Poker Face Season 2 Shocked Me With Its Completely New Formula

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Poker Face season 2, episode 8!

Poker Face season 2, episode 8 delivered a new type of mystery for Charlie, shocking me with a completely new formula for her investigation. Poker Face season 2 has featured multiple episodes that divert from expectations the series laid the groundwork for in season 1. This includes season 2, episode 4, where the perpetrator, Fran, was never punished for accidentally killing Gator Joe. In season 2, episode 6, the victim was a gerbil named Joseph, the first time Charlie solved a case involving an animal getting murdered.

Now, season 2, episode 8 has switched up the formula yet again. The episode of Poker Face sees a woman named Regina meeting someone named Alec at a hotel bar, who’s helping a Georgian prince convert Iari into US dollars for profit. Carrying $20,000 for an orphan charity, she sees an opportunity to double her money by giving it to him. However, Alec is seemingly shot by a bodyguard, while she shoots the bodyguard and runs off with all the money – or so she thinks. As Poker Face‘s new characters are reintroduced, though, the series’ formula is radically shifted.

When Charlie Arrives, Poker Face Season 2, Episode 8’s Crime Has Already Happened

The Episode Sets Up Expectations Before Turning Them On Their Head

Season 2, episode 8 starts with Charlie meeting Alec at a bar, where she’s able to use her ability to detect lies to see through his facade. In reality, his name is Guy, a conman who runs schemes to trick people with large amount of money to give them their cash. The one they were going to work on Charlie was “The Sleazy Georgian.” As it turns out, the story Guy had told Regina about a Georgian prince was a ploy to get the $20,000 she was carrying, with their bodyguard, Manny, being the one who pretends to shoot him.

The setup makes it seem like something will go wrong when they try and trick Regina. Tension between Guy and Manny makes it seem like Manny might kill him, while it also seems like Regina could accidentally kill Manny with Guy’s gun. Soon enough, though, Poker Face season 2, episode 8 reveals their ploy against her already happened. Not only does Guy’s gun only shoot blanks, but the group has her bag with a slip for the $20,000 still inside. The group tricked her out of her money long before Charlie arrived at the hotel.

Season 2, Episode 8’s Supposed Perpetrator Is Actually The Real Victim

Regina Was Guy’s Victim & Didn’t Really Steal Any Money

This revelation went against what Guy had said while telling Charlie about their plans. He said that, when it came to targeting people, his group would always go after criminals. However, Regina was not a bad person; she genuinely wanted to double the $20,000 to get a larger donation to her orphan charity. While Guy tries to justify that she was greedy, having taken a bag she thought contained $400,000 in it, Charlie reveals that she actually killed herself after losing the money for the orphans.

The revelation flips the episode’s expectations on their head. Poker Face breaks away from the formula by revealing that Regina was the true victim, even when the start of the episode framed her as a culprit. Even though she took what she believed was hundreds of thousands of dollars, she still ended up dead because of Guy, who willingly stole from her despite knowing she was donating to a charity. The show usually makes it clear who the victim and culprit are from the start, but this twist makes the revelation of what happened to Regina all the more heartbreaking.

How Poker Face Breaking Its Formula Makes Season 2, Episode 8 Better

The Aftermath Of Charlie’s Discovery Offers Perfect Justice

Despite Regina’s death, Charlie is still able to get justice for her by the end of the episode. Manny arrives with news of a new mark, “Sketch,” a gambling addict who can get $400,000 in cash within an hour. Charlie says he’s telling the truth, but, before the deal can be made, it’s revealed Sketch has a gun. He seemingly shoots and kills Manny, with Charlie seemingly killing him. However, it was all a rouse to con Guy, with Sketch actually being Robin, Manny’s husband. They give Charlie Regina’s $20,000 to donate to the orphan charity.

The episode’s ending offers justice for Regina’s death in a unique way, as Charlie donates the money through a bank slot that wasn’t working at the start. By leaving the audience in the dark more than usual, Poker Face season 2, episode 8 provided the perfect groundwork for a unique episode of the show. It also made the justice at the end feel earned, with the episode’s true victim being given recompense in a creative fashion.

New episodes of Poker Face arrive Thursdays on Peacock.

Poker Face

9/10

Release Date

January 26, 2023

Network

Peacock

Directors

Lucky McKee, Natasha Lyonne, Janicza Bravo, Ben Sinclair

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  Natasha Lyonne

  Charlie Cale

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  Benjamin Bratt

  Cliff Legrand