The term “Poker Face” in English is used to refer to an expressionless face that does not betray the thoughts and especially the feelings of its owner. A great quality for a poker player is that he can “hide” from his opponents at the table. What is certain is that he could not hide from Charlie Cale, the heroine of the new series of the same name (“Pokerface”), which has been shown on Cosmote TV since last week. You see, Charlie (Natasha Lyon) is gifted with a unique quality: she can tell with certainty when someone is lying to her.

“He does have some sort of superpower, but in a slightly old-fashioned way. It’s a bit like a knight crossing the country to administer justice, or a mysterious stranger arriving in town like in a Western,” series creator Rian Johnson tells us. The latter, of course, is even more famous than his main character, having films such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Knives, and also filmed in our country – he loved Spetses – Glass Bow from Netflix. However, in “Poker Face” he creates mysteries, or rather mysteries of a different kind, as his protagonist encounters one of them in every episode.

“In one case, the question arises “who did it”, and in the other “how will he be caught”. Here we first show you who committed the crime and how, and then we basically have a game of chess between Charlie and the killer. What is common is that both Benoit Blanc (aka The Glass Bow Detective) and she have a distinct moral center. Charlie is always on the side of the underdogs. She is not a detective, this is not her job, she has every reason to turn her back, but she does not, ”said Johnson.

Can she imagine a world where everyone has Charlie’s abilities? “That would be terrible,” he replies with a laugh. “Just think about spending the whole day with this care. I wonder if people will stop lying and what it will mean for the very structure of society? The world would probably function better, but it would definitely be a less interesting place.”

However, his series would not have been as successful without the unique presence of Natasha Lyonne. The American actress (and producer, director, screenwriter), despite her petite stature, looks like a force of nature here, cruising the countryside in a battered Plymouth Barracuda and putting them to the test. “I have never acted in ordinary detectives before, either on television or in films. Every week it’s a new puzzle. Charlie, for his part, is almost an “accidental” detective, which also shows Ryan’s genius in this genre. Then we share a love for the great screen sleuths, Philip Marlowe, Jack Nicholson of Chinatown, Humphrey Bogart characters and so on,” Lyon tells me.

The naturally husky voice of the 44-year-old actress gives Charlie a sense of experience as well as the toughness she will have to deal with. “I really believe in the John Lennon quote: ‘Just tell me a little truth.’ I have seen a lot in my life and career. Personally, as a storyteller, I find it worthwhile to depict something authentic, real. I think I look like Charlie in this,” she adds. She has spent most of her twenty-year career in television and film comedies, although she does not consider herself very funny.

Natasha Lyonne faces a new mystery in every episode of Rian Johnson’s series.

However, in “Poker Face” humor, usually black, is everywhere. “I just can’t imagine life without comedy. I think it’s necessary to have some perspective on things. In general, the tragic / comical nature of life is embedded in us by the rules of mortality, every day we experience everything as if it is so important and serious, although none of us will survive. Without a sense of humor, the road seems much darker.”

Individual episodes

As we mentioned above, what’s odd about modern television is that Rian Johnson’s series, while broadly following a common plot, is essentially made up of individual episodes. He strongly supports this choice: “For me, this is television. I grew up on these shows. Basically, we are talking about mini-movies that you watch every week, and the mystic begins and ends within the same series. I know it’s a little out of style, but I like it. I like to watch an episode in the time it takes to eat instead of spending eight hours in front of the TV until I find the solution to a puzzle. You can even see mixed episodes in “Poker Face.”

Natasha Lyonne, who also directed one of the ten episodes, for her part, speaks of the series’ “cinematic” quality: “Of course, the team that Ryan brought with him from his previous film project is very impressive. We weren’t trying to make a film by any means, but we’re lucky that today’s television allows you to have that level of production and at the same time a lot of creative freedom.”

Poker Face airs every Saturday on Cosmote Series HD at 10pm, 48 hours after its US release. The first four episodes are already available on demand on Cosmote TV Plus.