The second half of “Poker Face” season two is proving to be even more engaging than the initial episodes, a statement I make as someone who generally found the first six quite enjoyable! Following last week’s impressive blend of heist and romantic comedy, I was anticipating something more average this time around. However, what we received was another standout: a con-man tale that cleverly deviates from the series’ usual pattern, offering one tantalizing twist after another. The absence of the threat posed by Beatrix Hasp has allowed the writers and Charlie to explore new creative territories, and for now, “Poker Face” is operating at its peak performance.
At 8:30 in the morning, I find myself crossing paths with John Cho’s character, Alec, at a hotel bar. I’m Melanie Lynskey, a dedicated worker for the National Orphan Fund, passing time until a nearby bank opens so I can deposit the $20,000 from our charity bingo tournament. There’s something about this enigmatic man that intrigues me. Alec explains he offers customized services to some exclusive clients, and his frequent visits from mysterious envelopes filled with cash hint at illicit activities.
I’m 43, living alone if you don’t count my pet fish. I adore my job, but it lacks the thrill I crave. Alec’s allure and the promise of excitement lead me to follow him back to his hotel room. There, I push for him to divulge his true intentions behind the vast sums of money. He confesses he works for an exiled Georgian ruler, who possesses immense wealth but is unable to spend it.
Alec exchanges these funds with U.S. dollars, receiving twice as much in Georgian lari, which he can then safely exchange at the bank. While he’s been doing this with modest amounts for a while, he has now accumulated $400,000, planning to make a life-altering move with it. In just an hour, the Georgian despot’s bodyguard will arrive and make Alec extremely wealthy.
Reggie is brimming with enthusiasm. Even noticing Alec’s firearm doesn’t deter her from pressing forward. “I want to see the money,” she demands, proposing they scatter it on the bed before engaging in an intimate act above it. (Alec admits that idea wouldn’t be particularly enjoyable and he’s correct. Moreover, money is grimy.) She expresses a desire to participate in this venture, pointing out that the $20,000 she possesses could potentially save additional orphans if it increased to $40,000. Alec rejects her offer to contribute, but when he steps away to answer the door – the bodyguard has arrived prematurely! – Reggie stashes her money in a satchel. Unfortunately, the exhilaration of the scenario soon transforms into a darker moment. When Alec opens the door, the bodyguard instantly shoots him. In a flurry, Reggie retrieves Alec’s gun from beside the table and shoots the approaching bodyguard. In an unexpected move, the Reggie of this very moment does something she wouldn’t have considered earlier this morning: She places the gun in Alec’s hand to create the illusion that the men had exchanged gunfire, collects the $400,000 (including the $20,000 for the orphans), and departs.
In this scene, Charlie and Alec (now named Guy) encounter each other at a hotel bar, it’s 8:30 a.m., and Charlie is still grappling with her heartbreaking breakup with Bill. Despite her rough state, her instincts are sharper than ever, as she quickly discerns that Guy is not telling the truth about anything, even his identity. Impressed by her acumen, he chooses to be honest. “Nice to meet you,” he says, “I’m Guy, and I’m a con artist.” Caught off guard, I must admit I didn’t anticipate this revelation! This encounter marks the initial twist in the series, with another significant turn being the chronological progression of events. Unlike other shows such as Poker Face that jump back in time, Charlie encounters Guy following the episode’s opening sequence. Furthermore, there’s no actual murder victim because the despot’s bodyguard is actually Manny (Joel Marsh Garland), part of Guy’s gang. Despite his profession of deceit, Guy is quite forthcoming with Charlie, mainly because she passes every lie-detecting test he throws at her. Introducing her to his crew, Guy explains that they are one of the last groups in the U.S. who execute old-school grand cons, and the “sleazy Georgian” is their specialty.
Listening to him elaborate on the scam, I was once again reminded of my own naivety. We’ve seen the basic steps before, but the trick lies in allowing the victim to reveal the details at their own pace until they’re so eager to contribute more money that they rush to the ATM. (Reggie having $20,000 on him was a fortunate coincidence.) Charlie sensibly asks about the fake money sack, and Guy discloses that only the top layer is genuine cash, consisting of earnings from past cons. He also shares that his gun serves merely to create an illusion of danger – it’s loaded with blanks. Despite living a life less extraordinary than Reggie’s, it’s evident that Charlie enjoys these swindling tales. She finds them entertaining and charming, but she disapproves of taking money from hardworking individuals. However, Guy sets her straight: “You can’t scam an honest person.” Greed often overpowers prudence and morality. (He isn’t entirely incorrect in that light, considering Reggie’s recent actions.) When Guy claims they only target criminals, Charlie starts rationalizing her involvement with the gang. “You’re like the Dexter of con artists,” she decides.
