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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Poker Face

Natasha Lyonne in Poker Face.

Legally speaking, Peacock’s Poker Face isn’t a reboot of Columbo, the 1970s detective series that inverted the usual whodunit format by beginning each episode with the murder, then using the rest of the hour to see how Lieutenant Columbo caught the criminal. This show—created by Rian Johnson, best known for directing Knives Out—stars Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a casino waitress who can tell when people are lying. When the casino owner’s son (played by Adrien Brody) kills Cale’s friend, she quickly determines he’s to blame and punishes him, which prompts him to immediately commit suicide by jumping out of a window. This sets Cale on the run to avoid revenge from his father, played by Ron Perlman. A new murder kicks off every episode. —Jensen Davis

Photo: © 2022 Peacock TV LLC