Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the season finale of Poker Face.
Peacock’s repertoire may be small, but it is mighty. The platform’s most recent hit show Poker Face just reached the streaming mogul with an immediate second season in sight before it the show even reached the finale. Anchored by Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, the series has received acclaimed critics after proving its status as the perfect mystery crime show for all fans of the genre- or even those who are just looking for a fun weekly series to catch up on.
Pursuing a stand-alone format, each episode of the show introduces a new location, cast, and crime, which are always deciphered with Charlie’s mystery-solving skills. Lyonne’s character is a Columbo-inspired murder-solving fugitive. who is able to identify lies miles away due to her unique ability. Comprised of 10 total episodes in its first season, Poker Face almost immediately received a green light from the streaming platform, as more and more people tuned in to watch this addictive new mystery format. As the show airs its season finale, more and more people seem to be speculating who could possibly make its triumphant return to the show, and WeGotThisCovered has some guesses.
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale
The show can’t go on without its beloved and ingenious main character. As the only confirmation for return to the series, Natasha Lyonne is a confirmed addition for the upcoming season of Poker Face. Almost too smart to a fault, Charlie will undoubtedly keep solving every single mystery she comes across. Her nature and life’s calling are bonded to mystery-solving, and we will undoubtedly keep seeing Charlie get into a whirlwind of ructions as she continues on with her journey. While her return isn’t necessarily connected to her behind-the-stage presence, Lyonne’s role as executive producer of Poker Face certainly helps the case.
Benjamin Bratt as Cliff Legrand
A near-obvious pick as a returnee ought to be the murderous chasee, Cliff Legrand. While his return may not necessarily happen, his major role in the first season indeed calls for action from the criminal on the hunt for Charlie. As per the information unveiled in the season finale, the series reveals Cliff’s long-overdue arrest, almost ceasing all speculation about his return. However, that doesn’t necessarily entail the ingenious culprit won’t be able to break out of jail, and finally regain his vengeful nefarious attitude toward the person who put him behind bars.
Simon Helberg as Luca
Still opened by the window of Cliff’s possible return, another likely re-addition to the star-studded cast is Simon Helberg’s Luca. In the very first few episodes, the audience meets the FBI agent who over time befriended Charlie- at long last. The finale sees Luca finally arresting Cliff upon receiving a tape from Charlie, incriminating the criminal for his murders traced to the very first episode. Moreover, Luca has even gone as far as to offer Charlie a job in the FBI (twice!), and while the sleuth continuously turns down the agent, their friendship is finally established, opening up a world of possibilities for Luca’s return, and to obviously, help Charlie as she inevitably runs into more trouble.
Rhea Pearlman as Beatrix Hasp
The ultimate crime boss and head of the Five Families, Beatrix Hasp, will surely be a part of the second season’s plotline. While her presence wasn’t materialized with Rhea Pearlman’s appearance in the finale, her voice was heard on the phone, as she threatened Charlie to help them in a crime syndicate that surely no one should want to be involved with. In the phone call, Beatrix threatens Charlie with an ultimatum: she either helps them using her lie-detecting unique ability, or they kill her. Despite not having much of a choice, Charlie chose the letter, thus opting for a life on the run. This moment is a clear indication that both Beatrix and the Five Families will create havoc in the second installment of Poker Face.
Clea Duvall as Emily
In an unexpected turn of events, the series finale not only casts some characters aside but also introduces some others. Emily, Charlie’s sister whom no one inherently knew about, receives her first cameo on the show in the very last episode of the first season. As Charlie seeks help from Emily, their brief time together immediately opened the doors to an arsenal of family issues that we did not even know were in the picture. It became apparent that Charlie’s past actions drove a wedge between herself and the rest of the family (likely to do with her special ability), and it all somehow related back to their father. As we learn more about Charlie and her backstory, Emily and Charlie’s niece are surely bound to return for the second season.
Hong Chau as Marge
In spite of her short while on the show, Hong Chau’s presence in the mystery series made quite a dent among fans. Charlie and Marge crossed paths in the second season after the latter was unfairly arrested for a murder committed by Jed (Colton Ryan). Framed and placed behind bars despite not committing any crimes, Charlie immediately jumped the gun to help clear our Marge’s name, and free her from jail. It is only an assumption that Marge was actually released from prison, so if that’s the case, Charlie might just meet the trucker anytime and anywhere on the road.
Charles Melton as Davis McDowell
A bold returnee that may just show face again is Charles Melton’s, Davis McDowell. While slightly unlikely for his return, his character never received any type of repercussion for his crimes- he did not die, nor he was arrested. The competitive racer set up a female driver during a race, nearly leading her to death. His crime was discovered by Charlie, with his only consequence being knowing he nearly killed someone, who will doubtlessly surpass Davis in his own craft. As he wouldn’t necessarily have any reason to harm Charlie, his return is always a possibility for a possible ending for his arc.
Shane Paul McGhie as Austin/Hanky T. Pickins
Shane Paul McGhie is yet another actor whose brief time on the show would prove to be indispensable for the future. Austin/ Hanky T. Pickins provides different voices for nearly half a dozen radio stations, crossing paths with Charlie while she worked at a Texas BBQ joint. Throughout the episode, Austin actually aids Charlie in nabbing the murderer by making a prank phone call to a criminal’s accomplice, in the killer’s voice. His very own special ability would surely come in handy were ever Charlie in a pickle and needing a new voice on deck.
Chris Cortez as Luke
Not much context is given to Luke’s character as a whole. He was introduced during the ninth episode, and we never truly see where his character has gone to. Charlie started a romance with him on ‘Shit Mountain’ prior to Winter’s coldness hit, which made the sleuth want to move on with her journey. Considering the lack of background behind their parting, his return would surely give an insight into what might have led them apart.
When is Poker Face coming back?
At the time of writing, there is still no information regarding Poker Face‘s second season. No release date, cast, or development stage has been unveiled by its crew or cast members, but some guesses have resurfaced. While Peacock is a relatively new platform in the streaming site, with very few exclusives that have gained wings to reach a renovation, however, there are a few exceptions to the rule.
Saved by the Bell and One of Us is Lying are two exclusive Peacock series that have been renewed, with their second installments reaching the platform nearly a year after release. Following the same exact release schedule, one can assume that Poker Face’s second season will hit Peacock about a year after release. With this train of thought, it is possible that we will be reunited with Charlie and all her shenanigans at the start of 2024.
Poker Face can be found and streamed on Peacock.