Warning: spoilers ahead for Poker Face season 1.
Poker Face season 1 saw Charlie on the run from Sterling Frost Sr. and his henchman Cliff, and while the season finale wrapped up her issues with them, Charlie’s story will repeat itself in season 2. Peacock renewed Poker Face in the midst of its successful first season, raising questions about how the series would be able to maintain its investigation case-of-the-week formula. Fortunately, the Poker Face season 1 finale proved that season 2 will be more of the same, which is what made the series work in the first place.
Peacock's Poker Face continued a Rian Johnson hot streak, as it came quickly off the heels of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. The film also featured a cameo from Poker Face star Natasha Lyonne, whose team-up with Johnson as Charlie in Poker Face was a major draw for the Peacock series. Lyonne even starred as Charlie in a Poker Face Super Bowl commercial, and the show’s season 2 renewal was announced the following day. The Poker Face season 1 finale perfectly set the series up for season 2, which promises more of the same weekly cases.
Charlie Will Be On The Run Again In Poker Face Season 2
Charlie spent the majority of Poker Face season 1 on the run from Ron Perlman's Sterling Sr. and Benjamin Bratt's Cliff. She escaped death numerous times, leading to numerous cat-and-mouse scenes between Cliff and Charlie in the weekly-released Poker Face episodes. Everything ended up working out for Charlie in the season 1 finale as she escaped death, and prison, once again. However, the problems that were solved only led to more, bigger problems, meaning that Charlie will be on the run again in Poker Face season 2, essentially repeating her season 1 story.
Charlie being on the run in Poker Face season 1 provided the perfect explanation as to how she ended up investigating murders across the country each episode, and it makes sense that season 2 would seek to do the same. Poker Face season 2 antagonist Beatrix Hasp of the Five Families, played by Rhea Perlman, is far more menacing and powerful than Sterling, adding to Poker Face’s suspense. When Beatrix asked how long Charlie thought she could run, she answered, “let’s all of us find out together” as a nod to viewers and what they can expect from Poker Face season 2 when it streams on Peacock.
The Murder Mystery Cases Are What Make Poker Face Work
Charlie being on the run in Poker Face provides a story format and a strong motivation for the lead protagonist. However, what Charlie is running from is not what makes Poker Face work. There were multiple Poker Face season 1 episodes in which Sterling and Cliff were not mentioned whatsoever, but that still enjoyed positive reactions.
That was because of the episodic cases Charlie was investigating. Who Charlie is running from does not matter to Poker Face as much as Charlie actually being on the run does. Poker Face season 2 repeating Charlie’s story makes sense because it is the only way to plausibly continue the successful case-of-the-week formula.