Poker Face Recap: Poetic Justice

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It appears that Charlie Cale might have finally settled down in her forever home, although it’s still uncertain what this means for the ongoing series “Poker Face.” In the episode titled “A New Lease on Death,” we find Charlie residing in New York City with no immediate plans to depart, distancing herself from mob violence. The notion of a stationary Charlie is intriguing, but this episode didn’t quite resonate with me entirely. Partly because it feels somewhat like the premiere of a new show, giving off an unusual feel so deep into the season. However, it’s also due to the week’s case not being as well-constructed as I am accustomed to, featuring a rather messy killer portrayed as a brilliant criminal mastermind.

Before encountering the murderess, we’re introduced to Anne (Lauren Tom), a retired poetry professor living with her granddaughter Maddy (Awkwafina) in a rent-controlled apartment that costs $640 per month since 1972. They share this three-bedroom, four-bath, two-fireplace home. Anne is planning to legally adopt Maddy to secure the low rent, but her plan is disrupted when Kate (Alia Shawkat) enters the picture. They meet over a plum at a fruit stand, and Kate admits to taking the plum that Anne was eyeing for breakfast. Anne forgives her, finding the plum “so sweet and so cold.” This reference to William Carlos Williams is significant for a poetry professor, so it’s not surprising when they start a relationship despite their 30-year age difference.

As a dedicated cinephile, I must admit that the unfolding drama in my grandmother’s life isn’t something I typically anticipate. Yet here I am, witnessing an unexpected twist: my grandma, Anne, sharing a bed with a younger woman named Kate, who moves in within just two weeks!

Initially taken aback by this revelation about Anne’s vibrant bisexual past (and present), I express my support, though it’s clear my feelings are mixed. However, the arrival of Kate disrupts our beloved routines of watching Jeopardy! and Michael Clayton, making my disapproval harder to conceal.

Seeking answers, I enlist the help of my friend Ricardo, a keen librarian, who uncovers that Kate is none other than Amelia Peek, a woman with three active warrants against her. Confronting Kate about her true identity and accusing her of exploiting Anne for her rent-controlled apartment, she denies it but agrees to part ways when I threaten to contact the authorities.

However, Kate’s departure isn’t as straightforward as one might hope. In a sinister move, she sets a trap in the laundry room, luring me inside with the promise of confrontation. The spin cycle sends a bottle of bleach crashing to the floor, where it mixes with the descaler Kate has deliberately spilled. As a cloud of chlorine gas fills the room, I find myself unable to escape, left breathless and blinded by the toxic haze.

Rest assured, Maddy’s murder won’t stay unsolved for much longer. Charlie, aided by her CB radio friend Good Buddy, has moved into an apartment in the same building in New York. However, she must constantly deceive the building superintendent, Otto, about her true intentions as sublets aren’t allowed. Charlie is skilled at detecting lies but struggles with telling them herself. She feels optimistic about New York, believing that the city’s abundance of challenges might act like a white noise machine, allowing her to live more freely. Despite this hopeful outlook, Charlie cares too deeply for others to truly tune out those in need. Additionally, she has a tendency to form close relationships with murder victims, such as Maddy, whom she befriends and gains access to an exclusive apartment through. Amusingly, Charlie is momentarily perplexed when Maddy asks if she enjoys the game show “Jeopardy!”, to which she replies, “It seems to find me more than I seek it out.” Although she doesn’t express liking it, she acknowledges that there’s something exhilarating about facing one’s own mortality. Maddy later clarifies that she was referring to the game show itself, and the group eventually watches “Jeopardy! Masters” with Anne instead.

Week after week, I find myself instantly connecting with the guest stars on Poker Face, but my budding friendship with Maddy takes an unexpected turn – let’s just say things didn’t work out as planned. Upon visiting Anne to offer my condolences, I run into Kate who reveals her engagement to Anne. “Baloney,” was my immediate response, though I suppose “almost engaged” is more accurate. Kate also denies me the chance to see Anne because she’s in mourning. Alia Shawkat always delivers a solid performance, but Kate’s villainy is so overt that it strains credibility at times.

Now, I often emphasize the importance of suspending disbelief while watching Poker Face, but Kate tested my limits; she simply didn’t feel like a formidable adversary. This becomes even more apparent when she learns Ricardo discovered Amelia Peek’s true identity and responds by brandishing a (quite small) knife to force him into silence. Yes, it’s an amusing twist of expectations, with a large tattooed man quaking in fear at the approach of a smaller woman. Yet, the notion that he’d be so terrified for his life as to flee, especially when he could simply contact any police department searching for Amelia Peek, seems rather far-fetched, even to me. Could I be reading too much into this?

