Warning: This review contains spoilers for Poker Face season 2, episode 9.Poker Face takes a stab at an Only Murders in the Building-style whodunit with a mysterious killing in a lavish New York apartment complex. Season 2, episode 9, “A New Lease on Death,” builds a plot of murder and intimidation around the hunt for a lucrative rent-controlled penthouse apartment overlooking the Empire State Building. The episode’s new cast of characters are so much fun, with such a fascinating dynamic, that they could’ve sustained an entire series of their own. But when the murder mystery gets into full swing, it keeps you guessing.
“A New Lease on Death” sets itself up as a parody of Woody Allen movies right out of the gate. The opening credits are written in Allen’s signature Windsor typeface, and they’re set to the whimsical tunes of jazz legend Django Reinhardt on the soundtrack (not to mention that the episode is set in New York City). It has all the hallmarks of one of Allen’s films — snappy dialogue, cultural debates, ironic twists of fate — but with Poker Face’s signature twisted sense of humor.
Awkwafina, Lauren Tom & Alia Shawkat Have A Hilarious Dynamic
I’d Watch A Whole Show Just About These Characters
The first act, before Charlie shows up to investigate, has a hilarious setup. Lauren Tom and Awkwafina are well-matched as a grandmother and granddaughter sharing this gorgeous apartment. Enter Alia Shawkat as the free-spirited, much younger lover who reawakens the grandmother’s sexuality and makes the granddaughter deeply uncomfortable. When the grandma’s girlfriend moves in, it’s comedic conflict galore. Frankly, I’d watch a whole sitcom of just that; it’s a great cast and a fun premise with endless comic potential. But, inevitably, there’s a murder.
Shawkat gives an incredible performance as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Awkwafina does a good job of making Maddie so likable that you’re genuinely sad when she’s killed and actively root for Charlie to get justice. Shawkat gives an incredible performance as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, acting mushy and romantic around Ann but intimidating witnesses and making sinister threats whenever she’s away from her. Kate finds it increasingly difficult to keep up the facade of a well-meaning lovebird as she becomes more desperate, and Shawkat does some truly impressive acting showing that mask starting to slip off. But it’s Tom who anchors the whole thing as a sweet poetry enthusiast whose only crime was looking for love and companionship.
Poker Face releases new episodes on Peacock every Thursday.
There are a lot of fun movie references in this episode. Ann’s obsession with Michael Clayton is an amusing running gag, and it leads to a relatable debate over whether it’s a perfect movie or just a talky, overcomplicated bore. Kate intimidates Maddie’s friend by warning that he might meet a similar fate to the husband in Anatomy of a Fall, but he’s never seen it. Kate’s takeaway that Anatomy of a Fall is most notable for its “great dog performance” is hilarious, and this nod to the Oscar-winning mystery thriller sets up the episode’s shocking climactic shove.
Poker Face Season 2, Episode 9 Is A Cleverly Crafted Mystery
All The Seeds Are Planted To Keep You Guessing
Much like last week’s Poker Face episode, “A New Lease on Death” is a cleverly constructed mystery. Early on, Tea Ho and Wyatt Cain’s script plants all the seeds to keep you engaged as you see how all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Everyone Charlie meets ends up playing an important role: a local firefighter, a face-blind bodega proprietor, a librarian with a penchant for deep-dive research. All these clues collide in a spectacular climax that brings the villain to justice, provides the hero with closure, and gives Charlie a hard-earned win.
Tom and Awkwafina make you so endeared to this grandmother-granddaughter duo, and Shawkat makes Kate so despicable, that it’s really satisfying to see the killer get her comeuppance. Poker Face’s mysteries-of-the-week are almost always compelling, but this one is more emotionally involving than most of the others.
Poker Face Season 2, Episode 9
9/10
- Release Date
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January 26, 2023
- Network
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Peacock
- Directors
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Lucky McKee, Natasha Lyonne, Janicza Bravo, Ben Sinclair
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Natasha Lyonne
Charlie Cale
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Benjamin Bratt
Cliff Legrand
- Alia Shawkat gives a fantastic performance as a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing villain
- Awkwafina and Lauren Tom get you emotionally involved in the murder victim’s life
- The cleverly crafted script gives you all the clues you need
