Can't get enough "Poker Face"
Fell in love with this smoking lead character played by Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, 2022)
Love her mobster New York accent.
Poker Face, a ten-part series featuring Lyonne as 'human lie detector' Charlie Cale. Not a detective by the book, but 'just' a waiter in a casino. But with one very useful feature: a sort of sixth sense for people who lie. Heartily useful, of course, until Charlie sees through one lie too many and causes trouble with the mafia-like family of her boss Sterling Frost, Jr. (Adrien Brody). In the opening episode, things get so out of hand that Charlie has to go on the run.
It leads Charlie criss-crossing America, where she seems to attract murders, accidents and deaths like a magnet; each time she is involved in some way with a perpetrator or victim. A very convenient plot mechanism for a 'case of the week' series, in which Charlie stumbles through a new case each time as a glorified amateur detective. Unlike many contemporary series, most characters here pop up for one episode at most, after which Charlie moves on (or flees) to the next location. The series' only common thread is the continuous cat-and-mouse game between Charlie and security guard Cliff (Benjamin Bratt), who is tasked with delivering her to her former employers.
That 'case of the week' set-up makes Poker Face a feast of variety, whether it's the locations, the death of the week or the many fine guest actors (Ron Perlman, Cherry Jones, Hong Chau and Nick Nolte, among others, make appearances). Showrunner Johnson himself directed the first two and the second-to-last episode, but otherwise handed the direction over to young (indie) directors. With success, as Poker Face also feels pleasantly fresh and varied visually.
Poker Face, a ten-part series featuring Lyonne as 'human lie detector' Charlie Cale. Not a detective by the book, but 'just' a waiter in a casino. But with one very useful feature: a sort of sixth sense for people who lie. Heartily useful, of course, until Charlie sees through one lie too many and causes trouble with the mafia-like family of her boss Sterling Frost, Jr. (Adrien Brody). In the opening episode, things get so out of hand that Charlie has to go on the run.
It leads Charlie criss-crossing America, where she seems to attract murders, accidents and deaths like a magnet; each time she is involved in some way with a perpetrator or victim. A very convenient plot mechanism for a 'case of the week' series, in which Charlie stumbles through a new case each time as a glorified amateur detective. Unlike many contemporary series, most characters here pop up for one episode at most, after which Charlie moves on (or flees) to the next location. The series' only common thread is the continuous cat-and-mouse game between Charlie and security guard Cliff (Benjamin Bratt), who is tasked with delivering her to her former employers.
That 'case of the week' set-up makes Poker Face a feast of variety, whether it's the locations, the death of the week or the many fine guest actors (Ron Perlman, Cherry Jones, Hong Chau and Nick Nolte, among others, make appearances). Showrunner Johnson himself directed the first two and the second-to-last episode, but otherwise handed the direction over to young (indie) directors. With success, as Poker Face also feels pleasantly fresh and varied visually.
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