Poker Face Recap: Rat Catcher

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The story begins, introducing our special guest stars, a murder occurs, we discover Charlie’s link, and we watch her unravel the mystery. Despite the familiar structure of Poker Face, it hasn’t lost its charm. That’s the allure of a well-crafted procedural – each episode feels novel thanks to clever scripting, direction, and acting. In “Whack-a-Mole,” the show attempts a unique twist on the format, but unfortunately, the execution leaves something to be desired. However, given the exceptional quality of this series, even an average episode still delivers a satisfying experience.

In the continuation of the previous events depicted in “Last Looks”, we find Charlie being held at gunpoint by Beatrix Hasp. Beatrix informs Charlie that the current state of affairs with the five mob families is precarious, stating bluntly that they’re facing a war – an expensive and frustrating predicament. Due to Charlie’s involvement, the Hasps are now on the run from both the Southwest Syndicate and the FBI. Before they can flee the country, Beatrix must ensure no one in her crew is a traitor or an informant. When Charlie requests clarification between a rat and a mole, Beatrix explains that she’s referring to the latter – someone who might be secretly working against them from within their group.

Charlie is forced by Beatrix to drive her to a safe house where a human lie detector will use her unique abilities to detect any signs of dishonesty among the crew members, effectively rooting out the mole. Rhea Perlman skillfully imbues her character with both menace and humor, while Natasha Lyonne convincingly portrays a weary individual who’s had enough of running (and who narrowly avoided a fiery demise).

At a gas station, Beatrix encounters an elegantly dressed stranger inside. For our story’s purposes, let’s call him an unidentified character. Upon returning to her car, she finds a clue hidden in a can of Vienna sausages, suggesting that their safe house has been discovered. She instructs her team to move to the Gem of the Ocean Motel, which is where Beatrix and Charlie go next. Charlie feels apprehensive about assisting Beatrix in finding the traitor, especially after she threatens, “I’ll slowly peel their skin off while they watch themselves eat their own flesh,” but her anxiety lessens when Beatrix’s husband, Jeffrey, portrayed by Richard Kind, appears. Although he isn’t involved with the Hasp family business, Jeffrey can make a mean panini using an iron and serenades his wife with “Hello, Little Girl” from Into the Woods. This starts a Sondheim motif that persists throughout the episode, which I find to be one of my favorite elements in Poker Face thus far.

In this thrilling scenario, I find myself, much like Charlie, being strategically positioned by Beatrix in a high-stakes poker game with three intimidating individuals. She cautions me to proceed with caution, but my patience is wearing thin. I decide to cut right to the chase and inquire if any of them are working for the authorities. They all deny it, and I can sense their honesty. “Excellent,” I exclaim before making a hasty exit. However, Beatrix remains unconvinced, even after confirming that Jeffrey is clean as well. She insists that I accompany them to the escape aircraft, just in case it’s a trap. And lo and behold, it turns out to be an ambush!

Upon boarding the plane, I discover the pilot is nothing more than a blow-up doll. The FBI swiftly arrives, led by our old friend Luca (Simon Helberg), accompanied by Hooper (Chris Bauer) and Danny (Mulaney, starting to look rather suspicious). The situation deteriorates rapidly. When Jeffrey becomes panicked and attempts to flee, Luca opens fire on him multiple times. Overwhelmed with grief, Beatrix charges at Luca, seizing his weapon, and shoots him point-blank. She then rushes to the plane, where I cower behind the inflatable pilot. Before I can utter a word, Beatrix takes aim once more.

It appears we’re dealing with an incomplete narrative here. In true fashion of the song “Poker Face,” we delve into the past to unravel the truth. At an FBI meeting led by Hooper, it’s revealed that Beatrix is in a state of panic and they anticipate capturing her due to Luca’s informant within the Hasp gang. However, Danny, who seems to be on the opposing side, attempts to coerce Luca into revealing the informant’s identity. Despite their camaraderie, as evidenced by their shared singing of “Old Friends” from “Merrily We Roll Along,” Luca remains firm in following protocol.

Danny, despite his apparent undercover role, meets Beatrix at a gas station and alerts her about the compromised safe house, using a note with Vienna sausages as a coded message. One criticism of this episode is that the flashbacks can be repetitive; we’re frequently shown information we’ve already deduced or details that are explained elsewhere. However, we do discover that Danny has been working for Beatrix for many years, which has caused him severe stomach ulcers and frequent milk consumption. Additionally, he doesn’t appear to be very skilled at playing the mole, particularly when it comes to exposing the traitor.

