Poker Face is a gem. Do yourself a favor and start watching it[1]. I didn’t realize I needed a weekly murder mystery kind of show. But I did, in this specific form.
Like murder mysteries of yore, Poker Face has a recognizable and soon-familiar cadence. We see a murder happen in the first few scenes, rewind to a few days previous when Natasha Lyonne arrives on said scene, we see her discover and solve the murder. The format works, even if you aren’t a viewer of crime shows and procedurals.
This being a show about a journey[2], each episode brings a few interesting actors in for a cozy, crisp murder mystery. These guest stars are as excellent as you might guess given the show is produced by Lyonne, Maya Rudolph, and Rian Johnson.
The bottom line, in this case, is the star is the show. The show is built around Natasha Lyonne, who is perfect in this role. Lots of little wise-guy energy. The way she uses her arms and voice to fill scenes, it’s great. I can’t stop telling people she is my generation’s Joe Pesci. They’re even the same height!
