I just received my press pass to attend GDC! If you like what I do and want to help me out, consider buying me the coffee I’ll need to get me through the week.

The first season of Poker Face has finally wrapped up, and it was fine. If you are looking for a quirky and silly mystery of the week series to get into, this one should at least be on your list.

Charlie is a human lie detector who finds herself running from the mob. As she makes her way across the American landscape, she keeps finding herself in the middle of all these murders. Charlie is too kind to let things go unsolved, so for the first time in her life, she uses her gifts for good. Watch Charlie as she fumbles through a mystery to bring justice to crimes that would otherwise go unnoticed. But for every new friend she makes, she also leaves behind new enemies. Will Charlie ever find peace, or is she destined to be a runaway?

Natasha Lyonne’s role as Charlie is a gift, and you need to watch this series to enjoy her performance. Lyonne has the presence and charisma to make this series work. If you aren’t in love with Charlie by the end of the first episode, you weren’t paying attention. I love that Charlie isn’t the usual detective archetype that you get in shows like Law and Order. Charlie is a flawed character who will fumble through the investigation. Charlie is clever enough to make the connections, but her carefree demeanor makes her come to it at her own pace. A lot of the fun for this series comes from watching Charlie slowly put the pieces together.

The only issue I have with this series is that not every episode is good. I will be skipping a few episodes the next time I watch this season, but I see the value of watching the whole series at least once. Each episode will have important character moments for Charlie that come back in subtle ways in the future. These details aren’t so important that it affects the story significantly, but I appreciate the attention to detail. That said, the worst episode is still good enough, and the series is collectively solid. 

If you haven’t seen this series and have a Peacock subscription because it is worth the trouble. At the very least, you will fall in love with a fictional character.

Feature Image By Peacock – IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72787775