TV

Poker Face

Charlie Cale is Columbo for the streaming era.

Photo: Karolina Wojtasik/Peacock

Having already defined the modern mystery movie with Knives Out and Glass Onion, writer-director Rian Johnson turns to the small screen with Poker Face, a mostly episodic new mystery series streaming on Peacock.

Natasha Lyonne stars as Charlie Cale, a woman with an uncanny ability to tell if somebody is lying. When circumstances force her to hit the road, Charlie keeps getting in situations where somebody is dead and she’s the key to identifying the killer. The show, by virtue of its episodic nature, has an all-star cast of supporting players, including Adrien Brody, Time Blake Nelson, Stephanie Hsu, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hong Chau, Chloë Sevigny and many more.

  1. Episode 10 The Hook
    Poker Face Season-Finale Recap: How Deep to Dig the Hole Poker Face has one last big reveal up its sleeve.
  2. Episode 9 Escape From Shit Mountain
    Poker Face Recap: What Are Men to Rocks and Mountains? Joseph Gordon-Levitt crackles with chaotic energy in Poker Face’s best episode yet.
  3. Episode 8 The Orpheus Syndrome
    Poker Face Recap: Don’t Look Back Other installments have made Charlie’s role small, but in this episode (directed and co-written by Natasha Lyonne), she’s almost unnecessary.
  4. Episode 7 The Future of the Sport
    Poker Face Recap: Listen, All Y’all, It’s a Sabotage What is Charlie’s life at this point but a series of left turns?
  5. Episode 6 Exit Stage Death
    Poker Face Recap: There Are No Small Roles This week’s episode feels like an experiment — can you make a satisfying episode of Columbo that barely stars Columbo?
  6. Episode 5 Time of the Monkey
    Poker Face Recap: You Can’t Kill the Revolution Irene and Joyce’s murder is pretty badass to watch — like if The Golden Girls joined Fight Club.
  7. Episode 4 Rest in Metal
    Poker Face Recap: You Can’t Un-murder Someone Doxxxology’s got a killer new song.
  8. Episode 3 The Stall
    Poker Face Recap: The Dead (Meat) Poets Society When two brothers who run a barbecue stall have a beef, Charlie uncovers a meaty conspiracy.
  9. Episode 2 The Night Shift
    Poker Face Recap: Little Miss Galahad Despite the Columbo inspiration, Charlie is a drifter with a strange power, not a detective with any jurisdiction.
  10. Episode 1 Dead Man’s Hand
    Poker Face Series-Premiere Recap: A Knives Out TV Mystery Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne’s weekly whodunit kicks off with a fun low-stakes romp.

The Latest on Poker Face

  1. best of 2023
    The 10 Best TV Needle Drops of 2023From Tori Amos to Technotronic.
    By Sophie Brookover
  2. screen time
    Why Does Poker Face Look So Good?The cinematographer is a self-taught coder who makes digital video look like film.
    By Lane Brown
  3. rankings
    Poker Face’s Best Guest Stars, RankedSo many suspects, so many character actors!
    By Jackson McHenry
  4. chat room
    Benjamin Bratt Asked to Keep the Penis Ring From the Poker Face FinaleBreaking down the disdain and desire that drive Charlie Cale’s final nemesis: “He’s obsessed with Burn Notice and thinks, ‘I could be on TV.’”
    By Roxana Hadadi
  5. close read
    Poker Face Toes the Thin Blue LineIs it possible to make a show about crime and punishment that isn’t copaganda? That’s a mystery season one couldn’t quite solve.
    By Roxana Hadadi
  6. exit interview
    Rian Johnson Wants Poker Face to Break Expectations Without Breaking FormThe creator of Peacock’s howdunit discusses the virtues of episodic structure and the challenges of keeping it satisfying week after week.
    By Kathryn VanArendonk
  7. can’t read my
    Poker Face Season Two? We Wouldn’t Lie About ItNatasha Lyonne will be back on the case.
    By Jason P. Frank
  8. buffering
    Could Peacock Maybe, Finally, Be Having a Moment?The shows are clicking, but will it be enough for the struggling streamer? Content chief Susan Rovner is betting on it.
    By Josef Adalian
  9. chat room
    Poker Face’s John Darnielle Wants to Hear the Rest of ‘Merch Girl’ Too“I’m about the 11th cleverest writer of my generation, but ‘Merch girl had nothing up her sleeve’ I was extremely happy with.”
    By Kathryn VanArendonk
  10. fear factor
    Natasha Lyonne’s Accent Gets ‘More New York’ When She’s Scared“When I get nervous, I get more New York to, like, protect myself from strangers.”
    By Alejandra Gularte
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