Is it worth watching "Pokerface" - a detective series that does not want to surprise the viewer

Four episodes of "Pokerface" were released on the streaming service Peacock. Rian Johnson (Knives Out) is the showrunner. He also directed the first two episodes.

The main role is played by Natasha Lyonne ("Matryoshka's Life"). The series also features Chloë Sevigny (“Dogville”), Joseph Gordon‑Levitt (“Inception”), Dasha Polanco (“Samaritan»).

Charlie Cale works as a waitress at a casino. Few people know about her secret gift - she feels when she is being lied to. After she exposes a crime in a casino and ruins the life of a local crime boss, she begins to be pursued. A girl with no money goes on the run in her old car. And wherever she is, everywhere she finds crimes that need to be unraveled. She conducts unofficial investigations and does not cooperate with the police - she is even afraid of real law enforcement officers.

The format determines the content

The first series is knocked out of the general narrative - it can be considered introductory. In the future, the episodes are built according to the same scheme. First they show the crime (without hiding the motives and participants), and then Charlie Cale is nearby. She feels something is wrong, then she is going to move on, but suddenly decides to stay and find the culprit.

"Pokerface" is an adherent of the old school format, which is often associated with the series "Colombo». The intrigue is not who the killer is, but how to catch him. The television series of the 2000s also actively used a similar structure, but it gradually fell out of fashion - also due to the notorious rethinking of the detective as a genre.

The desire to match the classics also affects the visual component. Zoom, sharp camera turns, overacting supporting actors - "Pokerface" could well have come out 40 years ago and look completely natural.

Pokerface doesn't try to be original. Stories about lie detection there have already been, and more successful ones - for example, "Lie to me." By the way, in that case, scenario flaws could also be forgiven thanks to the charisma of the protagonist.

Intrigue deliberately removed

Considering that the criminal and his motives are known from the very beginning, there is no intrigue in the series. It may seem that the investigation itself is ready to sprinkle with riddles and unexpected plot twists, but the second, third and fourth series are almost indistinguishable. Charlie is too lazy to look for clues, so the writers make her job easier by slipping them under her feet.

In one of the episodes, the killer tells Charlie about what chips he fries meat on, then commits a crime and beats the dog on the head with a piece of wood. The veterinarian takes a chip out of the scar. All investigation completed. But the episode is 50 minutes long.

The gift, which was told at the very beginning of the series, really works, but it does not make sense. Instead of talking with the suspect and using leading questions, the heroine searches for clues throughout the series, jumping and crawling merrily - the investigation is at the mercy of comedic component.

Episodes are too long

On average, episodes run for about an hour. The first 10-15 minutes are spent on the background, then about 10 minutes Charlie gets acquainted with the case, about 20 minutes the investigation lasts, and the last 10 minutes are spent on the denouement. Perhaps, only in the fourth series, the backstory deserved such timing - thanks to the bright heroes. In other cases, it turns out too long.

However, investigations seem too long. To collect a couple of clues, the heroine must conduct approximately the same dialogues several times with the same people.

As for the denouement, it tends to be even stranger. So, Charlie can tell the caught criminal about the evidence that betrayed him for three minutes. That is, to retell the series for those who are often distracted. Reminiscent of the best moments of the series "Detectives".

Laughing is rare

Funny and original jokes (of which there are few) side by side with boring platitudes (of which there are many). Almost all the characters that Charlie meets along the way are people with oddities. They make strange decisions, tell strange stories, and have strange desires. There are good characters, there are not so good ones. Their main task is to throw viewers absurd sayings and laugh. Or at least give a reason for jokes to the main character.

Most of the secondary characters are enough for the first 10-15 minutes - then they repeat the same words. If the hero did not like immediately, then he will be annoying until the end of the episode. If it's not funny in the first 5 minutes after Charlie's appearance, you can turn off the series.

The main character draws the series

Charlie Cale is a mixture of Lebowski and James from "stay alive». She is sociable, but only when you want to talk, at other times it is better not to touch her. She is ready to help people, but again, not always. Impulsive, bright, witty and not embarrassing herself with the norms of decency. In an ideal life, she would sit in a comfortable chair with a can of beer - only circumstances make her live differently.

Considering that Charlie is not a real detective, but only a tramp, she sneaks up on the investigation in a special way. Not as a professional, but rather as a curious person, with the question “What is going on here with you?”. Her simplicity is captivating.

Natasha Lyonne, who plays the title role, is doing everything she can to bring the series to life. She succeeds - the vast majority of funny jokes seem so only thanks to the actress.

"Pokerface" is the perfect series in case you need to stage something background during cleaning. You can skip 10 minutes and then look at the screen and immediately understand what was happening. If you're lucky, you might even stumble upon a funny scene.