By now, is it safe to call Rian Johnson the modern master of the whodunnit? I realize he has only released two movies that fall under that category so far, with 2019’s Knives Out, and its Netflix exclusive follow-up, Glass Onion, in 2022, but most would agree they should be counted as major highlights in the genre. For anyone who still feels it is too early to give the Academy Award nominee that honorable distinction, perhaps Poker Face will change their minds.
However, that being said, this new TV series starring Natasha Lyonne does not exactly count as a traditional “whodunnit,” but does look like it will be a fun and refreshing take on the mystery genre nonetheless. See why in our following breakdown of all the basic facts that you should know about Poker Face, starting with where on the 2023 TV premiere schedule it can be found.
Poker Face Premieres On Peacock January 26
If Glass Onion immediately had you excited for the upcoming third installment of Rian Johnson’s franchise starring Daniel Craig as renowned detective Benoit Blanc, it appears that filmmaker might have anticipated this reaction and is empathetic to his audience. Thankfully, Knives Out fans will not have not wait very long to see their thirst for a new brain-teaser quenched as Poker Face drops on Peacock very soon.
According to the Deadline, the first four episodes of the crime dramedy will be made available to stream on Thursday, January 26, 2023. The remaining six episodes of the series’ first season will be released on a weekly basis.
The Poker Face Trailer Reveals A Thrilling Mix Of Humor And Suspense
In a career that includes a traditional film noir set at a modern day high school (Brick), one of the most unique time travel movies in recent memory (Looper), and one of the Star Wars movies (The Last Jedi), Knives Out and Glass Onion are easily the most essential Rian Johnson movies for the way they represent his talent for crafting intriguing thrillers with devilish wit. I presume that the latest title to reflect this motif — and perhaps the darkest as well — will be Poker Face, as we can tell just from watching the series’ first official trailer below:
It was an ingenious choice to have Dr. John’s “Right Place Wrong Time” play over the teaser’s montage of morbidly humorous imagery as it reflects our protagonist’s tendency to constantly stumble onto trouble while on the run. Not to mention, the 1973 funk staple and dizzying collection of various people and places also hints at the way Poker Face will serve as a throwback to a previous era of mystery television.
Poker Face Is A “Case-Of-The-Week” Mystery Following A “Human Lie Detector”
As described by Vanity Fair in a first-look at the series from December 2022, Poker Face is mystery-of-the-week style thriller that has been subject to comparison with shows like Murder, She Wrote (whose star, Angela Lansbury, actually cameoed in Glass Onion before her death), Magnum P.I. (which was rebooted on CBS recently) and, especially, Columbo. The conceit of that latter long-running procedural had less to do with discovering whodunnit and more about witnessing how Peter Falk’s titular protagonist catches the culprit.
This is also the main draw of Poker Face, which follows Charlie Cale — a casino employee whose ability to sense dishonesty puts her in deep trouble and forces her to go on the run, but also serves as a helpful tool in bringing strangers to justice along the way. It looks like the aforementioned, eager fans will have more than one mystery to keep them entertained with this series.
Natasha Lyonne Leads The Poker Face Cast
Serving as the “face” of Poker Face is Natasha Lyonne. She stars in all 10 episodes of the first season as Charlie Cale — the aforementioned human lie detector and troubled hero of the series.
The last time that the four-time Emmy nominee (who was also one of Glass Onion’s many cameos, appearing as herself) led a series was on the recent time-loop drama, Russian Doll, which was also her second Netflix original series after her career-reviving turn on Orange is the New Black. Before then, some of Lyonne’s most notable work included playing Jessica in the American Pie cast and leading the 1999 LGBTQ+ dramedy, But I’m a Cheerleader.
Poker Face Boasts A Star-Studded Rotation Of Guest Actors
Joining Natasha Lyonne as the various enemies and allies of Charlie Cale are the Poker Face cast’s dazzling ensemble of A-list guest stars, including — as seen from the trailer — the legendary Ron Perlman as a man who sends Emmy nominee Benjamin Bratt’s character after Charlie. Johnson has also brought in a few of his previous collaborators, namely The Brothers Bloom star Adrien Brody and the filmmaker’s most frequent collaborator, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whose sole contributions to the Knives Out movies have been subtle cameos so far.
Poker Face will also mark a reunion for Lyonne with her Russian Doll co-star Chloë Sevigny, fellow Orange is the New Black cast member Dascha Polanco, and her The Grey Zone director Tim Blake Nelson. Also along for the ride are Emmy winner Cherry Jones, The Umbrella Academy star David Castañeda, Animal Kingdom’s Ellen Barkin, Jameela Jamil of The Good Place and She-Hulk fame, Judith Light from The Menu, Get Out scene-stealer Lil Rel Howery, Oscar nominee Nick Nolte, Everything Everywhere All At Once’s breakout star, Stephanie Hsu, and more.
Rian Johnson Created Poker Face
We established at the very beginning that Rian Johnson is involved with Poker Face, but have not given any specific details regarding the filmmaker’s creative contribution to the series. The creator of the series is, indeed, Johnson, making his first major return to television after directing some of the best episodes of Breaking Bad, such as the shocking “Ozymandias.”
Johnson, in addition to executive producing, wrote the series and is helming a few episodes and Lyonne — also serving as an EP — is trying her hand at directing one herself, Empire reports. Fellow executive producers — according to Deadline — include Johnson’s long-time producing partner Ram Bergman, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, Nene Rodrigue, and Iain B. Macdonald, alongside co-EPs Danielle Renfrew Behrens and former SNL star Maya Rudolph.
As a fan of Johnson, Lyonne, and mystery stories, I am very much looking forward to watching Poker Face when it premieres on Peacock. I think the only thing that could really perfect the series is a cameo by Lady Gaga. After all, her “poker face” is one of the most famous.
