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USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
How Natasha Lyonne is 'letting the sun in' with 'Poker Face' Season 2
How Natasha Lyonne is 'letting the sun in' with 'Poker Face' Season 2 Show Caption Hide Caption Need a show to binge? These are the must watch shows this summer USA TODAY's TV critic Kelly Lawler breaks down the best TV shows you don't to want to miss this summer Spoiler alert! The following story contains plot details of 'The Sleazy Georgian' episode of 'Poker Face' Season 2 (now streaming on Peacock). NEW YORK –– It's an overcast November morning on the set of 'Poker Face,' and Natasha Lyonne can't move her arms. The flame-haired actress is hunched over on a Brooklyn soundstage, which has been turned into a seedy, cigarette-stained hotel. She's shooting a scene from the murder mystery series' second season, in which amateur detective Charlie Cale (Lyonne) whips out a stack of dough from a satchel and smoothly fans out the cash. But the slick feat is tripping up Lyonne, 46, who's hampered by her snug, rust-colored jacket. 'This is maybe the craziest jacket I've worn in my entire life,' Lyonne quips between takes. 'It's real starchy, real '70s. I feel a bit like an Oompa Loompa that's also Ray Liotta in 'Goodfellas' in this outfit.' 'Poker Face' star Natasha Lyonne has always had 'a filmmaker's brain' The Peacock comedy is a revolving door of guest stars, welcoming the likes of Cynthia Erivo, John Mulaney and Kumail Nanjiani this season. The latest episode (new installments stream weekly on Thursday) follows Charlie as she outwits a group of con artists led by the smarmy, double-crossing Guy (John Cho), who recognizes Charlie's uncanny ability for sniffing out lies and attempts to recruit her. Melanie Lynskey pops in as Regina, an excitement-starved woman who gets swept up by Guy's self-righteous Robin Hood act. Mimi Cave ('Holland') directed this particular "howdunit," although Lyonne did so for two other installments this season. The five-time Emmy nominee has directed several TV episodes since her career-revitalizing run in Netflix's 'Orange is the New Black,' and her keen instincts are on full display as she helps choreograph the money bag sequence. 'These guys don't fan in quite the way I would like,' Lyonne bemoans. She offers feedback on how best to frame a closeup of her hands, and asks the crew members on set how Charlie should react to seeing so much currency. ('Salivating? Wonder and delight, even?') 'Poker Face': Natasha Lyonne on the existential Season 2, Cynthia Erivo's many roles 'She has a filmmaker's brain,' says 'Poker Face' creator Rian Johnson. 'Her performance onscreen feels so off the cuff and breezy, where it seems like she's just riffing. But that's the product of a lot of concentrated work, which is why I love working with Natasha. She really sweats the details.' Lyonne considers herself 'a pretty for-real director at this point. Having now done it a bunch, I definitely understand or see things in terms of the shot or the edit.' She wears multiple hats on 'Poker Face' as an actress, director, writer and producer – an experience she likens to being a musician. 'I'm always listening to what the piece needs,' Lyonne says. 'I think the character I identify the most with at the moment is Jughead from the 'Archie' comics. He was a one-man band, but also a friend of the gang. He just kind of hung out and had instruments around.' The actress is game for 'Poker Face' Season 3 – or whatever comes next No longer on the run from casino mobsters, Charlie has instead turned to discovering her purpose in Season 2. She hits the open road in her beat-up Plymouth Barracuda, finding community with everyone from school custodians to minor league baseball players. Unlike Lyonne's lone wolf Nadia in Netflix's 2019-22 series 'Russian Doll,' Charlie has always been more of a people person, akin to Jeff Bridges' The Dude in 'The Big Lebowski.' 'Charlie has rubbed off on me in a major way,' Lyonne says. 'She's an optimist; she's on the case of whatever comes next. I think that's the beauty of what Rian was able to build with Charlie: Now we're letting the sun in.' A former child actress and fixture of 1990s independent film, Lyonne faced offscreen setbacks in the early 2000s as she struggled with substance abuse and resulting health challenges. 