In the ensuing scene, it’s revealed that the rat is Jeffrey. He crosses paths with Luca in a parking lot, where Luca queries if Beatrix might cooperate with the federal authorities in return for witness protection. However, Jeffrey doubts this possibility. Instead, he expresses his desire to join the WITSEC program himself. Despite his affection for his wife, he believes she’ll always prioritize her work over him, and he needs a break. In exchange for revealing the identity of the traitorous FBI agent, Jeffrey demands protection once Beatrix is apprehended. Luca consents, suggesting that the only way to execute this plan is to orchestrate Jeffrey’s death in a staged manner. The revised strategy involves Jeffrey escaping from an arranged ambush while Luca fires blanks at him, and Jeffrey detonating explosives hidden in his clothing. When Luca cautions his informant not to jeopardize the plan with poor acting, Jeffrey boasts of his background in regional theater, mentioning roles in “Into the Woods” and the underappreciated “Assassins.” Meanwhile, Danny and a lip-reader observe the entire scenario through binoculars from another vehicle. It seems Danny might be a more effective informant than initially assumed.

When we go back to the motel, it’s clear that Charlie is hiding something from Jeffrey when he questions him about working with the federal agents. It’s also revealed that she phoned Luca from the bathroom of the motel before the attack, following his instructions. However, things didn’t turn out as planned. We revisit the shootout – do you comprehend my point about this sequence feeling somewhat redundant? – but this time, we see the consequences of Beatrix shooting at Charlie. Nothing happens, and she quickly realizes that the bullets were blanks (except for a few). Outside, Luca encounters Jeffrey and finds out he’s been wounded for real. We get a quick glimpse into Danny swapping the blanks with real bullets, but this scene feels unnecessary since Charlie confirms this later in the episode. As far as Luca understands, he believes he has accidentally killed his informant.

Beatrix has taken Charlie hostage on the plane and started using a real gun. However, strangely, Charlie is assisting her by spreading false information. Over the radio, Danny tells Beatrix that he wants to prevent any further harm, but Charlie quickly catches on that this is a lie. The FBI isn’t planning to provide Beatrix with a genuine pilot yet, unless she mentions her inside informant. In a turn of events, and causing Danny increasing concern, Hooper proposes a deal: He will release Beatrix if they can find a corrupt agent. Beatrix refuses to name names, saying, “You want me to betray my mole like a snake?” But Luca and Charlie manage to convince her that it was her FBI informant who was responsible for Jeffrey’s death. This revelation finally makes Beatrix reveal the identity of… Maverick McTitticutty. Although an obvious pseudonym, a reference to milk-chugging helps Luca connect the dots.

Luca doubts his friend who adores Sondheim could be a traitor, but he had the chance to change the bullets. “He’s a sneaky rat and spy,” says Beatrix. “And now maybe a snake too,” adds Charlie. No matter what creature he is, Danny tries to save himself, but Charlie manages to arrest him thanks to his untied shoelaces and quick thinking. As for Beatrix, she suddenly wants to protect herself as a witness against the four crime families in the Southwest Syndicate, which seems very sudden. With Luca encouraging her, she also cancels the hit on Charlie. The situation feels too convenient, not just because I wanted more of Perlman in the series. For now, Charlie is indeed free and clear. “No mob chasing me, nothing to hide,” she says. The episode ends with Charlie deciding her next destination randomly instead of being on the run, indicating she’s not ready to settle down yet.

Just One More Thing

In my summary of the season opener, I noted that Beatrix’s henchmen showing up frequently could become repetitive soon, but I wasn’t prepared for Poker Face to drop this plotline so abruptly. Although it’s intriguing to see Charlie moving on her own accord, it seems that the show has unexpectedly lost some of its tension in the process.

Regardless of my worries, I’m quite content to spend time with Charlie in whatever context. She has an exceptional knack for expressing herself, as demonstrated by her statement to Beatrix: “I’ve wet myself five times already today, but there’s still a bit more left in me.

I can’t help but feel a sense of generational oversight when Beatrix labels Charlie as a millennial, which might stem from Beatrix’s lack of understanding about the age range. (Or perhaps Charlie is slightly younger than Natasha Lyonne.)

In his conversation with the FBI, Luca offers this description of Charlie: “I’d say he usually wears second-hand clothing, has a friendly demeanor, is quite curious, and talks much like an old, out-of-tune clarinet.

One thing in the episode that had me chuckling was Danny’s exasperation over the lip-reader misinterpreting the lyrics from Assassins. “He’s considered one of the greatest lyricists of the 20th century,” Danny exclaims. “So, why on earth would he write ‘spot a bowl’?

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2025-05-08 19:29