Thanks to Lyonne and good writing, ‘Poker Face’ hits the jackpot
Published at | Updated at
Rian Johnson is on a roll.
After hitting up audiences recently with the Netflix original “Glass Onion,” the latest chapter in the saga of Benoit Blanc from “Knives Out,” Johnson keeps the murder-mystery goodness coming with “Poker Face.” With the help of Natasha Lyonne and some rock-solid writing, he created another brilliant and compelling character that’s really good at getting to the truth.
“Poker Face” is a murder-of-the-week-style series set around Charlie Cale (Lyonne). A cocktail waitress with an uncanny gift for being able to tell when someone is lying, Charlie lost her livelihood as a high-stakes gambler when she was blackballed for using her gift to win lots of money.
The show’s pilot picks up some years later when Charlie is swept up in the mystery surrounding the murder of a friend. At the same time, Sterling (Adrien Brody), who runs the casino where Charlie works, enlists her in a plot to rip off an affluent customer. As Charlie gets closer to putting the pieces of the mystery together, she begins to run afoul of Sterling and his enforcer, Cliff (Benjamin Bratt), endangering her own life.
“Poker Face” isn’t necessarily a whodunit. We know right from the start who killed Charlie’s friend and, in general, why they did it. The show derives its fun from allowing us to be flies on the wall as Charlie unravels the mystery and schemes to get the guilty parties brought to justice. It’s more like a mystery story in reverse, where the audience has the details but gets to watch Charlie make those discoveries.
It works pretty well mainly because Lyonne has everything she needs to create a complex, compelling character. Charlie is a tough, no-nonsense type with a murky past we only get a few clues about and a connection to the show’s big bad guy. Lyonne gives her a sassiness and plenty of quirks that make her feel like an actual person you might meet at the bar or the grocery store.
While Lyonne is the glue that holds “Poker Face” together, the pilot featured an excellent cast to give her support. Brody is shady and slimy and not nearly as smart s he thinks he is. He’s everything you’d expect a spoiled rich brat running his daddy’s casino to be.
Bratt is also great. He doesn’t say a whole lot but you can tell he means business by the way he carries himself. Throw in some solid work from actors in smaller roles and the “Poker Face” has a collection of characters other shows would kill for.
Johnson, who wrote and directed the first episode, proves once again that he knows how to slap together a great mystery yarn. With Charlie, he’s created another mystery solver who’s every bit as watchable as Benoit Blanc and maybe a bit easier to relate to. His story structure twists back around on itself chronologically, keeping you hooked by letting you in on what you missed in a way that feels like you’re discovering some important element of the mystery.
“Poker Face” is fast, witty and fun. Charlie is the kind of character you get hooked on watching and seeing her outwit people who’ve gotten too big for their britches is truly a joy.
”Poker Face” is currently available to stream with a premium subscription to Peacock. New episodes drop each Thursday through March 9th. The show is rated TV-MA for violence and profanity.