Thoughts: Poker Face Season 1

If you like Knives Out and Glass Onion, then I have some good news for you. Rian Johnson has a new murder-mystery show starring Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) as Charlie Cale, a woman who can tell when people are lying. With a power like that, you would think our main character would be a detective or secret agent, but instead Natasha is a woman-on-the-run with no place to call home. Each episode starts with a murder, meaning we already know who the murderer is at the start and allows for you (the viewer) to also have the knowledge of when people are lying. Since Charlie is on the run, this means each episode is set in a different place which makes it super convenient for a rotating roster of characters while also keeping one, season-long narrative arc following the pilot episode. Now it may seem suspect that everywhere she goes a murder occurs, but that's also the same formula that kept Murder, She Wrote on air for 12 seasons. The series also doesn’t provide a weekly structure, but rather spreads time out as Charlie moves from place to place.

Now if more Rian Johnson murder-mystery didn't grab your interest, then you'll be happy to know that each episode runs fast and is smartly written to keep you invested in each murder. What makes the Rian Johnson mysteries great isn't the Who in the whodunit, but the How and the resolution. The joy isn't in trying to figure out who the murderer is, but how they get caught, where the murderer slips up and who gets the information in the end. It's a constant joy as the pieces are slowly revealed at the end, but also clearly show the reveal in the beginning for those who pay close enough attention. There’s trickery in the camera and editing that hides Charlie in the opening information to show that she isn’t just showing up and solving murders, but rather arriving at everything by plot convenience.  

As the series travels around from location to murder, the original driving force from the pilot can get lost, but that’s where the final episode pulls everything together into focus. Those that stick with the series will enjoy all the breadcrumbs scattered throughout the series do actually line up to a solid finale that serves as both a series finale for the current season and a jumping off point for any future seasons the show may receive. I look forward to debating where this show ends up on our year end list, but I think I can safely say that it does make the list.

Now the only downside to Poker Face is that it's exclusively on Peacock, so you may need to sign up for another monthly service, unless you happen to already subscribe to it. Of course you may already be subscribed since it's the only place to watch The Office, but if you're not, this just might be the reason to sign up.