Natasha Lyonne brings crime-of-the-week mystery in 'Poker Face'

WAMU 88.5 | By June Leffler, Michelle Harven

Published January 22, 2023 at 5:53 PM EST

Actress Natasha Lyonne arrives for the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

In the new mystery series “Poker Face”, the protagonist possesses an uncanny ability to tell when anyone is lying.

This gift lands the main character – Charlie Cale, played by Natasha Lyonne – in a sticky situation with a casino manager looking to exploit her talents. All the while, she’s using her own street smarts to figure out the circumstances of her best friend’s suspicious death.

This one plotline could cover the course of the 10-part series, but instead, it forces Charlie on the run and sparks a murder-solving spree as she travels to new towns in each episode.

“Poker Face” creator Rian Johnson said he wanted to return to “crime of the week” detective shows like “Columbo” and “Magnum P.I.” that he watched growing up.

We discuss Lyonne’s role in “Poker Face,” how the show does or doesn’t fit into modern streaming dramas, and Lyonne’s 35-year career.

“Poker Face” premieres on the streaming platform Peacock on Jan. 26.