Detective stories are popular, and Rian Johnson knows how to write and direct them like few others. Knives Out proved that he had a gift for keeping the audience’s attention with elaborate crimes and upped the ante with Glass Onion, a film that managed to subvert everything we expected from a sequel to Knives Out.
That doesn’t mean that everything Rian Johnson touches turns to gold. Not at all. Although he is an excellent director, it has taken him many years of exceptional work to get to where he is today. And even now, he goes largely unnoticed in some of his works. This is the case with the series he is working on, which is now premiering its second season on SkyShowtime and which you may not have heard of. Its name is Poker Face.
When you can tell when a person is lying, it’s easy to be a detective
The premise of Poker Face couldn’t be simpler. Charlie Cale, played by the fantastic Natasha Lyonne, has the innate ability to detect lies. Due to a suspicious death, she must travel across the United States fleeing from a casino boss. Because of her travels and her unique ability, in each episode she will find herself solving the most peculiar homicide cases, whether she likes it or not.
Very inspired by Colombo, each episode is self-contained and is an inverted detective story. We know the crime and who committed it, and the episode focuses on how Charlie manages to solve it. Generally with hilarious results.
In this second season, which has already finished airing in the US, the format has not changed. Charlie continues to travel across the US, solving a case each time, all peculiar, always reluctantly. But Rian Johnson, instead of focusing on the evolution of Charlie’s character or his mythology, wanted to have fun with the cases. Making them even more outrageous, fun, and spectacular than in the first season.
While Charlie’s character evolves throughout the season, the weight of the series still lies in the cases and their resolution. Now even more complex and interesting, which will delight fans of detective stories, who shouldn’t miss Poker Face for anything in the world.
A series full of great names
In addition, like the first season, this second season is a real who’s who of Hollywood. Packed with cameos, there isn’t an episode without one or two stars making a small appearance. Among the most recognizable are Giancarlo Esposito, Katie Holmes, John Mulaney, and Awkwafina, but the list of actors involved in the series is huge. And to start, we wouldn’t want to spoil it here.
Any fan of detective stories or Knives Out should not miss this second season of Poker Face. Nor Poker Face in general. A series that is flying under the radar perhaps because it is not a drama or a dark and serious story, but it is undoubtedly one of the great current series.
That’s why, before you miss out and regret not having seen it earlier, take advantage of the premiere of this second season of Poker Face to catch up. Because if there’s one thing Rian Johnson has proven, it’s that no one knows how to write a reverse detective story like he does.
