Poker Face (2023)

To put it simply, Poker Face is a triumph — for Johnson and Lyonne, for modern-day TV, for the mystery genre in general, and — crucially — for Peacock.

If the format is lovingly pinched from Columbo, along with some memorable plot points, the social worlds Charlie dips into are not just inspired, but also vividly fleshed out. ... Of the many bespoke touches that make Poker Face a true midwinter gift, the greatest pleasure is in watching an extraordinary character, played by an extraordinary actor, puzzle her way through the bottomless mysteries of the human psyche.

Natasha Lyonne comes off like the last pack of cigarettes in a world of vape pens. ... Poker Face rehumanizes and re-weirds TV crime, carving a third way between network franchises and prestige gloom. ... Here's a detective with no home, no gun, no phone, no supporting cast, a past to escape, and a doomed future. Hell of a hand, I'm all in.

This series has everything — from a killer cast, deliciously clever dialogue, smartly delivered mysteries, and a creative team to die for. Peacock, it’s time to up the ante and bet on this series’ success. Poker Face has the potential to not only become the best series of 2023 but also inspire the industry to see the benefit of episodic storytelling that draws audiences into the glorious, nostalgia-filled realm of howcatchems again.

None of it works without a performer who knows exactly how to sell this kind of modern Columbo riff, and Lyonne completely gets “Poker Face.” She’s funny, engaged, charismatic, and perfect for the part, finding a great blend of wit and eccentricity.

You could accuse Poker Face of lacking ambition by drawing so heavily on the past, but that would be missing the point. What Johnson, Lyonne, and the Zimmermans have done is identify what was so magnetic and crowd-pleasing about Columbo and his kin, and translate it to a whole new era, in ways that feel of the moment and fresh.

Lyonne is perfect, bumbling and stumbling like Peter Falk in his trench coat (right down to the cigarettes). ... Johnson hasn’t reinvented the TV wheel. But he’s merged two types of TV sensibilities into something that feels comfortable and new at the same time. “Poker Face” is a joy. Don’t miss it.

A show which once again confirms the storytelling prowess of creator Johnson, who yet again delivers something unique in this Peacock original, which showcases Lyonne and finally gives her a character which hits all the right notes.

The irresistible Natasha Lyonne dives into the role of her career as a human lie detector in this fabulously addictive mystery series from Knives Out/Glass Onion creator Rian Johnson. On the run from a vengeful Vegas boss, she leads the best joyride of the 2023 TV season.

Poker Face begins with a luxurious pace as Charlie adapts to her surroundings, but it’s a strong start; our patience is well-rewarded in these hourlong episodes.

In an era of dark drama and cookie-cutter procedurals, Poker Face plays a winning hand of smart humor amid the mayhem. [30 Jan - 12 Feb 2023, p.8]

A work of pure pleasure. ... “Poker Face,” for all its cleverness and modern attitudes, is as straightforward as can be, made simply, and expertly, to be enjoyed — comfort food, not “elevated,” but delicious.

Because shows like Poker Face have become so rare — or, at least, ones like it that are also executed this well — there is a risk of wildly overpraising it. Like any episodic drama, some episodes are stronger than others. ... But goddamn, what a relief and delight it is to see a TV show that actually wants to be a TV show, and that knows how to do that at this high a level. ... This one’s wonderful.

Even though this is a procedural, it’s more elevated, more cinematic and more entertaining than most. ... Lyonne is perfectly suited to this milieu.

The beauty part is watching the amazing Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie puzzle out the crime in clever and often hilarious fashion. Charlie might not even think of herself as a sleuth, but the likes of Lt. Columbo and Miss Marple would be proud.

They've eliminated violence, or tamped it down, to get back to a kinder, gentler, "Murder, She Wrote" era — one abetted with a savage wit, and hard stop to each episode. Nice to be back there again. ... As always, Lyonne is great and her new show a winner.

"Poker Face" pays homage to the shows that came before it by following in their tradition and honoring their path. And it's done in the right spirit, so that it never has to call bulls--- on itself.

Poker Face is a loving throwback to ’70s detective shows that works, thanks to a winning lead performance from Natasha Lyonne.

Columbo as a dame on the road is enough to sell any mystery fanatic; we’re lucky Johnson, Lyonne, and the rest of the Poker Face team have also stacked the deck so much in our favor.

In its lane (a droll, self-aware game of TV Cluedo in which the viewer gets to peek at the cards) and turbopowered by the human electrical storm that is La Lyonne, Poker Face works a treat.

Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne have brilliantly recreated Columbo’s howcatchem formula in the first four episodes of Poker Face. The mystery-of-the-week show is packed with quirky characters, humor with a bit of bite, and excellent performances from Lyonne and the murderers she must puzzle out how to bring to justice.

Poker Face plays it a lot more straight [than Knives Out]. But it’s gripping, grisly when it needs to be, and Lyonne is charm on a stick. Anyone who claims they aren’t enjoying it is probably telling porky pies.