'Orange," in which she co-starred as hard-edged but lovable Nicky, put her back on Hollywood's radar in 2013, and she's since fostered a close-knit circle of collaborators including Johnson, Amy Poehler ('Russian Doll') and Brit Marling (the upcoming 'Uncanny Valley'). 'I think the reason people rediscovered me so late in the game is when I moved behind the scenes and started participating at inception to build a world and a character,' Lyonne says. 'For me, the joy of 'Poker Face' really is my time spent with Rian. That's where the magic of it lives.' In conversation, the raspy-voiced Manhattanite is prone to digressions, riffing on Charlie Chaplin, Elaine Stritch and the gentrification of her native New York. 'I see the youth today and I'm like, 'Wow, they really do shop online, huh?'' she laments. Then again, 'I'm too busy investigating cases on TV to really investigate the fashion aesthetics of Brooklyn.' Lyonne hopes that she and Johnson will make a 'Poker Face' Season 3, although if the pandemic and Hollywood strikes taught her anything, it's that you can't plan too far ahead. 'I've been doing this for 40 years, so I've never tried to play puppet master. What does Einstein say? 'God does not play dice?'' Lyonne says. 'I never really stress; it's always a third thing that occurs. I could be back on set with Rian tomorrow, or we could decide to make a movie spinoff of it. We'll all discover together what comes next.'
Geek Girl Authority
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
POKER FACE Recap: (S02E08) The Sleazy Georgian
Poker Face Season 2 Episode 8, 'The Sleazy Georgian,' is a super creative installment for the series, continuing the season's delightful streak of solid outings. It's a breath of fresh air and turns the show's traditional murder-of-the-week formula on its head. Bolstered by compelling performances from the guest cast, 'The Sleazy Georgian' keeps you on your toes with its handful of narrative twists. RELATED: Read our recap of the previous Poker Face episode, 'One Last Job' Poker Face, 'The Sleazy Georgian' We open with Regina (Melanie Lynskey) walking into the Evelyn Hotel. She grabs a coffee and sits across from a mysterious man (John Cho). Another man (Eric Satterberg) incessantly walks by him with envelopes, which Cho's character places in a bag on the floor. Regina starts chatting with Cho's character, who introduces himself as Alec. She and Alec immediately hit it off. Naturally, she's curious about the envelopes. Initially, Alec is hesitant to disclose the reason behind it before telling Regina he works in luxury travel. He appeases his uber-rich customers by catering to their extravagant — and maybe illegal — demands. One-Morning Stand We learn that Regina works for a nonprofit. The organization just had an all-night fundraiser to provide educational resources for orphans. They raised $20,000. Regina tried to shove the money into the nearby bank's depository, but it got stuck. So, she's waiting at the hotel for the bank to open. Not sure I'd tell a potentially shady stranger that I'm carrying 20 grand in cash. RELATED: Poker Face Season 2: Our 6 Dream Guest Stars Alec persuades Regina to get a drink. It's 5 o'clock somewhere, right? Both admit they've never lived for themselves. Regina wants to be adventurous. Close enough; welcome back, Shauna Sadecki. Alec confesses that he's never had a one-night stand. They head up to Alec's hotel room. Alec starts kissing Regina. She pulls away when she bumps up against his piece. He removes the gun and tries to resume kissing. However, Regina's curiosity is at an all-time high. She wants to know the truth. What does Alec really do? Alec explains that he has a friend who had a kingdom in Georgia. Yes, the country. He was deposed. Now, the Georgian resides in America with billions of dollars. Long story short, Alec is meeting his contact in an hour with $400,000, hoping to conduct a trade that'll turn that amount into significantly more money. Alec plans to walk away from this trade a very, very rich man. Money Laundering Is Fun Regina asks to see the cash. He shows her. She claims this is the most exciting thing she's ever laid eyes