Poker Face: Season 1 Episode 2 Review
Another episode of “Poker Face” means another gruesomely depicted murder.
Episode two started off in a deserted-looking truck stop with an auto shop, a diner, a gas station and a “Subway”. Everything you’ll ever need.
This is where we meet Sara, who works at the gas station, Jed, who works at the auto shop and Damian, who works at the “Subway”.
During their night shifts, both guys head over to the gas station, where Damian purchases a scratch-off and flirts with Sara.
Jed creepily observes and asks the two of them to join him on the roof of his garage to watch a meteor shower later that night. They promptly shoot him down.
After Jed leaves, Damian asks Sara if Jed makes her uncomfortable. She responds yes, and Damian decides he is gonna talk to Jed about backing off Sara.
Damian climbs onto the roof of the auto shop to find Jed, surrounded by beer caps. He explains to him that he should leave Sara alone.
After they talk, Damian uses a Hawaiian quarter he borrowed from Sara to find out his numbers on his scratch-off and ends up winning.
Jed promptly pushes Damian off the roof in order to take his winnings as his own.
The next few scenes are filled with Jed beating Damian with a crowbar, shoving his body into the back of an 18-wheeler, and then returning his “Subway” apron to its appropriate hook in the restaurant.
Following the title sequence, the audience is taken back to before the murder occurred when lie detector, Charlie Cale, first drove into this truck stop because her car broke down.
She is still on the run from Frost, her old boss.
While in the bathroom, she meets a new friend, Marge, who against Charlie’s unconscious will, helps superglue her bullet wound shut.
The two become unlikely friends and spend the evening drinking in the diner.
Marge teaches Charlie about a variety of different hacks when living on the road and explains to her that if she does not want to be found she should avoid using her credit cards and ATMs.
Charlie remains in the diner, while Marge goes to get something from her truck when she finds Damian’s dead body in the back. Marge revealed to Charlie earlier that she makes her money by transporting illegal drugs because of this she decides to ditch the body and hit the road.
Marge is blamed for the murder by morning and is behind bars. Charlie awakes to the news and sets out to find the truth before she has to keep moving.
Of course, Charlie ends up proving Marge innocent just in time before Frost comes to find her, yet she still manages to get away.
This episode definitely has more of a real feel for the show than the first episode.
The first episode set the plot up for why Charlie is on the run, while this episode was more of an intermission on her newfound journey.
The biggest guest star on this episode was John Ratzenberger, who played Jed’s uncle who owned the auto shop.
All the new actors in this episode did a phenomenal job.
Along with that, there are a lot of details about the murder that are pointed out throughout the episode and it truly feels like the viewer is uncovering the murder along with the characters.
The only thing that was hard to get on board with this episode was getting connected to the plot at the beginning.
It has become clear that each episode is going to begin with a murder, but with each episode being so different it is hard to feel a connection to a totally unknown plot.
Natasha Lyonne, however, keeps fans coming back for more and wanting the absolute best for Charlie.
Savannah Swartz is a second-year communications major. To contact her, email sms9072@psu.edu.
