Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson Discuss Creating Television for a Broad Audience in Poker Face

      Poker Face revives a classic TV format—the murder-of-the-week style pioneered by Columbo over fifty years ago—as a foundation for continual innovation.

      The second season has just launched, featuring Cynthia Erivo in five distinct roles, with plots ranging from alligator attacks to tricks in elementary schools. Creator Rian Johnson and lead Natasha Lyonne transform stories reminiscent of The A-Team, Magnum, P.I., or Murder, She Wrote, infusing elements from icons like Philip Marlowe and Jeff Bridges’ Dude from The Big Lebowski, and captivating audiences with a series of unpredictable twists and obvious clues.

      It’s both comforting and perplexing, reinventing traditional television for modern social media attention spans.

      Yet, what's most compelling about Poker Face isn't just this aspect.

      In a time when online personas often clash, the protagonist actively engages with others. Lyonne’s character, Charlie Cale, lives out of her car as she travels the nation, holding a string of low-wage jobs while escaping from mob hitmen.

      Johnson emphasizes that “Charlie travels across the country with unwavering empathy for everyone she encounters, being open to conversations and embodying a genuinely decent person who enjoys connecting with others. It’s refreshing in today's context, not a social message, but something distinctly valuable about this show.“

      Lyonne adds, “I appreciate that it’s not a show created by coastal elites, but instead reflects a genuine, relatable representation. It conveys a healthy, uplifting message about how to navigate life.”

      Her comment echoes one of the 12 Promises from Alcoholics Anonymous: “We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows,” underscoring the importance of genuine human connection. AA promotes problem-solving through face-to-face interaction, emphasizing our common humanity and the significance of helping rather than judging one another.

      In Poker Face, Charlie is non-judgmental—except for one notable exception. She possesses an uncanny knack for detecting lies, which she utilizes to solve weekly murders.

      The broader takeaway remains: true understanding—both good and bad—comes from taking the time to know people.

      In 2009, Lyonne starred alongside Tyne Daly—known for her roles in Columbo and Cagney & Lacey, both referenced in Poker Face—in an off-Broadway production of Love, Loss and What I Wore. Their bond blossomed into a friendship where Lyonne recalls Daly imparting sage advice.

      “She would tell me, ‘Listen, kid—you want to be the walking wounded, or a good soldier? A plumber plumbs, then goes home to turn on the TV, and transitions to his time for plumbing. What you do and what he does is no different. That’s entertainment.’”

      Lyonne adds, “Show business can be incredibly self-centered, but the true job is to provide some relief at the end of people's tough days.”

      Conversing with Lyonne often leads to a search for definitions later. The word “solipsistic” indicates extreme self-centeredness and stems from philosophical ideas suggesting that only one's mind can be definitively known to exist.

      It stands in stark contrast to caring about others.

      Poker Face premiered its first season in 2023, conceived while Johnson watched numerous episodes of Columbo during a COVID lockdown. The show can be seen as a road trip fantasy during a pandemic: stuck indoors and glued to screens, many vowed to savor every real-life interaction if ever liberated.

      However, reality differed. The time online made many more wary and distrustful of the external world. It has become easier to assume that those outside our circles are ignorant, deranged, or even malicious. Personal biases can cloud judgment, as I learned when I misjudged a fellow traveler based on his nostalgic Little Mermaid shirt.

      It's also easy to perceive any film or show as elitist, particularly when featuring A-list guest stars and produced by a major corporation in areas like New York City. Although true regarding Poker Face, to label a movie or show elitist is to overlook the numerous blue-collar individuals essential to its creation, the artistry that thrives on empathy, and the fact that those at the top were once not there.

      Tony Tost, the showrunner for the second season, grew up in the Ozarks before relocating with his single mother to a former mining town in Washington state. He experienced life in trailers, with his mother and stepfather working as custodians in his school.

      He identified strongly with a Season 2 episode about a student whose father served as a school janitor, sharing that connection with another Poker Face writer who also had a mother as a school custodian and another whose mom was a lunch lady.

      “There’s a certain class consciousness among us,” Tost notes. “It’s not just the typical Hollywood viewpoint.”

      After high school, Tost worked at a pickle factory, realizing it wasn’t his desired career path. He nurtured his passion for writing through community college and gained recognition as a talented