Iconic detectives have long been a mainstay of television. We watched Columbo and Jessica Fletcher solve dozens of murders in the '80s and '90s. And now there's Charlie Cale, played by the gravel-voiced, big-haired Natasha Lyonne, a casino waitress and human lie detector, who is forced to go on the run after getting herself mixed up in a murder. Created by Rian Johnson, and absolutely crammed to the gills with notable guest stars, "Poker Face" is designed to be a throwback to the glory days of episodic mystery shows, where every episode takes place in a new town, with a new cast of characters.
Because "Poker Face" has more ambitions and more of a budget, each episode can feel like it's a different show from week to week. Charlie has a knack for landing service jobs in all kinds of industries, so she can be a cleaner in a retirement community one week and a merch girl for a rock band the next. She also has the uncanny ability to run across ne'er-do-wells, who end up lying to the wrong lady, and Charlie is compelled to call them out. Most of the episodes follow the same formula. First we watch the murder (or other major crime) of the week play out, and then we rewind to see the events from Charlie's point of view. The mystery isn't who committed the crime, but how Charlie will eventually trip them up and discover the truth.
I appreciate that "Poker Face" is designed for casual viewing. There's a scary enforcer played by Benjamin Bratt chasing Charlie across the country, but he only shows up in a handful of episodes. There are a couple of fun characters that pop up again for the finale, and the show rewards you for sticking around, but you can absolutely enjoy each episode by itself. I marveled over how the show had managed to land a cast list so varied and high profile - two of this year's Best Supporting Actress nominees pop up in different episodes - but then, it makes sense that they'd be more willing to sign on for one episode, often in a big, juicy role. These include Chloe Sevigny as a washed up rock star, Tim Blake Nelson as a racecar driver, Judith Light and S. Epatha Merkerson as bitchy retirement home besties, and Nick Nolte playing a special effects guru based off of Phil Tippett.
However, positioning Natasha Lyonne as the star is what really makes the series work. Charlie Cale is a perpetually frazzled, scroungy, lovable soul who seems to be happiest around people, no matter what walk of life. Her greatest strength and her worst fault is that she's empathic and cares about the victims that nobody else does. The whole series kicks off because she won't accept that her best friend Natalie (Dascha Polanco) was killed in a domestic dispute. And once she realizes that someone has lied to her, she's unable to let things go. Many of the criminals she meets along the way are sympathetic and have good reasons for their bad behavior. Charlie often acts as our moral compass, reminding us that no matter what the provocation or what the reward, justice has to be done. Lyonne's performance is a delight throughout - her easy familiarity and rambling cadence immediately recall Peter Falk - she's the epitome of the tough broad with a soft heart.
The production quality is very high, full of little homages to the shows that "Poker Face" takes its influences from. The title screen features a blocky yellow '70s font and a copyright notice. The score is bluesy, with a fun banjo theme announcing Charlie's arrival in every episode. Her ride is a late '60s Barracuda, often the only recurring onscreen element from episode to episode, aside from Charlie herself. Because she's staying off the grid, her world is full of lowlifes and society's rejects, but plenty of nice people too, who Charlie befriends along the way. It helps to foster an old fashioned, analog view of the world that is very nostalgic and appealing. And unlike a lot of TV projects these days, "Poker Face" can go on for as long as it wants. I'm certainly planning on tuning in for another season.
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