Critics Agree: Poker Face Is Must-Watch TV

B.S.? More like Certified Fresh.  

Poker Face, the 10-part mystery series from Rian Johnson (writer/director of Knives Out), which stars Natasha Lyonne as the bluff-sniffing Charlie Cale, hit Peacock Jan 26 to wide critical acclaim. At the time of publishing, it is Certified Fresh with 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

If you’ve somehow missed the early raves piling up for the new series, well, we’re on the case.  

Among its praise:  

“This is a terrific show, funny and smart, that accomplishes exactly the combination of homage and experimentation that it promises.” – Linda Holmes, NPR 

“Poker Face has the potential to not only become the best series of 2023 but also inspire the industry to see the benefit of episodic storytelling that draws audiences into the glorious, nostalgia-filled realm of howcatchems again.” – Maggie Lovitt, Collider  

“Poker Face rehumanizes and re-weirds TV crime, carving a third way between network franchises and prestige gloom." – Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly 

“Rather than scratching our collective whodunit itch with overwrought stories about how cops are the only people really fighting for justice, Poker Face calls bullshit on the entire idea and focuses instead on being a series of fascinating character-driven puzzles.” – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge  

“Poker Face, writer-director Rian Johnson’s whodunnit series for Peacock, is the rare show to deliver on the elusive promise of fun.” – Adrian Horton, The Guardian 

“Surely one of the strongest series yet to launch on Peacock, this streaming drama feels like the best sort of vintage, comfortably spread-out TV.” – Daniel D’Addario, Variety  

“At a time when we’ve become increasingly skeptical of pop-culture depictions of the police, Charlie is an investigator we can root for without worrying that we’re indulging in ‘copaganda.’” – Dana Stevens, Slate  

“Energized by its headliner’s amusingly charismatic performance, a boatload of guest stars, and a collection of cleverly reversed whodunits, it’s a throwback that confirms the enduring vitality of tried-and-true formulas.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast 

“Poker Face, for all its cleverness and modern attitudes, is as straightforward as can be, made simply, and expertly, to be enjoyed — comfort food, not ‘elevated,’ but delicious.” – Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times  

“A cut above the best, the Peacock murder mystery series Poker Face scratches all my old-school “Columbo” itches — and does it without putting a police detective at the center.” – Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune  

“What I tend to want in a crime drama is to be enveloped in atmosphere from the very first frame, and on that count, Poker Face delivers.” – Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic  

Haven’t checked out Poker Face yet? You’ll want to fix that. Four episodes were made available at the time of the show’s premiere, and the remaining episodes will hit the platform every Thursday.  

Watch Poker Face Now!