In a requisite twist for modern audiences who tend to reject episodic storytelling, this case-of-the-week structure is given a serialized component in Episode 1, “Dead Man’s Hand,” which acts as Charlie’s origin story. Let’s back up: “Poker Face” follows a tried-and-true format made famous by “Columbo” and utilized in everything from “Monk” to “The Sinner.” (Hey, both of those were on USA Network!) Each episode starts with the crime, viewers see who did it, and then the narrative jumps back in time to fill in the motivation, before Charlie puts the pieces together in the present. Confidence and control are key to chronicling a whodunit, howcatchem, or whybother (mini-mystery: which one of these is made-up?), and writer-director Rian Johnson shows a charming aptitude for both in projects like “Knives Out,” “Brick,” and now, “Poker Face.” But the omniscient raconteur can’t tip their hand, either. Even when watching a con, audiences don’t want to feel like they’re the mark (hence, “playing it straight”). “I can just tell.”Ĭharlie’s miraculous modus operandi - the ace up her sleeve, if you will - isn’t just a savvy twist for a TV detective it also doubles as an explanation for how great storytellers should present a mystery.

“Just that something is off,” she says by way of explanation. Whether it’s her best friend promising she’s fine after a fight with her husband or a stranger trying to bluff his way to the pot, Charlie sniffs out bullshit every time it drifts her way. “And yet she played with an almost unnatural infallibility.” Soon, we find out why: Lyonne’s Charlie Cale always knows when someone’s lying. “She played straight,” Sterling Frost Jr. Midway through the “ Poker Face” premiere, Adrien Brody’s smarmy casino boss recounts the legend behind Natasha Lyonne‘s card-playing prowess.

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