Poker Face, the new comedic detective/crime series from writer/director Rian Johnson, is easily one of the best series NBC has produced for both traditional and streaming television in years. A cynic would say, “well that’s not a very high bar to clear.” While that cynic wouldn’t be wrong, it would also be selling this incredibly beguiling series short.
The magic of this series comes from the one-two combination of Johnson’s dynamic writing and sense of cinematic mixing perfectly with the utterly captivating and wildly charismatic performance by Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll). The result is a perfect blend of the best parts of the famed detective series Columbo, mixed with Rian Johnson’s work in the Knives Out franchise, and combined with his first film, the wildly underrated high school noir, Brick.
The series follows Charlie Cale (Lyonne) a former card player turned casino worker who has an uncanny ability to tell if someone is lying. Her talents are put into play by her boss, Sterling Frost Jr. (Adrien Brody, The Pianist), and his pit boss, Cliff LeGrand (Benjamin Bratt, Coco). However, after things go sideways in the premiere episode “Dead Man’s Hand,” Charlie hits the road with Cliff hot on Charlie’s tail at the order of Sterling’s father (Ron Pearlman, Hellboy). While on the run, Charlie runs into mysteries that require her special brand of lie-detecting and amateur sleuthing.
Poker Face, unlike most procedurals, shows the audience the crime in its entirety at the top of the episode. The rest of the episode follows Charlie as she tries to solve the case. It’s a risky narrative structure, but luckily Johnson’s writing and Lyonne’s performance prevent the audience from ever losing interest in the story. Johnson is able to keep the overarching narrative (Charlie being chased by Frost and Cliff) in the background of episodes as an impending doom that looms over Charlie like a dark cloud. He is also able to craft enough credible roadblocks for Charlie to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. The audience is also reminded, constantly, that Charlie is not a cop nor a private investigator – she’s a regular person with a wild gift of lie detection, an insatiable curiosity, and a definite moral compass (that does waver a bit from time to time).
Lyonne’s performance meshes so perfectly with Johnson’s writing. She’s able to simultaneously discharge Johnson’s rapid-fire dialogue with a laidback, hungover ease. Lyonne is able to take this character who has a pretty ridiculous skillset and steep her in an every-person role. She’s so remarkable, clever, and unique but never feels like a “quirky” character like Simon Baker’s The Mentalist or Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock. She’s an actual human being, not some sort of hyperactive, grating, self-important genius. Charlie is your friend from the bar, the person you went to high school with, or that funny character you run into on a road trip at a convenience store. She’s cut from a human cloth, not an abstract character placed into impossible situations.
The icing on the cupcake for Poker Face is the “guest of the week.” Adrien Brody is absolutely brilliant in the premiere episode as the slimy casino boss. Honestly, this may be one of the Oscar winners’ best performances in forever (and he’s been brilliant in Wes Anderson’s movie). John Ratzenberger, yes, Cliff Claven himself, delivers a shockingly emotional performance in the second episode. The rest of the series features a spoil of riches in Lil’ Rel Howrey (Get Out), Oscar nominee Hong Chau (The Whale), Chloe Sevigny (Shattered Glass), Jameela Jamil (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law), Luis Guzman (Wednesday), Nick Nolte (The Mandalorian), and Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once).
Poker Face is the type of mystery/detective series that has been sorely missing from television for years. It has multi-layered stories that never get too heady or complicated, nor do they ever dumb things down for its audience. It’s littered with brilliant performances, crackerjack writing, and film-level cinematography, and the series is anchored by a unique, charismatic lead that lacks pretension. It’s wildly enjoyable and a super fun week-to-week watch. While the series has not grabbed headlines like The Last of Us, Poker Face, much like the HBO post-apocalyptic series, is one of the first must-watch series of 2023.
