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The Joy That is ‘Poker Face’
A modern whodunnit that’s full of heart.
Poker Face follows Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), an eccentric woman who has a special skill: she can tell when people are lying. This unusual talent of hers takes her on all sorts of adventures, and gets her into some interesting types of trouble.
I grew up watching unorthodox detective shows like Murder, She Wrote and Columbo. I’ve always loved this type of story, where the main detective appears to be unqualified (and sometimes is), but is brilliant enough to solve the puzzle. As a lover of puzzle-solving, this has always been incredibly satisfying to me.
Poker Face is a wonderful entry in this particular genre. There are so many times while watching that Charlie reminded me of Columbo, Natasha Lyonne’s performance drawing inspiration from Peter Falk’s, while making it completely her own.
Charlie is really rough around the edges, but she has a heart of gold. Despite her unorthodox methods, living situation, and jobs, she has a deep desire to help people. When she learns that someone is in trouble, she just wants to help them. She manages to see the best in people, even with this unique ability, which makes this character even more interesting.
In season two, Charlie desires to get settled and find community once she no…
