bound to be treated to some comedy as well, and boy were we. When Gil demands that Martin’s call be paged through so the whole squad can hear his theory, JT momentarily gets lost in the flow of theories and crime-solving, causing him to talk. Out loud … for Martin to hear. He realizes his mistake as Martin hungrily latches on to the new voice, asking who is speaking. JT answers “nobody”, unwilling to continue interacting with the serial killer, and who can blame him!
“I thought it literally was a science.”
Malcolm’s frustrations with forming an accurate profile lead him and JT into some hilarious banter when he tells JT, “it’s not like it’s a science”, to which JT replies, “I thought it literally was a science.” As we watch through tears of laughter, Malcolm looks even more frustrated, and Gil attempts to wave JT off, but JT doesn’t relent, “What? Didn’t he tell us that on, like, the first day?”
“Could you not touch me with your shaky bandage hand?”
JT and Malcolm have a bit of bonding in episode 4 as they look for suspects at a memorial for the celebrity victim. When Malcolm tries to profile him, JT relents and explains his connection to Tatiana. In an attempt to be reassuring, Malcolm puts his bandaged hand (which also has the tremor) on his shoulder, but it only serves to creep JT out a little. “Could you not touch me with your shaky bandage hand,” he requests. We are also treated to the hilarious exchange of Malcolm saying, “nice work, partner”, but JT is not about that: “Let’s not call each other that, ok?” These two are truly peak comedy.
“I’m out.”
We find it a little amusing that JT is squeamish even with the kind of things he must see every day on the weird cases he works. While visiting Edrisa in the morgue for details on the victim, she casually points over her shoulder (nowhere near the body) when discussing the victim’s penis. JT interjects immediately to ask why she would point well … not at the body, and she informs him, “that’s where Caleb’s penis is.” That’s the final straw for JT as he says, “I’m out,” and has to look away while she continues her analysis.
“Be honest, did you kill the guy just so you could get back to work?”
JT hasn’t been shy about his skepticism of Malcolm, and when Malcolm is supposed to be on vacation, JT jokingly asks if he killed the victim just so he could get back to work. It’s a light-hearted moment that makes us laugh every time!
“The thing’s the size of a peanut, and you’re already profiling it?”
JT quickly shushes Malcolm when he manages to deduce that Tally and JT are expecting thanks to JT, knowing a little too much about sip-n-see parties. It’s still very early, and JT is more than a little worried that “the thing’s the size of a peanut, and you’re already profiling it”. Malcolm promises to keep his secret and even gives JT some sage advice, “Don’t become a serial killer,” when JT worries that his baby might turn out like Malcolm. It’s all kinds of funny and endearing and brings them a little closer.
“Bright’s our guy. We can’t just sit around.”
Ok, so this one isn’t funny, but it showcases how quickly JT has accepted Malcolm. In the course of just 11 episodes, Malcolm went from the weirdo profiler to “one of us” and “our guy”. He’s accepted Malcolm as part of the team, and even though he gives him a hard time, JT is prepared to fight in order to save Malcolm from the Junkyard Killer.
JT Tarmel has become one of our favorite characters on Prodigal Son thanks to his sharp humor and constant back and forth with Gil and Malcolm, as well as his excellent detective skills! We can’t wait to see him back in action in season 2 and hopefully gather more clues to the all-important question, what does JT stand for?
Prodigal Son returns to FOX on January 12 at 9/8 C.
