Rian Johnson‘s Poker Face series has been a critical darling since its debut. The series, which puts a dynamic spin on investigative procedurals, delivered an impressive freshman season thanks to its riveting lead played by Natasha Lyonne, compelling story, and all-star guest appearances. The show’s unique storytelling approach does a great job of keeping the audience engaged with every twist and turn, ensuring its place as a TV show worthy of all attention.
At the forefront of the show, Lyonne plays Charlie Cale, the human equivalent of a lie detector. On the run from people who want her dead, Lyonne’s Charlie is seen going from city-to-city, solving murders, and doing her best to stay alive. The series also landed the rare and coveted 100% rating score on Rotten Tomatoes upon release. Here’s why this atypical detective show comes together so well.
1. The Poker Face Series Puts A New Spin On Episodic Storytelling
Unlike Rian Johnson’s usual whodunit plot, the Poker Face series explores a new and different subgenre, “howcatchem”. In Howcatchems, the crime, and often enough – the perpetrator, is revealed early on in the story, which then follows the protagonists as they try to solve the mystery.vIn Poker Face, as Charlie runs from her dead boss’s father and his henchman (Benjamin Bratt), she travels to different towns around the US. She also solves crimes that somehow seem to keep presenting themselves to her.
The story just about takes on the howcatchem format of detective shows like 1970s Columbo and offers a modern twist to the genre. In the series, the audience gets to follow the protagonist’s journey as she solves the murders she comes across. However in this series, Poker Face presents a less enclosed series as Charlie gets to solve new cases in a variety of settings while narrowly escaping her pursuers.
2. The Story’s Overall Chase Is Riveting
The Poker Face series does not only present us with one murder case but gives us several strange cases throughout the season. In addition to this, we have Charlie’s close-call escapes from the powerful man who wants her dead. The chase in this series is truly riveting. Charlie is essentially a human lie detector, who as it turns out, is a bit too good at solving murders. These amateur detective skills eventually place her off the grid and on the run by the second episode of the season. However, it seems her lie-sniffing superpower just keeps attracting murder cases wherever she goes.
Whether it’s a taco stand, a barbecue joint, or a retirement home, the cases just keep rolling in. This slowly forms a cycle in each episode – the killing, the search for the truth, the reveal, and finally, her escape. The rising tension, thrilling chases, and sudden relief when she gets away are all just plain exhilarating.
3. Poker Face Has A Revolving Door Of Superstar Guests
This may just be one of the greatest things about this series. Not very many TV shows have featured as many guest stars in one season. There were almost 50 heavyweight actors who appeared as guest stars in season 1 of Poker Face alone. The show has featured the likes of Hong Chau, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Judith Light, Ellen Barkin, Chloe Sevigny, Adrien Brody, Stephanie Hsu, Ron Perlman, Dascha Polanco, and Lil Rey Howery to mention a few. Unsurprisingly, the guest stars deliver stunning performances allowing each episode to be a celebration of talent and story telling.
4. Natasha Lyonne Gives A Powerhouse Performance
Lyonne’s performances in Russian Doll, and Orange is the New Black were all the credibility she needed for this role. She is the perfect fit for the witty, skeptical, and quick-on-her-feet Charlie. Lyonne’s work stands out mostly because she never truly loses herself in a role — there’s always bits of her original self in there for viewers to connect with.
As opposed to her popular role as Nadia Vulvokov in Russian Doll, where she was slightly tense and panicky, her character here is a bit more relaxed and in control. She’s deliberate and cautious, all while staying humorous and charming. Yet, through it all, she maintains her signature world-weary impression. Even more, she impresses the audience as a woman whose accumulated experiences have made her cynical yet sympathetic. Charlie isn’t just drawn to these murders because she has the smarts for it, but because she hates injustice and can’t look the other way, often putting her life and freedom on the line to find the truth.
5. Rian Johnson’s Love For Murder Mystery Makes For Good TV
From his previous movies Knives out and Glass onion, it’s easy to tell that Rian Johnson‘s appetite for whodunits is almost unquenchable. Although he didn’t write and produce all the episodes, his influence is definitely evident in the entire show. The Poker Face series can be considered his love letters to murder mysteries. His creative writing, an awesome lead character, and notable guest stars make for an overall winning combination.
READ NEXT: Rian Johnson Talks All Things ‘Poker Face’ On Peacock
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