Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Poker Face season 2, episode 6!Poker Face season 2, episode 6 began by introducing a conflict between two students at a private school. Over-achiever Stephanie grows worried that she will lose her first place status on her classroom's gold star chart to her classmate, Elijah, during an talent show. Determined to do anything to win, she sabotages his magic trick, which is supposed to make the class pet gerbil, Joseph, disappear when he supposedly smashes him with a giant hammer.

She puts a baby photo on a slideshow presentation meant to be played ahead of Elijah's magic act. He runs to delete the image, leaving Stephanie alone with Joseph. The gerbil is supposed to fall through a secret hole in a box to safety before Elijah smashes his hammer down, but Stephanie turns the box upside down so he doesn't fall through. Joseph is squashed to death, leading characters in Poker Face to believe Elijah's oversight got him killed. This leads into Charlie's investigation, marking a first for episodes of Poker Face in of who the victim is.

Joseph The Gerbil Is Poker Face’s First Animal Murder Victim

It's The First Time Charlie Has Investigated The Death Of An Animal

As of season 2, episode 6, Joseph the gerbil is the mystery series' first animal murder victim. The show's previous episodes have always focused on people killing other people, something that falls in line with typical murder mystery storylines. This leads into Charlie's perspective, where she deduces what happened thanks to her ability to tell when someone is lying. Aside from one time Poker Face broke tradition, culprits usually wind up either imprisoned, dead, or with some other form of punishment. But it's usually because their victim is a human being.

In this latest episode, Charlie directly investigates Joseph's murder in order to clear Elijah's name. The murder victim is the gerbil, something that's made clear as she starts realizing Stephanie was the one who killed the class pet. It's a first for the series to have Charlie seek justice for an animal's death. She ends up doing so after learning Stephanie is blackmailing the principal, Dr. Hamm, blackmailing her back when she tries to frame Elijah's father for stealing money from the school. But this isn't the only time Charlie's gotten justice for an animal in Poker Face season 2.

Poker Face Season 2 Has A Running Theme With Animals

Season 2, Episode 4 Also Had An Animal At The Center

Joseph might be the first animal murder victim in season 2, but it's not the first time the new batch of episodes highlighted an animal as being victimized. Poker Face season 2, episode 4 saw disgruntled police officer Fran feed rival cop Gator Joe reptile laxatives in hopes of embarrassing him after his seventh win in a row for Florida's Cop of the Year. Instead, she accidentally kills him, covering it up by using his alligator, Daisy, as a scapegoat. Charlie saves her from getting killed, ending with the gator free and Fran working for an alligator sanctuary.

While Joseph was a direct murder victim, Daisy was used in a way that would have gotten her killed had Charlie not stepped in.

While Daisy wasn't a murder victim, she was being framed for Gator Joe's death, making her a victim regardless of the fact she survived. Featuring two episodes so close to one another where animals are victims makes it seem like a running theme for Poker Face season 2. While Joseph was a direct murder victim, Daisy was used in a way that would have gotten her killed had Charlie not stepped in. This theme of animals having cruel things done to them by murderers seems like something the show is sticking with, which could be the basis for more episodes.

How Poker Face Can Keep Exploring Its Animal Themes

More Episodes Can Feature Animal Victims In Different Scenarios

With Daisy being framed for murder and Joseph being a murder victim himself, future episodes of Poker Face season 2 could incorporate animals in different ways during Charlie's future investigations. One potential route is that Charlie is trying to prevent a crime against an animal, using her truth deduction skills to determine if someone has bad intentions for one. This could also throw the premise of the show for a loop, since it would involve her trying to prevent a murder rather than solve a case.

Another possible option is tying its animal victims together, using it as a way to highlight various forms of animal abuse in the process. It can showcase how animal lives are sometimes not as valued as human ones, providing fresh commentary about the real world through the cases that unfold. Since Poker Face season 2, episode 6 established this as a possible running theme in later episodes, there might be even more cases involving animals left for Charlie to solve.

New episodes of Poker Face arrive Thursdays on Peacock.