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In episode 3 of Poker Face, the Rian Johnson-helmed Natasha Lyonne-led thriller sequence begins to shake off its beginning jitters, actually coming into its personal, and in episode 4, it reveals what it is like at its finest. Read on for my assessment of “The Stall” and “Rest in Metal.”
In “The Stall,” Charlie finds herself very conveniently sidetracked on her street journey by a canine that refuses to get out of her automobile or cease barking at her (until, after all, she places on a radio present hosted by a right-wing conspiracy theorist). When this “fascist dog” occurs to steer her straight to a well-liked native outside barbecue restaurant, Boyle’s BBQ. The enterprise is run by two brothers, George and Taffy Boyle, and George’s spouse, Mandy. While there, Charlie spur-of-the-moment decides to tackle a job as a waitress on the joint, and he or she rapidly makes a good friend in George, the good-natured chef who’s famend for his genius at getting ready the restaurant’s numerous meat choices.
That is, after all, till he watches Okja (Bong Joon-ho’s 2017 sci-fi/fantasy film that might be described as Charlotte’s Web with none of the sugar coating). Deeply shaken by the film (him and me each), George decides to by no means cook dinner or eat one other animal once more, throwing an actual wrench into Taffy’s plans to broaden their enterprise. Unable to vary his thoughts, Taffy and Mandy work collectively to kill George and set it as much as seem like an accident.
“Rest in Metal,” alternatively, sees Charlie taking a job because the merch woman for Doxxxology, a touring steel band struggling finacially while making an attempt to flee from the large legacy of their one-hit-wonder (and the one music they do not personal the rights to), “Staplehead.” When the band’s overzealous new drummer, Gavin, writes a music that appears like their subsequent massive hit, lead singer Ruby (performed by Chloë Sevigny) convinces the opposite bandmates to work collectively to kill him in order that they don’t have to separate the royalties.
It wasn’t significantly clear after watching the primary few episodes, however because the story continues, it’s simpler to inform that Poker Face is making an attempt very laborious to suit itself as neatly into the detective procedural mildew as it may well, with all of its quirks. Sometimes, these makes an attempt have been a bit eye roll inducing – like in “The Stall,” with a fairly unengaging thriller and a painfully compelled setup (each the bit with the canine and the Okja reference have been admittedly very humorous, but additionally appeared like compelled, lazy methods to set occasions into movement).
Other instances, nevertheless – like in “Rest in Metal,” the episode is a unique stage of partaking. “Rest” looks like the perfection of the method that Poker Face is making an attempt to comply with – a narrative that unfolds naturally; an offbeat character we (and Charlie) come to like, or at the least perceive, figuring out full effectively that they’re about to die. A irritating lack of proof to show what we (and Charlie) already know is the reality. A good however probably incomplete sense of justice. These really feel like packing containers that each different episode of Poker Face thus far has been making an attempt to tick, and the truth that the primary time each situation feels completely happy is simply in episode 4 bodes effectively for the remainder of the present. “Rest in Metal,” whereas nice as a standalone story in itself, is most memorable for being the second I used to be capable of totally purchase into the world Poker Face is promoting; the “Okay, I get it now!” second.
There have been additionally some notable performances in these episodes price a shouting-out; Larry Brown was painfully endearing as George in “The Stall,” and he performed off very effectively with Lyonne. Both Sevigny and Nicholas Cirillo have been equally pathetic and sympathetic of their roles in “Rest in Metal,” which added dynamism to the central thriller. And I’m undecided precisely methods to shout out a canine efficiency correctly, however I received’t lie, just a little a part of me wished that Charlie would have adopted the canine, simply because the interactions between the 2 of them have been so enjoyable to look at.
In all, episodes 3 and 4 of Poker Face comply with the method at instances a bit too tightly, however the act finally works within the present’s total favor, establishing precisely how the remainder of the season goes to go in a method episodes 1 and a couple of couldn’t. While episode 3 wasn’t essentially the most fascinating hour of tv, episode 4 makes up for that tenfold, having already wormed its method into my coronary heart – and, probably, my “Best of 2023” listing.
What did you consider “The Stall” and “Rest in Metal?” Let me know within the feedback!