Rian Johnson’s Poker Face will return for season 2, and there are many reasons to be excited about the reveals, twists, and character developments in the next installment of the mystery series. Poker Face follows Charlie, played by Natasha Lyonne, a woman who is a self-described human lie detector, traveling the country, solving crimes, and running from the powerful people searching for her. Unlike Johnson’s Knives Out movies, Poker Face is formatted so that the audience knows who the killer is, and it’s up to Charlie to unravel how they did it and catch them.

The series is considered one of the best Peacock original series, and it will be a boon for the streamer when the show returns. Poker Face season 1 left off perfectly primed for Charlie to get back on the road and continue following its elevated procedural format. However, the door is now open for new characters to be explored and introduced. Audience members have been taken with the show from the start because of how well it takes the crime procedural format and turns it into something new and different. This is a legacy that season 2 must continue.

8

Learning More About Charlie’s Family

For most of Poker Face, Charlie’s past remains a mystery, but more will be revealed in season 2.

For fans of the cult classic But I’m A Cheerleader, the reunion of Lyonne and Clea DuVall in the season finale of Poker Face was a charming Easter egg. However, in Poker Face, their characters’ relationship is very different. DuVall plays Charlie’s estranged sister, Emily, who resents Charlie for hitting the road and abandoning the family. Charlie only shows up on Emily’s doorstep after Sterling Frost Sr. (Ron Perlman) is killed, and Charlie is framed for it. Of course, bringing police and danger to Emily’s home is hardly the beginning of a touching reunion.

Emily and Charlie have a brief exchange about their past, their family, and Emily’s disappointment with Charlie, but it doesn’t include too many details about their lives. DuVall is too good of an actor, and Emily is too strong of a character not to be seen again, and from their interaction, it seems that their relationship is only the tip of the iceberg. Though Sterling Frost Sr. successfully lies to Charlie in Poker Face, growing up with Charlie’s gift in her family must have taken a toll on her as a child.

7

The Return Of FBI Agent Luca Clark

Luca and the FBI are not immune from trying to use Charlie and recruit her for her gift.

It doesn’t take long for people to realize the gravity of what Charlie’s gift means and for them to try and use her to their advantage. While Luca Clark (Simon Helberg), the FBI agent Charlie meets, is theoretically interested in Charlie for the greater good, Charlie only sees working for the FBI as another cage. Despite this, Charlie turns to him for help after being framed for Sterling Frost’s death, and Luca immediately sees the truth, helping Charlie escape and arresting the right man. Though Charlie refuses his FBI offer again, the audience hasn’t seen the last of him.

Wherever Charlie goes, murder follows, so it’s unsurprising that the FBI isn’t far behind. However, Charlie works best alone and isn’t confined by the red tape and procedures that FBI agents are. Additionally, Charlie learns much about every case she works on because she’s a regular person who people readily open up to. While occasional reluctant partnerships between Luca and Charlie seem like a reasonable part of season 2, it’s unlikely that Charlie would ever join the FBI.

6

Charlie Running From Beatrix Hasp

The new antagonist of season 2, who’s even more terrifying than Sterling Frost Sr.

Rhea Perlman will play Beatrix Hasp in Poker Face season 2, and though only her voice is heard, she’s an even more sinister villain than any from season 1. Like all the people in Charlie’s life, Hasp’s main goal is to control Charlie and her ability for her own ends. If there’s anything the viewer learns about Charlie, she refuses to be controlled and would rather be on the run than under the thumb of Hasp. This is a good thing, as it preps season 2 to return to season 1’s successful formula, but with an altered season-long arc.

One of the biggest twists in the Poker Face season 1 finale was that Sterling Frost Sr. wasn’t trying to kill Charlie after all and wanted to offer her another deal to work for him. While this undercut some of the tension throughout season 1, it was an interesting subversion and led to a strong setup for season 2. However, since this deal has already been offered to Charlie again through Hasp, she won’t get lucky twice. Hasp is truly out for blood, and the stakes for Charlie are higher than ever.

5

The New Mysteries Charlie Will Solve

Though season 1 explored innovative mysteries and settings, season 2 must up the ante.

The best part of Poker Face is the cases that Charlie must solve, often unwillingly at first. Though Charlie hems and haws at getting involved in the murders that crop up around her, she can’t help becoming emotionally invested as soon as her lie detector starts going off. Slowly but surely, she questions the right people, finds the right clues, and pieces together the intricate way the murderer committed their horrible act. Each plot is more unbelievable than the last, but Poker Face successfully toes the line of unreasonable well enough that the audience can comfortably suspend their disbelief.

