‘Poker Face’ Season 2 Review: Natasha Lyonne Keeps Murder Fun in Peacock Series’ Return

Late in Season 2 of Peacock’s “Poker Face,” Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) remarks, “Everywhere I go, I get sucked into other people’s bullsh—t.” It’s stated in a moment of frustration, as if she’s a thief reluctantly pulled back in for one last score, but it’s also a neat bit of meta-commentary on the series’ episodic nature. Despite everything telling her otherwise, Charlie can’t help but get involved. While it might be annoying for her, it remains deeply entertaining for the audience.

Created by Rian Johnson of “Knives Out,” “Looper” and “The Last Jedi” fame, “Poker Face” returns for its sophomore season just as self-assured as it was the first time around. Once again playing with the idea of the “open mystery” format — i.e., audiences see the culprit behind a murder in the opening acts before then cutting back to see how Charlie ultimately solves the case — once popularized by “Columbo.” Now, with a new showrunner (“Longmire” vet Tony Tost stepping in for Nora and Lilla Zuckerman), “Poker Face” expands its scope and premise in the way all good second seasons should.

That expansion takes a slower start, however. When “Poker Face” starts back up, Charlie’s still on the lam from Rhea Perlman and her crew of gangsters, a narrative strand that carries over from the last time, resulting in some throat clearing to work through that before Johnson (who returns to direct the first episode), Tost and the writers for this season put the show into a soft reset. Once that’s accomplished, the show really begins to pick up steam, playing fast and loose with the rules (sometimes it’s not a person who is killed!) and the boundaries of the format (an installment in the middle section features a drug-induced animated segment or a homage to Michael Mann’s “Heat,” an episode that’s a 2025 personal favorite.)

As such, the fun of each of the ten episodes sent for review is seeing the cavalcade of guest stars who will appear and in what setting they’ll do so. Season 2 has a murderers’ row of talent, the likes of which include Cynthia Erivo, Katie Holmes, Giancarlo Esposito, John Mulaney, Corey Hawkins, David Krumholtz, character actress Margo Martindale, Kumail Nanjiani, Sam Richardson, Melanie Lynskey, Jason Ritter, John Cho, Ego Nwodim, Simon Rex and many more. Each of these stars is only half the setup, however, as the real strength of “Poker Face” remains with Lyonne’s performance. The affability and likability Lyonne brings to the role make the darker moments of the series all the lighter. The episodic nature makes Lyonne the star attraction, and it’s always a joy, even with all the death, to see how Charlie will cross paths with new characters and interact with the world around her. As such, it feels like the best parts of a hangout-style show, thanks to the depth of humanity Lyonne brings to the role.

The biggest innovation Tost brings to the show is the desire to push Charlie a bit more in terms of both her personal journey, but also how she solves these murders. Some episodes make it very clear to Charlie who the murderer is, but working through the logistics of how she gets that justice is less clear-cut than last season. In short, there’s more of an effort across Season 2 to ensure justice is served correctly. By the time we’re in the home stretch of episodes, there’s a wariness to Charlie that continuing to be the only one who can solve these mysteries is beginning to weigh on her, making for some interesting tension in the overall premise of the show. Yet even then, Tost and crew never lose sight of the lightness of it all. Despite the grizzly murder of it all — and some of the murders are quite gnarly this time — there’s a hilarious breeziness to it all that makes “Poker Face” so good.

“Poker Face” remains a throwback to a more quaint part of television history when not every series needed to be an episodic or novelistic-style build. The episodic nature of the show actually helps to make it stand out more in this era of Peak TV, as it’s easy to remember the setting of each episode due to its guest stars and overall distinctiveness in setup and execution — no death pun intended.

Season 2 of “Poker Face” proves that its format — and really, its star — are a continued winning hand for Peacock. As long as the mysteries at the core of each episode remain as clever and engaging as they are here and Lyonne’s as magnetic and compelling as she is, this is a show that can run until its wheels fall off.

Charlie Cale may hate other people’s bullsh—t, but their shenanigans continue to result in an endlessly rewatchable series.

“Poker Face” premieres Thursday, May 8, on Peacock.

The post ‘Poker Face’ Season 2 Review: Natasha Lyonne Keeps Murder Fun in Peacock Series’ Return appeared first on TheWrap.