Poker Face Season 2, Episodes 1-3 Review

With another round of twisty, mind-blowing, lie-detecting murder investigations, Natasha Lyonne's incredibly intelligent mystery-of-the-week series, Poker Face, is back, and this time, it's just as clever as the first. Charlie Cale is once again evading the mob, conveniently running into killers along the way, and using her extraordinary talent for figuring out whether someone is telling the truth to solve each case. Poker Face is more of a "howcatchem" than a whodunnit. Each episode follows the Columbo tradition of revealing the murder up front and then leaving you to wonder how Charlie will solve it.

Every Poker Face episode follows a well-known formula, and formulas quickly become stale. However, the formula remains flawless in season 2. We are introduced to a new character in the first act who kills someone, then appears to cover it up, get away with it, and move on with their life. Enter Charlie, who will discover some suspicious clues, become enmeshed in the case, and solve everything. It's amazing how many different combinations the authors have created because it's a very specific template. Each episode feels completely new.

Everything You Would Want From A Contemporary Columbo Is Found In A Poker Face

The devilishly intricate mystery that opens Poker Face's season 2 premiere, "The Game is a Foot," is as well-crafted and hilariously tongue-in-cheek as its title. The episode is anchored by Cynthia Erivo as identical sextuplets, which keeps you on your toes and displays Erivo's amazing acting abilities. Charlie may be giving away important information to the wrong person because she never knows which sister she is speaking to. It's the ideal way to reintroduce the show's unique twist-laden, be cautious who you trust narrative style.

Giancarlo Esposito plays Fred in the second episode, "Last Looks," who is a seemingly mild funeral director with a startlingly dark side. For this role, Esposito was the ideal guest star. He has made a career of portraying characters who hide their true evil behind a friendly, unassuming exterior since his famous role as Gus Fring. Esposito is just as terrifying as his Breaking Bad villain when Charlie catches him and he turns on her.

Although the third episode, "Whack-a-Mole," departs significantly from the standard plot—Charlie is taken hostage by a gangster during a police raid—it is equally, if not more, brilliant than the previous episodes. The initial gunfight appears to be fairly simple, but the episode then rewinds to reveal a mole, a corrupt police officer, a few covert phone conversations, and a prearranged ruse that greatly complicates matters. Every turn culminates in an exciting stand-alone battle that skillfully establishes the season's premise.

Natasha Lyonne Is Still Happy

Natasha Lyonne is still entertaining. Her skills are ideal for a hard-boiled amateur detective who travels from town to town. She has the same moxie, sharp mind, and fierce badassness as the character. She perfectly captures the jazz-like cadence of each pontificating monologue and the dry delivery of each witty one-liner. And it's not just Lyonne—season 2's guest cast is even more impressive than season 1's, including John Mulaney, Richard Kind, and Katie Holmes.

In addition to having its own serialized arc, the three-episode premiere of Poker Face's second season also follows the same episodic case-of-the-week format as the first. Charlie is shown to be evading mafia hitmen in the first episode. Beatrix Hasp, Rhea Perlman's mob boss, eventually catches up to her in the second one. Additionally, Beatrix makes Charlie work for her in the third one. Poker Face season 2 is off to a great start thanks to this triple whammy of wildly unpredictable crime stories, and I'm excited to see where Charlie goes next.

Poker Face releases new episodes on Peacock every Thursday.