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POKER FACE S1 REVIEW 🤩

Remember COLUMBO? Well, this is a modern remake of the excellent detective series from the 1970s starring Peter Falk. Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie pretty much channels Peter’s Columbo as the perennially rumpled, good-natured cocktail waitress on the run from the Vegas mob, who is most excellent at solving murders but with a twist – she can tell when anyone is lying. Handy, huh? 

Creator Rian Johnson takes all his murder-mystery chops from his popular KNIVES OUT movies and front-loads this one-hour drama, streaming on Peacock, with the murder first and then how Charlie gets involved. Each episode is self-contained – one episode – one case to solve, all with the ongoing theme of Charlie being chased by Benjamin Bratt’s Cliff, who hates the chase and regrets his life choices. Guest stars abound, and Rian and Natasha do a wonderful job of balancing drama with comedy, as there are a lot of chuckles to be found in this who-dun-it.

Enjoy POKER FACE right now, streaming on Peacock.

David Freedman - Just Seen It

David Freedman is the producer of all four Critics Choice Awards, a founding member of Moviefone, and a Platform and Springboard Diver

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BARBIE 🤩

Director Greta Gerwig was wise to bring on experienced scribe Noah Baumbach to co-write the screenplay…

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POKER FACE S1 REVIEW 😊

Aaron, Mike, Jami, and Esta review the first season of POKER FACE.

We liked POKER FACE on Peacock! The following is a breakdown of what we said about the episodes we reviewed in season one. 

E1 DEAD MAN’S HANDS 🤩

Overall with a stellar lead performance by Natasha Lyonne, a terrific supporting cast, a compelling script and direction from Johnson, and most importantly, one hell of a main character, POKER FACE is all Aces!

– Mike

E2 THE NIGHT SHIFT 🤩

“Like a “sandwich artist,” the use of the fast food chain actually serves the story a winning “dish.”

– Aaron

E3 THE STALL 🤩

“Kudos to the writers for having the hilarious MAGA dog. 😂”

– Aaron

E4 REST IN METAL 😊

Outside of Chloë Sevigny having a “shocking” and welcome return to the screen, I wasn’t as enthralled with this story.

Aaron

E5 TIME OF THE MONKEY 😊

“We’ve been spoiled by four terrific episodes of Rian Johnson’s POKER FACE. So it’s kind of self-entitled to hate on a perfectly serviceable episode for not being just a smidge less than its predecessors.”

– Mike

E6 EXIT STAGE DEATH 😊

“An excellent stage setting, wonderful Airpod product placement, and two phenomenal guest performances are enough to watch POKER FACE again this week. I hope the show evolves beyond its current “trap” to open up a new “door” next week.”

– Aaron

E7 THE FUTURE OF THE SPORT 😊

“Unfortunately, seven episodes into POKERF ACE and each episode has been so similar I’ve lost almost all of my excitement.”

– Jami

E8 THE ORPHEUS SYNDROME 😊

POKER FACE was an awesome trip into the world of special effects. Watching these masterpieces of horror and terror was fun until, of course, a real-life murder became entwined with the macabre.”

– Esta

E9 ESCAPE FROM SHIT MOUNTAIN 🤩

“In a welcome return, director Rian Johnson kills it in the penultimate episode of POKER FACE’s first season. The show had lost its way due to the format of the series repeating itself. However, in ESCAPE FROM SHIT MOUNTAIN, Rian Johnson leans into the established formula and adds more twists than a curvy mountain road.”

– Aaron

E10 THE HOOK 🤩

“Charlie Cale is one of television’s most likable breakout characters in the last five years! And we got to see her random acts of kindness and intuitive nature throughout this entire season without knowing anything about her origins. But we get them in this episode without giving us everything. And because we love Charlie so much, we are intrigued by learning more about her past and life.”

– Mike

The entire first season is available to stream on Peacock.

Aaron "Dobler" Goldstein

Aaron Goldstein is a Product Manager by day, ludicrous speed content consumer by night. He’s a LA Film School Alumni and TV Academy / Producers Guild of America member. Aaron is a proud parent and dad joke enthusiast.

Esta Rosevear

Esta Rosevear has been a Theatre Arts teacher and director for 35+ years, published Children’s author of the Rebecca series, and is passionate about playing her violin, walking, gardening, and reading murder mysteries.

Mike Manalo

Born a Slytherin. Baptized into Marvel. Bitten by a Radioactive DC fan. And raised a Jedi, Mike Manalo is a silent guardian, a watchful protector… a Dark Nerd!

Jami Losurdo

When not writing film and tv reviews, Jami is expanding her collection of colorful sunglasses, lifting weights, and working her day job as a Digital Advertising Director. An alumnus of NYU Tisch for Film/TV, Jami made Los Angeles her home in the early 2000s and continues her quest to find the very BEST tacos of all time.

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