The unique and insightful dark comedy mystery series “Poker Face” has once again surprised viewers with an out of left field plot twist in it’s season 2 finale. The season premiere made it’s debut in the Nielsen top 10 at number 5 and has a flawless 100% RT score so it’s likely to be picked up for another season although it is not the biggest vote of confidence that Peacock has yet to make the announcement. It’s also possible the cameo budget is being discussed as season 2 had over 25 high profile actors appear. Most one-off guest stars reportedly have taken lower rates due to the overall industry desire to work on this series but that number will likely only increase each season.
The closing minutes predictable saw a seemingly tragic cliffhanger immediately be cancelled out by the smallest FBI Agent of all time, played by Simon Helberg from “The Big Bang Theory”, but overall the episode was filled with twists and turns for the human lie detector, Charlie Cale (Natasha Lynne). Warning, beyond this point there are spoilers for the “Poker Face” season 2 finale.
The closing minutes predictable saw a seemingly tragic cliffhanger immediately be cancelled out
by the smallest FBI Agent of all time”
The episode picked up from a cliffhanger after the usual one episode per mystery format was extended to two for the finale. Charlie may have inadvertently been leading a killer to assassinate the tough mob boss Beatrix Hasp (Rhea Perlman) who was the overarching villain behind the scenes since season 1 who Charlie had finally made peace with. After many paranoia induced interactions it’s finally revealed that Charlie is not an infallible lie detector after all as her seemingly red shirted friend was actually the biggest sociopath on the planet and a ruthless killer who did in fact use and trick Charlie to kill the most important protected witness of all time. Alex (Patti Harrison) did a wonderful job of seeming superfluous to the plot when Charlie just needed a friend while of. Course there were more than a handful of redditors who were instantly suspicious that the character wasn’t what she seemed.
Alex ended up being the Iguana, a hardcore killer that does it for the fun of killing and even killed a polar bear single handedly without any gun. Once the big twist is revealed, which completely catches Charlie by surprise, the two go on a “Thelma and Louise” style chase that literally ends up with the car driving off the cliff, which even calmed with a “TO BE CONTINUED” title card that is quickly revealed to be a fake out as Charlie is internally left hanging with the Iguana nowhere to be seen. Agent Luca (Helberg) pulls Charlie up and gives her a head start as she now becomes the most wanted woman in the world, with the exception of the Iguana who the Feds may assume died in the burning wreckage of the car.
Season 3 (if there is one) will start similarly to the second season did, with Charlie once again on the run. The stakes are a big higher, but is this the right call, to keep the character in a seemingly cyclical state of running and hiding? How long can a series sustain that? Series creator have indicated a strong willingness to move forward with another season, but do they have big picture plans for this series that has quickly become a cult classic?
Overall, this finale and season as a whole were masterfully done and they found creative and fascinating ways to tell the stories of one-time characters so vividly that you almost forgot you were watching “Poker Face”. The finale gives Charlie her rightful time in the spotlight as she grips with the newfound information that she can in fact be fooled if someone wants to do it bad enough.
What do you think? Did you see the “Poker Face” season finale? If there is no renewal order, did the show end on a high note? What guest stars might be on board for season 2? We’re really hoping for a Dave Bautista cameo.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