In this episode, Charlie discovers Reggie’s check slip for $20,000 from the National Orphan Fund, leading her to dig deeper. An article unveils that Reggie, after being robbed of charity money, committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. This death is indeed tragic. Charlie confronts Guy about this, but he remains unfazed. Guy claims that Reggie was driven by greed and the theft in her heart. He alleges that she attempted to steal an additional $400,000 with two deceased men nearby and would have taken the crew’s last earnings if not for Guy swiftly exchanging the bags. Guy argues he bears no responsibility for Reggie’s inability to cope with her actions. However, Charlie is unconvinced: she believes that Reggie was vulnerable and Guy exploited this vulnerability. If Guy doesn’t restore the $20,000 to those orphans, Charlie threatens to go to the police and have the entire operation shut down. I find it questionable whether she can manage that, but Guy admits it might be possible. Regardless, he proposes a deal: if Charlie assists him in scamming the next mark, he will give her $20,000, which she can donate as she wishes.
The final score is a clear warning sign, not only because his name is Sketch, but also due to his excessive enthusiasm for the Georgian deal. Privately, Charlie advises Guy to abandon the plan altogether. Sketch has issues with gambling and ties to the local mafia, yet he’s offered an astonishing $400,000, which has blinded Guy to any potential risks. In their hotel room, Charlie discovers that Sketch possesses a firearm of his own, so she attempts to derail the deal by exposing it as a scam while Guy tries to interrupt her explanation. Unfortunately, Charlie can’t alert Manny in time; he enters with a gun drawn, and Sketch shoots the bodyguard in the chest. A struggle ensues between Charlie and Sketch for the weapon, during which Sketch is wounded. Meanwhile, Guy has already fled, returning the satchel to his gang. They decide they must leave town, acknowledging the loss of one team member but celebrating their substantial earnings, stating they’ll eventually move past it.
In the climactic scene of the episode, it turns out that Guy found the bag he opened was filled with hotel breakfast vouchers, which Charlie had been amassing during her travels. She had fooled him, and Manny was part of the scheme. As Manny stands up unscathed in the hotel room, Charlie reveals, “Just as you said, he left you here to die.” Sketch, who wasn’t actually shot, is Manny’s husband Robin, and they all worked together on this deception. Charlie tells Manny, “You’re like a master con artist,” and she means it sincerely. However, Manny doesn’t want to cause harm – except perhaps to Guy, who has lost the trust of his team, their entire final take, and now faces approaching police sirens, suggesting he may lose his freedom. Charlie can’t reverse what happened to Reggie, but she can make amends by returning the stolen charity money. The episode concludes with her depositing the entire bag into a bank vault, possibly even adding some extra hotel vouchers in as well.
Just One More Thing
This season, it was great to delve deeper into Charlie’s abilities as a human lie detector, a skill set that hasn’t been fully explored so far. One interesting aspect introduced is the notion that it doesn’t rely on tells, but rather something else. The idea that even the world’s most cunning sociopath could deceive her makes for an engaging plot twist. However, I personally prefer to view her powers as having a supernatural quality, making them seemingly infallible.
It’s tough not to ponder “Yellowjackets” when observing Melanie Lynskey portray a character who turns to the dark side, but considering how long I’ve known her as Shauna, I expected the surprise to be that she was deceiving Alec – or Guy, if you will.
The tale involving Reggie turns out to be more melancholic. His unseen demise had a profound impact on me, and it’s not just my worry about who’s looking after his fish that contributes to this emotion.
A new collaboration between “Orange Is the New Black” and Joel Marsh Garland is on the horizon, as he shares a delightful rapport with Natasha Lyonne. And honestly, who wouldn’t?
In the movie “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” Brendan Sexton III portrays Sketch/Robin, a role he is famously recognized for. This is a film that I believe Daryl Hannah Lyonne holds in high regard.
I’d like to give a shout-out to Veronika Slowikowska, who plays a small role as Cliff, the crew intern who takes minutes. The joke about her giving up corporate work to pursue her dreams and become an NBC page is one of the most hilarious examples of Peacock brand integration in the show yet.
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2025-06-12 15:54