Poker Face Season 2 Episode 9 Review: A New Lease on Death

Poker Face Season 2 Episode 9, “A New Lease on Death,” sees Charlie give non-nomadic life a whirl in the big city. Unfortunately, mayhem and, in her words, “bullsh*t,” still follow her wherever she goes. The outing’s major selling points are its stellar supporting cast and strong performances, especially from Alia Shawkat. 

Poker Face Does Only Murders in the Building 

If you’re an Only Murders in the Building fan, “A New Lease on Death” is for you. Sure, maybe that’s because the episode takes place in New York City, or there’s a focus on the apartment complex’s eclectic tenants, or it’s simply because I’m a fan of the aforementioned show, but the similarities are there. Its charm. Its heart. The only difference is that Charlie solves this murder rather quickly. 

Additionally, “A New Lease on Death” feels like a love letter to NYC and its cornucopia of diverse communities. Poker Face hammers home the theme of “Never judge a book by its cover,” perhaps a little too hard, but it’s a crucial lesson, nonetheless. Hell, one of the supporting characters works at a library. Regardless, we humans contain multitudes. 

Performances 

Alia Shawkat’s Amelia Peek (aka Kate Forster) is reminiscent of her character from Search Party, notably in the later seasons. However, Shawkat is clearly adept at playing this archetype. She proves to be a formidable foe for Charlie this week, although, as per usual, Charlie one-ups Amelia in the end. Shawkat is equal parts charming and sinister — unnerving and a powder keg of suppressed rage. 

Awkwafina does well with what little she’s given as Maddy. Comedy is certainly her strength, but she leans into her dramatic chops here as well. She’s a good “straight man” for Shawkat. Lauren Tom showcases her versatility, too, and especially tugs at our heartstrings in the episode’s third act. 

Natasha Lyonne has fun chemistry with Shawkat and David Alan Grier, particularly the former. Lyonne always has an electric yet natural onscreen presence as Charlie. That said, is it just me, or does her Charlie accent seem more exaggerated this season? That’s perhaps my only gripe. It can be distracting at times. 

10-4, Good Buddy

“A New Lease on Death” packs tons of narrative into its 46ish-minute runtime. For starters, Charlie moves into Good Buddy’s apartment (here’s hoping we see Steve Buscemi soon). Will she stay there for the rest of the season? Could we see her try to put down roots?

Charlie’s lack of direction and life purpose have been a focal point since we resolved the Beatrix Hasp storyline. It’s abundantly clear that she’s tired of all the chaos that road life brings. Poker Face at least shakes things up a bit by having Charlie sleep on a bed instead of in her Barracuda. Whether this lasts remains to be seen. 

The show’s reverence for cinema really shines through in every frame, from storytelling homages to various classic films to even this week’s nod to Michael Clayton. The plot moves at a nice clip, too. Beyond that, the episode’s greatest strength is the cast’s performances. Sometimes, that’s all one needs — good acting (and maybe a rent-controlled penthouse in NYC). 

Stray Observations:

• $640 for a three-bedroom penthouse? I’d seriously consider murder, too.
• Perhaps the real moral of the story is that rent is too damn high, especially in NYC. 
• I love the strings/piano arrangement of Charlie’s theme later in the episode, when Amelia returns to the penthouse to find Otto conducting a viewing. It’s great to see the creatives taking big musical swings this season. 
• Gotta love a Messi mention. A dog who’s more accomplished than I’ll ever be. 
• The Vague magazine “this and that” joke made me laugh harder than it should have. I am a middle-aged dad on the inside. 
• If you look at the list of Amelia/Kate’s offenses, the termination date is my birthday. Not important or relevant, but a fact all the same. 
• I always love seeing Patti Harrison in things. Put her in more things. 

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Poker Face drops new episodes every Thursday on Peacock.

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