“Your kung fu is strong, and your magic is powerful…” NCIS: LA, Cheo Coker-style
Watching Collateral, Cheo Coker’s first episode for NCIS: LA, is an inspiring experience.
His former show, SouthLAnd, was all about character, and only about the plot and the crimes when it related to character. SouthLAnd has never been about solving the crime; it’s about understanding the character. Whereas, NCIS: LA is a plot juggernaut, a procedural freight train that requires its characters to deliver high volumes of exposition as its multi-layered crimes are uncovered. Coker has proved himself the master of deep character revelation through minimalist and fiery dialogue; what would he do with a show that demands huge blocks of time devoted to the procedural details?
Turns out, a tremendous amount.
Writers of TV scripts, movie scripts… hell, whatever kind of writer you are, Coker’s episode contained some invaluable lessons.
Read more about those lessons on: dreamingbetweenthelines.wordpress.com
