Poker Face Episodes 6 & 7 Review
Credit to: Paramount, T-Street, MRC Television and PeacockNo, I didn’t Forget About The Series.
Welcome back. y’all! This time around, we’re doing a two part review of episodes 6 and 7 for the Peacock original series, Poker Face! To be honest, I slowly lost interest. It was one of those series that I just always knew would have a good episode after every entry, and of course that’s a good thing, but I guess I’m so used to it that I’m like eh, I’ll catch up to it later. I guess I needed a break from this series for a little while to really appreciate it more. And honestly, behind me doing that, I eventually started to miss it, which is exactly what I wanted. After finally watching these two episodes, I felt that brand new, refreshing thrill again, and now here we are. So I’m actually very happy to bring this review to you guys. But let me stop myself before I go on for too long. Without any further ado, let’s just jump right into it.
Episode 6: Exit Stage Death
Pros
This episode was probably one of my favorites. It’s centered around these two actors that have made names for themselves as former television stars. Now, actress Kathleen Townsend, played by Ellen Barkin, seeks to return to the tip of the top alongside her former co-star, Michael Graves, played by Tim Meadows by revisiting a play they did in the 90’s, one named Ghosts of Pensacola. Michael’s wife, a rich woman named Ava, played by Jameela Jamil, is the only bit of support that Michael has, both emotionally and financially. Though initially uninterested, as Michael and Kathleen have had a massive, famous feud between them since they first became stars, it’s Ava who pushes him to go ahead and just get it over with, in hopes of getting the acting itch out her husband. What plays out over the entire rest of the episode is an absolutely intriguing plot, one that involves mystery of course, but the twist that we see truly is one of the best we’ve seen so far. That’s saying a lot, because the writing in this series has been so top notch and has always made sure we raise our brow a couple of times an episode. The story that Kathleen and Michael share is so fascinating, and I love the way they act with one another on stage, as you can still feel that hesitancy from Michael while also feeling the pettiness of Kathleen knowing she got her way. The hate the two share for one another is just, wow. Not to mention, we see them perform with another actress named Rebecca, played by Audrey Corsa, who manage to make things even more tense, but that’s such a deep spoiler, so I’ll leave you all to watch the episode yourselves. Overall, it was so messy in all the good ways. Charlie really had a lot to uncover here, and had the same reactions we all did to all of the twists and turns that were thrown our way. Another thing I love is how Charlie always manages to become friends with a killer. They get along so well, until Charlie figures out what’s really going on, and I just really enjoy that, because it shows the killer in two different lights, one where they play nice, and one where they reveal their true selves to Charlie, whether it’s intentional or not. Love it.
Cons
I did have one issue with this episode. While it did get a couple of chuckles from me, I was surprisingly pretty straight-faced for most of the episode. I was a little surprised honestly by just how bland the comedy was here. I don’t think it was bad comedy outright, I just feel like the comedy that was here was just kinda bland, and was even a bit cliche. I think the best way to describe the comedy here, was that the comedy was tired out. There were a few good bits, but not exactly gems.
4 out of 5.
Episode 7: The Future of the Sport
Pros
Man, this one right here was a banger. I’m not a big sports person beyond boxing and cage fighting, but this episode still got me feeling revved up. Whole lot of trash talk, whole lot of competitiveness, and a whole lot of uncovering of the truth. First, let me talk about the cast. We of course have our good ol’ Charlie (Natasha Lyonne), who now works on a go-kart raceway, who gets involved in uncovering a mystery that doesn’t involve murder this time, but definitely attempted, and the one we think is the victim turns out to be psychopath in their own right. We get introduced to an old-school driver named Kyle Owens, played by Tim Blake Nelson, a character who’s nearing the end of their career as they face off in a race against a young newcomer named Davis McDowell, played by Charles Melton. The feud that these two characters have instantly becomes real heated, even getting physical at one point. It’s more than just the two wanting to be number one over the other, it’s about ending the racing legacy of an established family name, Owens, or preventing the McDowell name from being recognized. We deal with these two, while also being introduced to Kyle’s daughter, Katy Owens, played by Jasmine Aiyana Garvin, a character who’s fire seems to burn hotter for the sport than her father’s. She’s eager and hot-headed, but not quite as much as Davis, a character who she winds up feuding with in their own way. The Owens name is complete with the character of Donna Owens, played by Leslie Silva, the wife of Kyle Owens and mother to Katy Owens. She’s Kyle’s rock and the fuel to his fire, while also being the voice of reason. She provides the same support for her daughter, knowing she lives and breathes for the sport that her father has established himself in. As the mother of a racer, Donna is quite similar to the character of Jean McDowell, played by Angel Desai, the mother of Davis, who loves her son to death and supports him on the track and off it, but can’t stand to watch the races in fear of disaster. Disaster does strike of a raceway accident, but not to Davis. Charlie is put in a position where she gets involved with both families, the mystery of the raceway accident, and the questioning of certain characters’ morals. Is the sport really worth the life or lives of others? Most would say no, but others would disagree. I love the dynamic that each character has with others including Charlie, I absolutely love the big twist involving the accident, I deeply enjoyed the foreshadowing, and I definitely love the way this episode closed, which was similar to the last episode’s closer, but this time, it draws comparison to the beginning of the episode when we see the very first race between Kyle Owens and Davis McDowell. I loved this episode, so much so, that this one might have to be my top favorite in the series.
Cons
I have not one single issue with this episode. It was funny, it was interesting, it was exciting, it had great characters, and the overall plot was just wonderful. Charlie is her usual self, fitting herself in every episode as this funny, weird, quirky yet supportive and helpful character. I loved this episode. No cons here at all.
5 out of 5.
Final Thoughts
Man am I glad that I took time from the series. I felt that fire all over again, one that I hadn’t felt since the series first dropped. Again, I love the series, and I really hope it gets a second, even third season, but I needed a moment. It’s this series, then there’s The Last Of Us, there’s Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and now we’ve got the big one coming with The Mandalorian season 3, so it’ll be busy around here. But it’s not me being busy that’s a problem because I love writing for y’all, but I was actually getting a little bored of the fact that I knew something would be great. This and The Last Of Us have never failed to please, while The Bad Batch has provided that played with my expectations, and I appreciate that series for that. What matters is that me having time away from the series made me realize how much I truly enjoy it, and it helped me understand that I’ll definitely miss it when it’s gone, and these two episodes proved that. I love it. But what did you all think? Let us know on our Instagram, and make sure you’re following us there to stay up to date with the latest and greatest entertainment news and reviews. But that’s all from me, this has been The Wolf Den!
