Poker Face Season 2, Episode 5 Review

A entertaining but predictable (and ultimately underwhelming) episode of Poker Face features Charlie Cale facing off against a former small-town baseball pitcher who possesses a lethal fastball. "Hometown Hero," the fifth episode of Poker Face season 2, is the season's first significant disappointment. Although there are some funny moments and some amazing guest stars in this episode, it doesn't live up to the high bar the series has set for itself.

Washed-up Minor League pitcher "Rocket" Russ Waddell is portrayed by Simon Rex, who is most known for playing the lead in Sean Baker's Red Rocket. Rocket devises a plan to wager against his own struggling team, the Cheesemongers, in the few games he has left after losing his renowned fastball and being relegated to groundskeeper. His $3.1 million gambling yield is threatened when a young, up-and-coming player is brought in to take his position on the mound in his final game, throwing a wrench in the plans.

Rex enjoys himself immensely when he intentionally loses baseball games, which makes for a terrific comic setup. In "The Losing Edge," a South Park episode that can be seen over and over again, it was employed to hilarious effect. Because of the way the game is designed, losing requires just as much strategy and work as winning. When his new adversary discovers the plan and wants all the earnings during a profitable five-game losing streak, Rocket kills him with a fastball to the back of the skull and pretends it was a batting-cage accident.

The weakest episode of Poker Face Season 2 to date is "Hometown Hero."

Charlie's involvement in these killings is always entertaining, especially when it turns out that she was present for the majority of the first act but we didn't see her. After being struck down by a fly ball in "Hometown Hero," she is employed as a ball girl. Natasha Lyonne and fellow legend Carol Kane, who portrays Lucille, the team's owner, are a pleasure to see on screen together, but the show falls short of expectations with that intriguing comedy duo.

The cosmic journey seen through the meth gator's eyes in last week's Poker Face episode is comparable to Charlie's animated acid trip. These surrealistic moments should not be overdone in the series since they take away from the sinister mysteries that make it so interesting and run the risk of making it into a cartoon. The lengthy journey scene drags on for far too long, isn't hilarious, and, worst of all, doesn't significantly advance the plot.

There Are Not Enough Twists in Poker Face Season 2, Episode 5

Charlie concludes that Rocket is the murderer the moment the coroner's report reveals that the lethal fastball was traveling at over 100 miles per hour, which is significantly quicker than the clumsy old pitching machine can throw them out. She then gets into his head a bit too readily when she confronts him. He knows she is lying to get him to show off his fastball and expose himself as the murderer, so he laughs when she tells him there is a major league scout in the grandstand. He nevertheless goes out there and pitches at 101 mph, drawing the attention of the police.

Even after Charlie identifies the murderer, the majority of Poker Face episodes keep viewers interested by escalating their mysteries with fresh turns. However, after she concludes that Rocket is the murderer, the remainder of "Hometown Hero" unfolds in a rather simple and predictable manner. The extra twists and turns that typically make these shows so excitingly surprising are absent. Charlie saw that coroner's report, and I knew exactly how it was going to shake out. Normally, I have no idea where each Poker Face episode is heading, which is why I adore this series.