Poker Face is a contemporary tribute to the beloved murder-mystery shows of the 1970s and 80s, which aired alongside popular soap operas.
This 10 episodes series, created by Rian Johnson director of Knives Out, stars Natasha Lyonne known for ‘Orange Is the New Black’ and ‘Russian Doll’ as the unflappable detective Charlie. She fearlessly tackles a series of murders with astonishing calmness.
Charlie Cale is a casino worker gifted with lie-detection skills, as she evades a vengeful casino boss after a mysterious death. Her journey across the US leads her to solve murders amidst diverse settings, meeting intriguing characters along the way.
Poker Face tweaks the whodunit format by omitting the ‘who’ element as it keeps the audience privy to everything that’s happening but the mystery stays for Charlie. In each episode lasting 45 to 60 minutes, a murder is presented upfront—bloody yet not overly graphic, moderately intricate but easily solvable. Charlie unintentionally stumbles upon these crimes and, against her own will, becomes determined to uncover the truth.
Poker Face’s approach to the episodic format, commonly seen in traditional sitcoms and procedurals, sets it apart from other streaming shows. It is essentially a Peacock show but is also available on Jio Cinema.
