Papa Kenesu ケネス+

It's been a while since I reviewed anything on here, so I figured, "Oh, what the hell? They miss me."

POKER FACE:

Prior to viewing this show, Rian Johnson and I had a one-sided blood feud. Sure, he doesn't know me from Adam, but I know him as the writer/director that "subverted expectations" and ruined a little indie film called Star Wars... Maybe you've heard of it. I don't want to harp on nerdy stuff, but I have yet to see things like Knives Out because Rian Johnson's name was attached to it. For a few years, his name was stricken from every book and tablet---stricken from every pylon and obelisk in the house of Kenny.

That being said, after seeing endless commercials for this show, I eventually gave in. Even the damn fortune cookie I happened to open said, "Take a risk......fatty."

Charlie, the lead, reminds me one of Marge Simpson's twin sisters---pick any one of 'em. Raspy, cigarette-laced voice and all. The cool thing is that she inherently can tell when someone is lying.

Anyone that knows me can tell you I'm a big fan of Lie to Me, a show that was cut too soon, in my opinion.  It centered around detecting various forms of deception through Micro-expressions. Every episode went something like, "This guy's Depressor Anguli Oris moved two degrees to the right, therefore he's a bloody liar!!!" Charlie, on the other hand, seems to be all intuition. There's really zero science behind her ability. It's just like when your mom knows when you're lying about going to the library to study, or when the wife swears that corporate dinner, you attended out of town, had nothing to do with business.  It's almost a supernatural phenomenon.

One thing leads to another, and Charlie's special intuition ends up having her on the run. The intuition is one thing, but the main trait I love about the character is that she just can't seem to leave well enough alone. She scratches, she digs, and, if need be, she'll grab a friggin' shovel. If Columbo and the Incredible Hulk (the one with Bill Bixby) had a love child, with some sprinkles of Murder She Wrote, you end up with Poker Face. Despite taking place in current year, it really feels like a throwback.