on. Regina wonders if she could toss in her $20,000 — which is for the orphans — so they could both benefit. Make more money. Alec doesn't want Regina to get herself involved. She's a sweet lady. But Regina's had a taste of danger and longs for more. RELATED: Russian Doll Season 2 Thoughtfully Explores Motherhood and Trauma Suddenly, Alec's contact arrives early. Alec urges Regina to hide. Alec opens the door to Manny (Joel Marsh Garland), who instantly shoots him dead. Uh-oh. Regina quickly shovels the 20 grand into Alec's bag of 400 grand. Manny rounds the corner. Regina shoots him with Alec's gun, killing him. Regina is shocked. She's not one to commit murder. She places Alec's gun on his body before fleeing the scene. POKER FACE — 'The Sleazy Georgian' Season 2 Episode 8 — Pictured: Melanie Lynskey as Regina — (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/PEACOCK) Flashback time! Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) wanders into the Evelyn Hotel with coupons aplenty. She collects them from the various hotels she's occupied across the country. She drags a stool to sit beside Alec, who's at the bar. It's like nails on a chalkboard. Oof. Anyway, the two engage in some small talk. Alec introduces himself, but Charlie calls bullsh*t. In fact, every statement coming out of his mouth is all bull. Charlie apologizes — her innate lie detector cannot be switched off. Alec Is Guy So, Alec finally gets real: his name is Guy, and he's a con man. Charlie's ability to detect lies impresses him. He brings her to a pool hall to meet his crew. As it turns out, Manny is part of that crew, as is the man who handed Guy those envelopes — David. We also meet Gene (GaTa), the finance whiz of the group, and Cliff (Veronika Slowikowska), their recordkeeper. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: Mabel Mora Charlie asks Guy what con he was trying to pull on her before she called him out. It was 'The Sleazy Georgian,' which he used on Regina. We see a montage of how the scam would've played out if Charlie couldn't detect bullsh*t. This crew is old-school. They're just here to scam people out of their money. During their conversation, Charlie notices that Guy is quite rude to Manny. Manny, who calls himself 'The Muscle,' simply brushes it off. POKER FACE — 'The Sleazy Georgian' Season 2 Episode 8 — Pictured: GaTa as Gene — (Photo by: PEACOCK) Guy invites Charlie to join the gang's scamming shenanigans. Her gift would be a boon to their efforts. Charlie seems hesitant to accept the offer. However, she continues hanging out with Manny. We learn Manny is married. Charlie asks him why he allows Guy to walk all over him. Manny insists that Guy only scolds him when the latter is out of line. Charlie and the Con Crew Before she leaves the pool hall, Charlie expresses that aforementioned hesitation to Guy. They're hurting people. Guy asserts that he only cons bad people out of their money — people who cheat, lie, steal and kill. Charlie looks incredulous. However, Guy states that no one ever gets hurt. It's all theater. Hence, for 'The Sleazy Georgian' con, Manny shoots Guy with a squib. Also, Guy's gun is full of blanks. Charlie does like the idea of having a pack, as it were. RELATED: Read our Russian Doll recaps The following day, Charlie confronts Guy about a deposit slip she found with what looks like Regina's green bag. Why does he have a $20,000 bank slip for the National Orphan Fund? It also bears Regina's signature. Then, Charlie did some digging into Regina. She learned that Regina jumped off a bridge, presumably because she thought she had killed Manny. Poor woman. POKER FACE — 'The Sleazy Georgian' Season 2 Episode 8 — Pictured: John Cho as Guy/Alec — (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/PEACOCK) Guy explains that Regina was the perfect mark. She was willing to gamble that 20 grand for a money laundering scheme because the danger of it turned her on. She walked through every red flag — the satchel full of cash, the gun. However, Guy shares one thing we didn't see: he switched out the content in each bag. Regina thought she grabbed the satchel with the money, but once she got to her car, she saw it was full of, well, nothing. A Juicy New Mark Guy insists that Regina wasn't gonna give