royal flush

Let’s be honest—Peacock, NBC’s streaming service launched in 2020, isn’t exactly a winning hand. With its disappointing catalog and unimpressive original content, the platform often wilts in the shadows of streaming giants like Netflix and HBO.

But this year, Peacock may have finally hit the jackpot with its new crime drama, Poker Face

Released on Jan. 26, the 10-episode series follows Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), an ordinary person with an extraordinary ability: she can sniff out lies “like a cancer dog,” as she once describes. After landing in trouble with a casino owner, Charlie takes to the road in her powder-blue Plymouth Barracuda. Each standalone episode finds Charlie in a different town, inextricably wrapped up in another murder or crime, either as a friend of the victim or even as an inadvertent accomplice. Charlie uses her amateur detective logic and lie-detecting gift to get to the bottom of each case.

The show shines best through its offbeat and eccentric, yet nostalgic, style. While staying true to Wild West-esque influences with its banjo soundtrack and cigarette smoke-tinged aesthetic, Poker Face adds a refreshing, irresistible twist to classic murder mysteries.

For one, the show utilizes the “howcatchem” (also known as the inverted detective) format, in which the murder is shown at the beginning of the episode, before rewinding a few days to follow Charlie’s perspective and let us unravel the puzzle alongside her. This injects into viewers the perfect dose of unease: knowing exactly who dies from the outset, without yet knowing the full scope, motive, or perpetrator of the crime.

Furthermore, too often, murder mysteries inflate the drama and shock factor at the expense of thoughtful character development and nuanced plot. In this way, Poker Face serves as an important lesson to others in the genre. The show strikes the perfect balance of satisfying die-hard true crime and detective mystery fans like me while also feeling uniquely human. Underneath the blood, finger-pointing, and inflammatory monologues, Poker Face never loses sight of its heart: the journey of Charlie as a character.

And this brings me to Natasha Lyonne’s spectacular performance, another highlight of the series. Lyonne’s screen presence feels like a breath of fresh air—she’s a curious vagabond, yet down to earth, earnest, and raw. She’s unapologetically candid, yet incredibly sensitive. Lyonne embodies a zany, larger-than-life persona with astounding sincerity and authenticity, a level of nuance other supernatural characters like Marvel heroes struggle to achieve.

While anchored by Lyonne, who also serves as an executive producer, the show also boasts an impressive roster of guest stars—including Stephanie Hsu, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Benjamin Bratt. It is truly a joy to witness Charlie forge deep connections with each side character in the span of an hour-long episode, and their chemistry feels organic and infectious.

At a more surface level, Poker Face is, simply put, a visual feast. Dramatic close-up shots and evocative lighting, the trademarks of show creator and director Rian Johnson, best known for the Knives Out franchise, steal the screen.

However, Johnson’s abundant influence also feeds into one of the show’s few pitfalls.

Those who have watched Knives Out or Glass Onion are well aware of Johnson’s affinity for complex storylines and abrupt plot twists. While these story devices may have worked in a film setting, each episode utilizes a very similar structure, making them feel predictable and formulaic. The idiosyncrasy that gave the show its luster eventually grows stale, to the point where I found myself groaning audibly as yet another expectedly unexpected antagonist was unveiled.

Ultimately, the knockout cast, fast-paced drama, and visual charm outweigh this minor grievance, and I can confidently say that Poker Face is one of the best new shows to be released in 2023—it’s simultaneously nailbiting, brain-melting, laugh-out-loud funny, and beautiful. For the first time, I felt like my Peacock Premium subscription was at least somewhat worth it, if only to keep up with the riveting adventures of Charlie Cale.