Most probably know what a “whodunit” is, but what exactly is a “howcatchem”? To put it simply, it’s the same formula that most detective shows and crime procedurals follow, but reversed, where the crime and killer are revealed up front, and a plucky investigator has to figure out how to prove what happened. It’s a tough balancing act to get right, but one of the best examples of a stellar and unpredictable howcatchem can be seen in the star-studded first season of Poker Face, which should hardly be surprising, given it hails from creator and executive producer Knives Out filmmaker Rian Johnson.
When Poker Face Season 1 first debuted in 2023, it proved itself to be a sleek, stylish, and hilarious murder-of-the-week series that successfully brought the tongue-and-cheek tone of the Knives Out films to the small screen. Complete with meticulous attention to detail and a stellar lead performance from Natasha Lyonne, Season 1 finally gave Peacock the bonafide seller the streamer needed. Now, two years later, Season 2 brings with it the same directorial flair, witty writing, and great performances from a star-studded cast, even if it doesn’t pack quite as strong a punch as its predecessor.
What Is ‘Poker Face’ Season 2 About?

As was the case in Season 1, each episode of Poker Face Season 2 follows a new misadventure for Charlie Cale (Lyonne) — a charismatic and lovable drifter who happens to have a borderline miraculous gift. Essentially, Charlie is a human lie detector who can always tell whether something someone is telling her is either the truth or, as she bluntly puts it, “bullshit.” Season 1 saw Charlie being relentlessly pursued across the U.S. by a bloodthirsty bodyguard (Benjamin Bratt), all while taking odd jobs that almost always ended up with someone getting killed, leading her to become an impromptu detective to avenge those she formed a close bond with. Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 left off, with Charlie still solving a new mystery at every pit stop, all while outrunning some scorned mobsters.
Every episode of Poker Face essentially follows the same dual-narrative format, with the first half focusing on the motive and explanation for the episode’s main crime and the second half revealing Charlie’s involvement, as well as how she starts to put the pieces together. This format of showing the murder and even the killer first and then proving how things were done later has been used in crime procedurals before, such as Monk, but what helps Poker Face still feel fresh and fun is the main question it constantly poses for itself. How does one make a murder-mystery story compelling when the crime is revealed up front and the main character can always tell when someone’s lying? The answer is effectively simple: sharp writing, well-developed characters, and consistent subversion of expectations, all of which the team behind Poker Face has consistently demonstrated impeccable aptitude for.
It also helps to have a main protagonist that is consistently fun to follow, and Poker Face’s lead is that and then some. Lyonne injects her character with infectious likability and effortless personality, with Charlie being more than worthy of being counted among the great fictional detectives like Columbo (Peter Falk), Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), and even her spiritual sibling Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). Yet one of Charlie’s best qualities as a detective is that she technically isn’t one. She’s just a friendly face driving through the countryside who makes friends with almost everyone she meets, even when they turn out to be killers.
One Episode of ‘Poker Face’ Season 2 Stands Out Above the Rest

Image via Peacock

Poker Face’s first season set an incredibly high bar, doing for episodic crime procedurals what The Pitt recently did for medical dramas. Although its format might be more typically suited for network TV, the Peacock series has the benefit of being unburdened by network TV restraints. Poker Face Season 2, of which the first ten episodes were provided for review, doubles down on that format with even more self-containment than before, abandoning an overarching narrative pretty early on in the series. Being able to jump into any episode with limited to no knowledge of the ones prior is certainly refreshing, though that also means there isn’t too much in the way of larger character development for Charlie to chew on.
Compared to Season 1, Poker Face Season 2 isn’t quite as compelling. None of the first ten episodes are flat-out awful and even come complete with solid performances from its guest cast of big names, with notable standouts including Cynthia Erivo and Giancarlo Esposito. However, unlike the series’ prior achievements, Season 2’s episodes don’t offer as many laughs as Season 1, and they’re sadly a great deal more predictable. Several of them don’t even seem to utilize Charlie’s signature trademark of always being able to spot a lie.

Related

‘Poker Face’ Season 2 Adds ‘Shang-Chi,’ ‘The Wire’ Stars

They join an already star-studded guest cast.

While the majority of Season 2’s offerings range from somewhat forgettable to perfectly okay, there are some terrific episodes — and they just so happen to flip Poker Face’s familiar format on its head. One fantastic episode, directed by Get Shorty’s Adam Arkin, stands tall among the rest; Charlie starts working at a private grade school, where the mystery that unfolds sets itself apart from just about every other episode to date. Of course, being a mystery show, we wouldn’t want to give too much away, but this mid-season installment is filled to the brim with one of the show’s best villains so far, some great humor, and even a surprising amount of heart.
‘Poker Face’ Still Has Gas in the Tank for Future Seasons

Image via Peacock

It’s somewhat appropriate that Poker Face Season 2 almost feels like taking a cross-country road trip. This leg of Poker Face’s journey is definitely closer to a travel day, as there are a good number of slow moments that don’t offer a lot of engaging sights. However, those moments quickly fade in the rearview mirror when some of Season 2’s best episodes make themselves known; in addition to the episode previously mentioned, other entries, like a Heat-inspired heist (which also happens to be directed by Arkin) and one where Charlie gets caught up in a high-profile hostage situation, are also major standouts.
Some bumps in the road keep Poker Face Season 2 from being a bonafide home run like Season 1. That being said, the consistently great directing and writing, along with Lyonne’s performance and charisma, still make this show a ride worth taking. While it may be time for Charlie Cale to start earning more development moving forward, it’ll still be exciting to see what kind of ace Poker Face has up its sleeve — not just for its remaining two episodes, but the potential future of this fun howcatchem show.
Poker Face Season 2 premieres May 8 on Peacock.

Poker Face

Poker Face Season 2 is a delightful return to form for the murder-mystery genre, but it may need to step up its game in the future.

Release Date

January 26, 2023

Network

Peacock

Showrunner

Lilla Zuckerman

Pros & Cons

Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale is still one of the best TV detectives of all time.
Every episode has sleek and stylish directing, writing, and editing.
Episode 6 is particularly fantastic.

The bulk of the episodes aren’t always very engaging.
Charlie lacks overarching wants or needs that progress her as a character.