As every mystery is neatly tied up by the end of the episode, it’s extremely satisfying to tune into an episode of Poker Face with the knowledge that Charlie will have the bad guy behind bars by the conclusion. No matter how many episodes of the series the audience watches, there’s always one more twist incorporated that’s impossible to see coming. While many corners of the U.S. have been explored already, Poker Face season 2 must travel to new cities with iconic reputations to give Charlie room to solve even more difficult crimes.

4

Meeting New Members Of The Five Families

Sterling Frost Sr. and Beatrix Hasp are only the beginning of the crime syndicates.

Despite her expert running skills, Charlie has just as much of a knack for getting herself into trouble, especially with high-level members of organized crime families. Her situation began when Sterling Frost Sr. realized her abilities and kept her under his thumb, working at his casino to ensure that she couldn’t win any more money in a well-known casino. Frost was part of his own syndicate, who were rivals with Beatrix Hasp’s organization, The Five Families. Now that Frost Sr. is dead and Hasp is on Charlie’s trail, much more will be seen of The Five Families.

Who they are and the casinos they control remain a mystery thus far, but Poker Face season 2 will slowly reveal this information throughout the episodes. Likely, new henchmen will be searching for Charlie, and rival family leaders will challenge Hasp for a chance to bring Charlie in and demonstrate their superiority. With an even larger group following her, Charlie will have to work harder than ever to remain undetected, outwitting new characters at every turn.

3

Discovering If Cliff Will Remain In Prison

Benjamin Bratt’s duplicitous character seems to be behind bars, but will he stay there?

Though Sterling Frost was the overarching villain of season 1, Benjamin Bratt’s Cliff Legrand, Frost’s not-so-loyal henchman, was the figure hot on Charlie’s trail throughout the show. Doing the bidding of Frost, Cliff follows Charlie every which way, just missing her every time she skips town to find a new crime to solve. By the end of season 1, Charlie has been on the road in Poker Face for over a year, and Cliff is just as tired as she is. When Sterling tells him to wait even longer, only to not end up killing Charlie, Cliff’s had enough.

The final straw of Sterling’s unfairness leads Cliff to betray him and turn to Beatrix Hasp, plotting to kill Sterling and frame Charlie. At first, Charlie is unaware of this betrayal and turns to Cliff for help in the wake of Sterling’s death. However, she soon realizes that he was the one who orchestrated the whole arrangement, and the FBI arrives to take him in. He turns on Beatrix and is arrested not long after this. However, he’s a smart and capable man with a vendetta against Charlie, so bringing him back into the game would be thrilling.

2

Exciting New Guest Stars

Each episode of Poker Face features amazing actors who elevate Lyonne’s performance.

Charlie is one of the few characters that remain a constant across Poker Face season 1. Her journey across the country allows her to meet a myriad of people from different areas and backgrounds, which creates amazing opportunities for Poker Face to tap iconic actors to star alongside Lyonne. It will be difficult for season 2 to top some of these performers, as they include Hong Chau, Tim Blake Nelson, Chloë Sevigny, and many more. Whether they play the killer, the victim, or one of Charlie’s allies, they’re the reason that each episode is as thrilling as possible.

As Charlie starts up her Plymouth Barracuda and heads out on the open road, the originality of the new cases and the people involved will be paramount to season 2’s success. Since Poker Face already has a season under its belt, receiving great critical and audience acclaim, even bigger stars will be interested in participating in the series. However, it’s not the level of fame of the guest stars that makes them heart-pounding, but the skill of the actors. Johnson is well-known for hand-picking amazing ensemble casts, and Poker Face is no exception.

1

Natasha Lyonne Is Directing Episode Two

Witnessing Poker Face through the eyes of its star will be an interesting change.

It’s not uncommon for the stars of TV series to try their hand at directing an episode, and this won’t be Lyonne’s first outing by any means. She’s worked on episodes of her other series, Russian Doll and Orange Is The New Black, and shows like Shrill and High Fidelity. Though Jonhson created the series, he didn’t direct many episodes, allowing each story to have a cohesive visual style while feeling new and different. The story of the episode Lyonne directs will inform her choices, and it wouldn’t be surprising for it to be an episode that decenters Charlie.

It’s possible for Lyonne to spend as much time in front of the camera as she usually does in an episode she isn’t directing. However, it’s easy if other actors take the lead for a director. Poker Face has set itself apart from shows of similar genres through its dynamic direction and tight scripts. This means there’s pressure on Lyonne to maintain these high standards. However, if her past work is any indication, not only will Lyonne’s episode live up to the previous ones, it will be a fun addition to the show and a series high.