As a movie buff, I found myself standing alongside Charlie at the crime scene, examining every detail with Otto. Noticing the descaler out of place, Otto shares his handiwork on fixing the door. This implies someone else must have tampered with the handle. Trusting my instincts, I quickly rule out Otto as a suspect, though a slip-up about the adoption rent control scheme makes him confess to knowing the victim.

I then visit Abdul at his bodega, who confirms selling the suspicious door handle recently. Unfortunately for me, he suffers from face blindness, leaving me clueless about the buyer’s identity. With just enough information to narrow it down, I manage to identify Kate as a person of interest.

Confronting Kate head-on with every piece of evidence in hand, she remains unflustered and quotes Honest Thomas, “It’s not what you know; it’s what you can prove.” I sense that finding proof may be challenging, as she doesn’t seem to have many willing accomplices.

Although things may seem rosy for Kate at first, there are complications waiting for her when she gets back home. Otto is showing the apartment to a potential tenant, as Anne, due to her mourning of Maddy’s passing, can no longer stay there. Seeing someone give up such a valuable three-bedroom apartment in New York City leaves Kate feeling panicked and desperate, causing her to propose marriage to Anne on the spot. Anne declines, leaving Kate to grab the necessary paperwork. This sudden move provides Charlie with an opening to voice her suspicions to Maddy’s grandmother: that Kate intends to marry Anne so she can murder her and claim the apartment for herself. While it may be understandable in this situation, it is not difficult to see why Charlie might suspect such a thing. When Kate returns, Anne reveals everything to her, but Kate is unwilling to accept the truth, instead choosing to defend herself by dismissing Charlie’s claims as nonsense. She instructs Anne to go to the laundry room while she handles Charlie herself. This action clearly sets the stage for something sinister, yet Charlie appears oblivious to the danger she finds herself in as she relaxes on the balcony with a vape. Before Charlie can finish her warning speech, Kate pushes her over the railing to her death.

In a different take, allow me to rephrase: Joking aside, Charlie has coordinated a scheme with her neighbor, Micky – a tap-dancing firefighter introduced in this episode – and he’s arranged an inflatable cushion beneath her window. Now, there are two points worth noting. First, it’s hard to believe that Kate, who is sloppy by nature, would attempt to harm Charlie in broad daylight without any witnesses. Second, the way Charlie falls could have been slightly different, potentially leading to an impalement on wrought iron, making this plan seem rather risky. However, it’s a thrilling scene, especially when Anne and her lawyer are revealed as being part of the trick. Anne tells Kate, “You’re so screwed,” which is a reference from the movie “Michael Clayton” if you haven’t seen it before. Despite the climactic ending, the episode concludes on a somber note, with Anne reciting “Dirge Without Music” to Charlie and leaving her apartment vacant. Unfortunately, the bothersome tenant Otto is still around, having shown interest in the apartment. On a positive note, both Charlie and the newfound community she’s been searching for are here to stay.

Just One More Thing

Due to the semi-reboot of the series, we swiftly move through certain character intros. I’m thrilled that we’ll see more of Patti Harrison, but her quick scene seemed rather unnecessary given the context of this particular episode.

I’m quite fond of seeing more of Myra Lucretia Taylor, who portrays Charlie’s new neighbor, Noreen. She delivers one of the most memorable lines from the episode when she casually mentions she was once the managing editor at an ambiguous magazine called Vague, distinguishing it from Vogue. When Charlie inquires about the magazine’s content, Noreen replies with a casual shrug, “It’s all ‘this and that.’

As someone who’s moved on from English studies, I found the poetry allusions delightful, but it was the continuous tributes to “Michael Clayton” as cinematic perfection that really got me excited. Moreover, the line about Kate suggesting “Anatomy of a Fall” as an excellent portrayal of a dog brought a smile to my face.

Will we learn more details about Charlie’s latest job as a CAPTCHA technician? To be precise, I’m curious to know whether her responsibilities include developing new CAPTCHAs or if she’s handling them for bots instead. The latter seems quite disheartening given her description of it as “dirty work.

With “Poker Face” settled in New York, at least temporarily, I’m looking forward to the possibility of a “Elsbeth” crossover. Even though it seems unlikely, that doesn’t diminish our desire for it to happen.

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2025-06-19 13:54