Back in the ’70s and ’80s, we had interesting and fun procedurals like Quincy, Columbo, Murder, She Wrote, and Diagnosis Murders. Every week, there would be one lead who would brilliantly solve the crime. Since then, the procedurals have lost their magic.
However, Poker Face, which is streaming on Peacock now, is bringing back the flare that Jessica Fetcher had with every murder that came her way.
Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) is a human lie detector. She used this ability to win poker games all over the country until the owner of a Las Vegas Casino figured out her deal. He clipped her wings by getting her blackballed and gave her a job at his hotel.
He decided to retire and give his son the business. Now, his son wants to use her ability to help himself out. So, what else can she do but agree to do it?
However, during her first assignment, her best friend is murdered by her abusive husband, and Charlie isn’t sure that is how their story ended. So she decides to investigate the crime, and what she finds out will cause her to live her life on the road avoiding the people she is running from. But they are never too far behind.
Now, where ever she goes, people will be losing their lives, involuntarily. She is going to try to solve each of their deaths. But since she was never trained on how to do it, she will make a lot of mistakes, just like Columbo did until he got it right.
Throughout her journey, she is going to make a lot of friends. Some of them are innocent, and some of them are not. Will you be able to figure out who did it? So far, after watching 6 of the 10 episodes, I can tell you the butler didn’t do it.
I will also tell you another thing. So, I saw a headline that Rian Johnson said The Incredible Hulk was an inspiration for the series, and that is how I was able to realize that this was a throwback to that era. Like Bruce Banner, she will be going from town to town, never staying long enough to really get attached to anyone. But long enough to make a difference in someone’s death.
One more thing. In the second episode, she meets a woman who tells her how to survive on the road. This way, it makes sense how she is getting by with no means. I wish more shows did that.
Back to the series, the first four episodes dropped yesterday, and you will have no problem binging them. The first three episodes are good. But the next three are really, really good. You can tell that everyone has found their rhythm and they are having a blast.
How can they not? They get to work with guest stars like Adrien Brody, Angel Desai, Audrey Corsa, Benjamin Bratt, Brandon Michael Hall, Charles Melton, Chelsea Frei, Cherry Jones, Chloë Sevigny, Clea DuVall, Colton Ryan, Danielle MacDonald, Dascha Polanco, Ellen Barkin, Hong Chau, Jasmine Aiyana Garvin, Jameela Jamil, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Judith Light, Leslie Silva, Lil Rel Howery, Luis Guzmán, Megan Suri, Niall Cunningham, Nicholas Cirillo, Nick Nolte, Reed Birney, Rhea Perlman, Ron Perlman, Rowan Blanchard, S. Epatha Merkerson, Shane Paul McGhie, Simon Helberg, Stephanie Hsu, Tim Blake Nelson, and Tim Meadows.
Lyonne’s Catskills personality is perfect for resurrecting this style of television. It was an art form that was lost, and I am so happy it was found.
So go find it on Peacock today. And then watch new episodes every Thursday. I know I will be watching it because it is the best new show of the season.
