In honor of Prodigal Son returning for its second season on Tuesday, Nerds and Beyond has been spotlighting some of our favorite characters from the show; Dr. Edrisa Tanaka, played by the wonderful Keiko Agena, undoubtedly falls into this category.
Our favorite M.E. has been a joyous beam of light in a show that can at times be very dark and heavy. Every time her bob makes itself known on our screen, we know that we’re in for a delight. Whether it’s bantering and flirting with Malcolm, making astute (if not inappropriate for the situation) observations, or working her medical magic, Edrisa’s naturally effervescent, keen personality shines through any time she is on the scene. Without further ado, here are some of our favorite Edrisa moments from Season 1 of Prodigal Son.
BRIIIIIIIGHT (a.k.a the tackle)
This is arguably the funniest Edrisa moment from the entirety of season 1. When a victim is stabbed with the upper portion of a champagne bottle, Malcolm is almost blasted by the pressure of the body’s expanding gases causing the cork to fly across the room. Of course, Edrisa can’t let her man get hit, so in a moment of heroic passion, she launches herself into his path, screaming “Briiight!” While she does manage to tackle Malcolm to the ground, she realizes that she misjudged the path of the cork, leaving her sheepishly laying on top of Bright.
Where’s the Pizzazz in a Pillow?
Edrisa once again proving that she’s Malcolm’s ride or die right here. Though her rationale for Malcolm’s innocence might have been slightly… off, Edrisa was the only member of the team that seemed to wholeheartedly believe that he was not responsible for the death of Endicott’s lackey Eddie. The M.E.’s defense of her favorite neurotic profiler not only showcases her loyalty to Bright but her hilarity as well, as this definitely prompted a chuckle from the audience.
He Didn’t Want Me to Kiss Him, Right?
In the finale episode, Malcolm is meeting with Edrisa in the morgue to examine Eddie’s body. Malcolm is trying to figure out who would’ve planted his DNA on the body. As he leaves to go investigate, Edrisa stops him. Stricken with worry, she hugs him tightly and says, “Don’t die” (be still, our hearts). He grabs her shoulders, looks her in the eyes, and reassures her that he’ll be okay. He walks swiftly out of the morgue as Edrisa watches longingly. As he is just out of the morgue she says, “He didn’t want me to kiss him, right?” Her comedic timing is impeccable and we can’t help but giggle in this otherwise serious scene.
Edrisa’s Got It Handled
No one messes with Edrisa’s morgue. No one. This moment is our favorite badass moment of Edrisa’s. Malcolm knows that something was wrong when he called Edrisa, so he goes to check on her. He sees their murder suspect, Leanne, holding a gun to Edrisa. Malcolm calls Gil to let him know the situation (finally he calls for backup). He comes in to the morgue and tries to help subdue Leanne. She wants the victim’s body, but Edrisa refuses. As Malcolm is maintaining Leanne’s attention, Edrisa suddenly whacks her in the head with a metal tray, knocking her out. Malcolm wasn’t expecting it, and neither were we. Edrisa: 1, Killer: 0.
Dr. Tanaka Saves the Day
Did someone call for a doctor? It’s not often Edrisa makes house calls for patients, let alone patients with pulses. Gil, Malcolm, and Edrisa find Dev unconscious in his apartment. Dev was injected with a substance that will start the embalming process before his heart stops. Gil and Malolm turn to Edrisa to save the day, but she freezes. With time running out, Malcolm convinces Edrisa that she knows what to do, and she is the only one who can do this. She gets a rush of confidence, and remembers that ethanol can reverse the effects. Quickly, they find a bottle of alcohol and a syringe, and Edrisa injects it into Dev’s vein. Saving his life, she grabs the alcohol from Gil and says, “That’s good.” We can’t blame Edrisa for trying to calm down, especially after such an intense and stressful incident. After that adrenaline rush, we’d probably grab a drink, or two.
Who Invited Their Coke Dealer?
This scene is embedded in Prodigies’ memories forever, not just because of how handsome Tom Payne is in his Miami Vice-esque suit, but because of our favorite doctor’s commentary. Edrisa cracking jokes at Malcolm’s expense is priceless, especially because she is usually so sweet to him. Seeing Edrisa laugh it up with the rest of the team highlighted how easily her presence brightens the room, bringing smiles and laughter to otherwise grim situations.
This show simply wouldn’t be the same without the ray of sunshine that is Edrisa Tanaka. We can’t wait to see more of the bubbly M.E. in season 2 — especially since we will be getting an Edrisa-centric episode, according to information obtained in our exclusive interview with the showrunners.
Prodigal Son returns to FOX on Tuesday, January 12 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
Authors: Kenedi, Kailey
