The first episode of #Pokerface sets up the premise of the series and sets the protagonist in motion so she can go to various places while being chased.
We have the set up of an over-arcing plot and individual episodes that can be watched on their own. They even pay homage to Burn Notice in the dialogue, which was cute.
I found it fun, but had two serious problems with the episode. Spoilers ahead.
First, if you’re going to plant multiple secret cameras in a room you pretty much negate the need for “Poker Face”. Just set them so they can look at the guy’s cards. They tried getting around that half-heartedly with saying he always sits with his back to the glass door to the terrace. But, really, you can’t put those same cameras in the ceiling above that door or even out on the terrace looking in. It just jarred me that it seemed the plan was dumb. Then again, the character coming up with the plan was dumb, so . . .
Second, when “Poker Face” confronts the bad guy, Frost, how did she expect that to play out? She isolates herself in a room with the antagonist and his henchman who she knows killed two people and she then shows them proof of their guilt. And then? Did she expect them to call the police and surrender? How exactly was that going to turn out well?
Then again, as above, even she says she’d kind of dumb about things.
Here is what’s difficult to do as a writer. Those two things work when you accept the two characters are making these bad choices. Not you, the screenwriter. Wrap your brain around that.
So Poker Face is fun entertainment with dumb choices being made.
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