that money to the orphans. Charlie defends Regina. She was a human being who made a mistake. That didn't make her an inherently bad person. Guy's lack of remorse is alarming. RELATED: The Best True Crime Shows on Netflix Charlie urges Guy to return all that money to the charity. Unsurprisingly, he refuses. If he doesn't, Charlie threatens to go to the police. Manny arrives to reveal there's a juicy mark at the Evelyn Hotel. Guy encourages Charlie to join them for this con. They'll split the money evenly. Then, Charlie can donate her portion to that charity if she wants. POKER FACE — 'The Sleazy Georgian' Season 2 Episode 8 — Pictured: Joel Marsh Garland as Manny — (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/PEACOCK) So, Charlie pretends to be Guy's wife as they sit with the new mark: Sketch (Brendan Sexton III). Guy persuades Sketch, who's a gambler, to throw his money in for their Sleazy Georgian scheme. He has one hour until Guy's contact arrives. Sketch claims he can get the cash in that amount of time from the ATM. Before the trio parts ways, Charlie embraces Sketch. If You See a Red Flag, You Bail Later, Charlie expresses unease regarding this particular mark. Sketch is a gambling addict. He's probably dangerous, too. She reminds Guy of what he told her — if you see a red flag, you bail. Guy counters that it's $400,000. That's a lot of cheddar. RELATED: Read our Only Murders in the Building recaps Charlie reveals her hand. Sketch will never return from that ATM because she tipped him off. While hugging him, Charlie slipped a piece of paper into Sketch's pocket, broadcasting that Guy is a con artist. However, Guy removed that paper from Sketch's pocket. He knows Charlie's tricks. He's probably the only person who could truly go toe-to-toe with her. Sure enough, Sketch returns with the money, as promised. Charlie notices that Sketch has a real gun, with real bullets, on his person. Charlie urges Guy to disclose the truth. Otherwise, someone could truly get hurt … or worse. Suddenly, Manny knocks on the door. He barges into the room, gun brandished, planning to fire a squib at Guy as planned. Unfortunately, Sketch is too quick on the draw. He shoots Manny, and it looks fatal. POKER FACE — 'The Sleazy Georgian' Season 2 Episode 8 — Pictured: Brendan Sexton III as Sketch — (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/PEACOCK) Pulling the Wool Over Guy's Eyes Then, Charlie tackles Sketch and tries to wrestle the gun out of his hand. Sketch wraps an arm around Charlie's chest, attempting to hold her in place. Next, Charlie uses Sketch's gun to shoot him. Sketch slides down the wall. She sees the open window in the hotel room. Charlie peers out of it and realizes that Guy escaped with the cash. And she killed someone. Sh*t. RELATED: Top 11 Peter Bogdanovich Films Guy returns to the pool hall. He dumps out the satchel, only to discover it's full of hotel coupons. Boom! Gene slams Guy's head against the pool table in anger. They were so close to walking away with gobs of cash. Meanwhile, in the hotel room, we see that Manny and Sketch aren't actually dead. Oh, and Sketch is Robin, Manny's husband. The couple who tricks a con man together… Our trio joined forces to teach Guy a lesson. The cash is still in the hotel room. Charlie took a page from Guy's book and switched out the contents of the satchels. Manny encourages Charlie to donate that money to charity. He's done with the con business. And chances are, Guy will inevitably get arrested for being a scammer. POKER FACE — 'The Sleazy Georgian' Season 2 Episode 8 — Pictured: Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale — (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/PEACOCK) Later, we see Charlie take the money to the bank depository. However, unlike the late Regina, she's able to pry it open. The lesson here? Don't out-poker face the Poker Face. *Cue jazzy cover of Charlie's theme* RELATED: Read our Poker Face recaps Poker Face drops new episodes every Thursday on Peacock. KNIVES OUT 3 Reveals First Look of Benoit Blanc With Long Hair Contact: [email protected] What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events. Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium. Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
