From the mind of Rian Johnson, fans of the filmmaker’s detective stories were given a gift with Poker Face Season 1. The story followed Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), a woman who can always tell when someone is lying. Her “Peter Falk in Columbo” energy is the perfect framing device for a beautiful mix of modern characters, murders to solve, and a new favorite detective who always gets the answers she is looking for. Now, the hit series, written by both Johnson and Lyonne, is back for Season 2! The new trailer shows us Charlie doing what she does best: Forcing people to tell the truth when they don’t want to.

Much like the first season, Season 2 will feature an all-star line-up of guests! The list includes Alia Shawkat, Awkwafina, Cynthia Erivo, John Mulaney, Giancarlo Esposito, John Ritter, Katie Holmes, Justin Theroux, Melanie Lynskey, and more. What looks great about this season is that, much like Season 1, we’re getting to see a new case each week, á la shows like Columbo. But in Charlie’s unique style. When a child tries to lie about wanting friends, Charlie isn’t afraid to call her out on her lie. She’s not afraid to take on Erivo either, telling her character that she’s lying about her name.

Season 2 is described as follows:

“Poker Face is a mystery-of-the-week series following Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. This season, Charlie continues her journey on the road across the country, encountering a new cast of characters and investigating crimes along the way. The show’s critically-acclaimed first season received four Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Natasha Lyonne, and garnered Peacock its first Emmy win for Judith Light’s Outstanding Guest Actress Performance in a Comedy Series.”

A Beautiful Note From Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne

As part of the release for the series, Lyonne and Johnson shared a note about the show. In it, the two explained a bit about Charlie and her “uncanny” ability to spot a liar, no matter how good they think they are. But the two also spoke about their influences for Season 2 of the series. They wrote:

“Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2 we’ve taken her journey to the next level one murder mystery at a time. From minor league baseball to big box retail, from funeral homes to alligator farms and even a grade school talent show, Charlie navigates her crime solving existential road-trip with deadpan wit, human empathy, and her signature uncanny lie-detecting ability.

To bring Season 2 to life, we pulled visual inspiration from American 70s cinema, all the stuff we love like Robert Altman, Bob Rafelson, Peter Bogdanovich. But the backbone of this show is TV – the kind of TV we grew up watching, episodic case of the week gems like Columbo and The Rockford Files and Quantum Leap. Each episode is a mini movie, existing in its own world with a unique tone and vibe, featuring an eccentric lot of characters played by a truly gonzo parade of guest stars. We still can’t believe we got to work with rockstars like Cynthia Erivo, Katie Holmes, John Mulaney, and Awkwafina (and many many more, the list is kinda dizzying) who all dove into the game with joy and came ready to play.

Twelve killer new episodes are coming your way. Buckle up and see you on the road!”

You can see Charlie Cale in Season 2 of Poker Face when the series returns to Peacock on May 8 with three new episodes, followed by weekly releases every Thursday.

via Collider