Poker Face is a case-of-the-week style murder mystery that follows Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), a casino worker with the ability to tell when someone is lying. When things go very wrong, Charlie hits the road where she stumbles upon different mysteries wherever she goes in a “howcatchem” format, popularized by the iconic series Columbo. We know the culprit, and we watch Charlie piece everything together.
In the age of prestige TV, with grand overarching stories designed to cultivate rabid streaming audiences who will obsesses and speculate over what’s next, Poker Face is a throwback.
Created and directed by Rian Johnson, a filmmaker responsible for Knives Out and its recent sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives out Story, which stars Lyonne, Johnson creates smart, quippy, and pristine looking “whodunits” with social commentary mixed.
The “howcathem” formula and retro feel of Poker Face is an incredible work of tribute, but feels so contemporary. Like his films, the writing is sharp and hilarious, but in the series, everything seems much more grounded. Making an interesting mystery is in his wheelhouse, but making the solving of the mystery so entertaining while the audience already knows the culprit is all the more impressive.
Natasha Lyonne is so-so-good as Charlie, not a slick-suited detective like Daniel Craig’s over southern charmer, Benoit Blanc in the Knives Out films. Instead, she’s a raspy-voiced cocktail waitress who just happens to be smarter than everyone she meets.
When the series opens, she is living in a trailer in the desert drinking tall boys in her trucker hat. It’s not long before we learn that her messy, cool demeanor is hiding the fact that she is a human lie detector. Lyonne hits all the marks comedically but also she has real depth and warmth, forming most of her temporary relationships through generally being a good person.
In the pilot, Charlie solves the murder of her friend and co-worker Natalie (Dascha Polanco) at The Frost Casino. After witnessing evidence of a crime on a high roller’s computer, Natalie is killed by Sterling Frost Jr. (Adrien Brody), the sleazy son of the casino owner who is trying to prove himself to the father who considers him a failure. Upon discovering Charlie’s lie detecting skills, Sterling enrolls Charlie in a scheme to take the whole for even more cash.
The episode is meticulously structured with an intricately unfolding narrative. Naturally, Charlie figures out everything and ruins the reputation of the derelict casino putting her in the crosshairs of the ender Frost.
As Charlie goes off the grid, living life on the road, she ventures through the American southwest to Texas and beyond where she meets new characters played by an incredible slate of guest stars and solving mysteries along the way.
Johnson clearly used his clout as a well respected and popular director to land everyone from Brody to Ron Pearlman to Academy Award nominee Hong Chau. Every episode features a new guest star who has something to do with the murder that takes place, whether committing the crime or being implicated. Having such a large, diverse group of heavy hitters for an episode never to be seen again allows for some memorable performances.
For example, “The Stall” features Lil Rel Howry as Taffy Boyle, the slick-talking, snakeskin-boot-wearing purveyor of a popular BBQ joint in Texas who wants to expand the family business but runs into an obstacle in the form of his suddenly vegan pitmaster brother. Howry is clearly having a ball as a villain, a departure from the comic roles he is known for.
Poker Face is just good TV. The experience of watching it is easy and uncomplicated. Everything is laid out perfectly, and its episodes are executed at such a high level that plots will surprise even the most locked-in viewers. It’s one of the Johnson’s best efforts (a very high bar) and a platform for Lyonne to shine.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
