Poker Face Season 2, Episode 4 Review

In season 2, episode 4, "The Taste of Human Blood," Poker Face presents one of its most imaginative (and entertaining) murder mysteries to date. Charlie Cale lands on the Florida Panhandle after securing a much-needed fresh start in episode 3, "Whack-a-Mole," where she randomly places her finger on a map of the United States to determine where she should go first. The episode begins with one of the most outrageous murders in the series' history, which is not surprising given the setting.

Gaby Hoffmann plays Fran, a police officer who is upset about being passed over for "Officer of the Year" eight times in a row in favor of Kumail Nanjiani's "Gator Joe," a corporately sponsored influencer cop with an alligator sidekick who uses TikTok and catchphrases. To make Joe look foolish in front of his admiring fans, Fran gives him a reptile laxative, but the dose kills him. She feeds his corpse to his own alligator, knowing that she will be discovered during the autopsy. Charlie then appears to have joined a group of animal rights activists who want to free Joe's alligator.

The protagonist of Poker Face is an amateur detective who is not formally connected to the police, which sets it apart from other case-of-the-week whodunit programs like Columbo and Ironside. Charlie is planted at a police awards ceremony in the most recent episode, which plays with that distinction. We are watching a detective show in which the only non-cop in the room is our detective.

Tiger King is hilariously parodied by Kumail Nanjiani, and Gaby Hoffmann highlights the absurdity.

Similar to the three-episode season premiere of Poker Face, "The Taste of Human Blood" is centered around a few outstanding guest stars. Hoffmann grounds the absurdity in genuine human feeling. Hoffmann plays the guilt and the panic perfectly, even though the plot's setup is completely absurd, as Charlie notes. Throughout the episode, Nanjiani's Floridian accent comes and goes, but his humor never wanes. Nanjiani is a lot of fun in the role of Gator Joe, who is a cross between Joe Exotic and a generic "Florida Man."

The Florida Panhandle Cop Awards, also known as "FlopaCopas," are presented in the episode as the Oscars of police, and it makes a ton of hilarious jokes out of that ridiculous premise. Every officer in the room boos when the "Best Internal Affairs Investigation" award is given out. Due to his continued involvement with the cartel, the winner of "Best Undercover Cop" is unable to attend the ceremony to accept his award. In addition to being a murder mystery series, Poker Face is also a comedy series, and this episode heavily emphasizes the comedy.

The conclusion of Poker Face Season 2, Episode 4 Completes the Circle of the Story

Wyatt Cain's script culminates in a fantastic conclusion that completes the episode. Feeling guilty, Fran quits the police department and, as a kind of atonement, accepts a position at the alligator sanctuary that the animal rights activists operate. She's doing well, according to her new boss, and she might win "Volunteer of the Month" if she keeps up the good work. This back-to-square-one scenario, reminiscent of the Twilight Zone, implies that she will begin the cycle anew and engage in a deadly, years-long rivalry with another volunteer.

The setup of "The Taste of Human Blood" is far more ridiculous than that of the typical Poker Face episode—it's essentially an extravagant, one-hour Florida Man meme—but it's executed just as cleverly. With new twists that keep you guessing, such as the discovery that Joe's sunglasses were equipped with a live-streaming camera at the time of his death, Cain's script consistently raises the stakes. That "Volunteer of the Month" joke makes up for Fran's moral dilemma near the end, which is a bit too convenient.