A delightful take on a familiar form. Natasha Lyonne is as effervescent as ever, and Rian Johnson proves once again his proclivity and prowess in the mystery genre.

“Poker Face” is meant to be as comfortingly familiar as “Russian Doll” was novel and challenging. But the show still conjures as much charisma and surprise as it can inside its rather thoughtful formula.

The first season, or at least the six episodes I’ve seen, has a pleasing shagginess. It’s slickly made, but not haughty about it. ... It’s easy to watch, to dive in and out of, which is rarer in today’s TV landscape than it should be.

It’s a hangout show that relies on the pleasure of Natasha Lyonne’s company, which even in the weaker installments is considerable. ... If you miss the kind of episodic storytelling that cares more about delivering a one-hour-long bundle of amusement than in keeping the viewer in suspense until the next installment, you’re likely to enjoy being around her, too.

Poker Face may not be the harebrained, elaborate or sophisticated of murder mysteries, but it is never less than a good time.

In some episodes, I got impatient for Lyonne to arrive. In others, the introductions were as thrilling as one-act plays. Johnson’s stamp as the director of the first two episodes is hard to overstate: He makes ugly landscapes seem beautiful, blocks interior scenes with an artist’s eye. ... On Poker Face, it’s easy to forgive the fact that Charlie often accidentally nudges people toward their imminent fate, or that the show’s vision seems rather cynical, with the do-gooders invariably getting bludgeoned by the devious schemers.

Lyonne’s performance, simultaneously laid-back and wired, makes “Poker Face” worth the buy-in. ... This is a low-stakes table, but it’s a fun one to hang out at.

The “Russian Doll” star is the perfect fit for this successful crime drama which mixes murder and comedy to great effect.

“Poker Face” is an entertaining throwback to a time when murder cases on TV weren’t quite as bloodily realistic and morally challenging. Like so many other crime shows right now, it isn’t asking you to explore your own sense of right and wrong. Instead, it’s offering you a mild diversion, in the playful manner of “Knives Out,” and an hourlong hang with Natasha Lyonne.

Generally, the series has a confident throwback style, with solid location shooting and the occasional ’70s flourish — an unexpected zoom or whatnot — as a reminder of the project’s origins. Maybe I didn’t love Poker Face quite as much as I wanted to, but it’s doing its odd thing with great enthusiasm and I can easily see how it could get more and more comfortable with its derivative-but-distinctive voice.

It is a sturdy kind of storytelling, and sturdiness is not splashy or thrilling. But it is reliable, and the show’s structural resilience fits neatly into its underlying worldview. There’s a deep, warm sweetness inside Poker Face’s ten episodes. ... Poker Face knows itself, and it gives viewers exactly what it has promised: a criminal, a detective, a crime, and a solution.

Surely one of the strongest series yet to launch on Peacock, this streaming drama feels like the best sort of vintage, comfortably spread-out TV. This elegant set of mystery stories allows an established star the time and space to crack a new sort of case, that of how to evolve a familiar persona and bring fans along for the ride.

The confidence of the series’ storytelling is so strong—courtesy of rat-a-tat-tat dialogue, sharp characterizations and fleet plotting—that it immediately establishes its guiding groove.

Charlie Cale may be too similar to Lyonne's other characters to make the impression that Jessica Fletcher or Lieutenant Columbo did, but this is a worthy use of the esteem Lyonne has generated as she hits middle age. Some episodes ramble on a bit long, but it's hard to mind when there's so much going for them.

The appeal of "Poker" is in its nostalgia and simplicity. The series is unpretentious, the scripts aren't rushed and Charlie makes a rather lackadaisical hero. Those looking for the fiery chaos of "Glass Onion" might be disappointed, but the series scratches a different itch. A leisurely, yawning itch on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Rian Johnson’s appreciation for serialized stories where the villains get their comeuppance in the end is well-served in this irresistible Peacock series that’s as funny as it is sharp.

The writing is steadily sharp; with the whodunit part always abundantly evident, the show can focus on the intricacies of the why and the how. And the killer guest spots just keep coming. ... Watching “Poker Face” is like seeing a bunch of old friends, realizing they’re murderers, and liking them all the more for it. They’re all here to get busted by Lyonne.

All this star power (with Lyonne leading the way) is enough to guarantee “Poker Face” will be, at least, an enjoyable diversion. But as the once-sharp dialogue dulls, the playful spirit fades, and the episodes overall regress to serviceable puzzle-solving, it’s hard to shake the feeling that “Poker Face” isn’t as good as it could’ve been.

[The show] is delightful, nostalgic, surprising and funny. Animated by quick and effective world-building, it uses Lyonne’s particular star power to great effect. As detective fiction, however, the results are mixed.

Occasionally, Poker Face feels as though it’s running up against the fundamental disconnect of its format: that murder is a serious crime that happens to a real person but also a constant vehicle for pure entertainment. ... But in the end, the series is designed to ably coast on Lyonne’s charm as she spars with its myriad guest stars—and on that front it delivers in spades.