I'm about halfway through Poker Face at the moment, and based on a post I saw here in the community just the other day, I had few concerns over whether I would like it nor not. I tend to really enjoy detective shows, ones that perhaps don't take themselves all too seriously or that have troubled protagonists. These shows in which each episode features a different mystery hold a special place in my heart. Shows like Psych, The X Files, Monk, and The Twilight Zone are some of my favourite due to their storytelling, but also their use or lesser-known actors that either have little acting experience, or come from a more theatrical background. The truth is, I struggle to get into shows that have many seasons and very linear narratives, with actors we have seen a million times before elsewhere. For me, a lot of the fun is not having much connection to the actors. Getting immersed in the fact that I have no other performances to compare them to than the character I see on the screen. Then, once that story is told, new ones come rolling in.
So far, it seems as if Poker Face has a nice mixture of the two. A linear story mixed with episodic stories. I really like how this show is coming together so far, and it has definitely managed to capture my attention. Especially considering that those 5 episodes I have watched so far were all in one day! The other review I saw here referred to the show as one that nobody is watching. I can actually see how that might be the case, but I'm also not very surprised given how unique of a show this is in the chaotic steaming era of television series. In recent years, I really haven't seen anything quite like it. It's almost as if it came from a different era, though we are reminded of the fact that it is the present mostly by some hilariously cheesy modern writing: Tik Tok references, the use of the word "boomer", and so on. Though it doesn't feel like an overly obnoxious show, I find I just want to keep watching, rather. Tomorrow, I'm sure I'll manage to finish this season (I am just assuming there are only ten episodes, I haven't actually looked).
I dived into Poker Face after reading about it here, not reading additional reviews or watching any trailers. What a fun surprise so far!
Poker Face
For much of these episodic detective shows, the protagonist has some sort of advantage over the average person that makes them capable of solving mysteries. In Psych, our protagonist has a heightened visual sense and can notice the smallest of details. In Monk, the protagonist is just a very good detective due to his knowledge of psychology. In Poker Face, our protagonist has an incredible ability to know every time someone is lying. This is introduced in the first episode in which it takes the environment of a Las Vegas casino as its foundation to convey this idea. It's a great introduction to its main character, a woman that has been effectively paid off to stay in the hotel and casino, to detect when people are lying; but also after she established a big name for herself throughout the country prior, having managed to easily win against people in the other casinos. The issue here, for Charlie, is that with this ability to tell when someone is lying, comes an ability to solve the many strange crimes that she finds herself getting caught up in throughout the country.
Typically, there is no real mystery to us as the audience. The story is pretty much told in the first few minutes as we see a crime taking place for some different reason each time in a different location. Charlie drives around from one place to another in a nomadic sense of escapism, never quite being able to settle down despite wanting to. She picks up different jobs here and there for people, some smaller or bigger than others. Though we live in a corrupt world full of greed and deceit, and sooner or later prior events find their way to her, after she just can't help but notice something is wrong about a supposed accident that took place. This ability to notice seems more like a burden for Charlie, but despite her very independent nature and raspy voice, her character is very caring, ultimately pursuing justice with her ability. I think she's a really interesting character for this sort of show, one that doesn't require a sidekick or much help; Natasha Lyonne does a great job playing her. I don't think I've really seen her elsewhere, which certainly is a bonus for me.
The rest of the characters are different each episode. With the show being around some different theme or location. There's even one about some rural barbeques. With this comes stylistic choices that make it a very visually appealing show. One of the first things I noticed was how the show had some fun directing to it. Cinematography that utilises certain movements in the actors to switch between foreground and background to continue telling the story, taking advantage of timing and depth within the shot. With some nice lighting, often darker colours for interior shots, warmer tones; even for the exterior scenes they're very warm. There's a nice attention to the visuals which makes this show, despite the genre, actually quite creative and visually impressive. Even if the story seems a little weak or slow at parts, the visuals find a way to keep me interested and curious as to what might come next.
Still, I'm only about halfway through from what I can figure. I don't really want to find out how many episodes there may be left just out of fear of perhaps knowing what's coming next. Part of the fun of this show really has been just diving in blind and letting it unfold. So far I definitely recommend doing the same. It's relatively short, very watchable, and ticks all of the boxes. Great visuals, great performances each episode from actors you've likely never heard of before, and stories that are full of crime, mystery, and little bits of comedy without overstepping. Though, I have no idea where it could go. There's hints that the last may finally catch up, but it's revealing this broader narrative very slowly at this point. It could go anywhere!
