As Season 1 of Poker Face draws to a close, it seems to be only getting better, which we don't get in TV that often anymore. The Rian Johnson-created series engages viewers in all the right ways, with compelling stories, captivating performances and, of course, a great lead in Natasha Lyonne, who plays human bullshit detector Charlie Cale. As she cruises through the USA, she stops by small towns and can't help but find herself in the middle of mysteries that require her unique abilities to be solved.

One of the defining traits of Poker Face, though, is something that few other shows like it actually have nowadays. As most series tend to follow production patterns according to the studios and streaming services, their overall look and feel tends to be somewhat homogeneous. But this one has its own identity, a sort of old-school charm. What's even more interesting is that the show actually takes place in present day, despite its '70s vibe. So how does Poker Face achieve this? It goes way beyond merely production design and aesthetic issues, and is also related to how the narrative itself, its structure, setting and developments.

What Inspirations Are Behind Poker Face?

Natasha Lyonne in Poker Face Episode 9
Image via Peacock

It's no secret that Rian Johnson is a huge fan of whodunits. We've all watched Knives Out and Glass Onion by now, both written to emulate the same aura in Agatha Christie mystery novels. But, to develop Poker Face, he really had to open his tool box and dig deeper into the kinds of influences he'd lean onto. This is a TV show, after all, and, while nowadays we may not see any shows that deal with mystery like Poker Face, a few decades ago television was rife with them. We're talking, of course, of the opposite of a whodunit, a "howcatchem."

RELATED: 'Poker Face's Bullsh*t Detector Is a Real Thing

While a whodunit is a story in which the audience is shown a crime and follows the detective as he goes on a journey to find the culprit, a howcatchem is literally the opposite. We, the audience, see watch the crime take place and know who the culprit is, but the detective doesn't, so the story revolves around how they will catch the criminal. The concept was introduced by the biggest inspiration behind Poker Face, iconic detective series Columbo. Johnson is a huge fan of the Peter Falk-led show, so he created his own contemporary version of it.

Natasha Lyonne in Poker Face Episode 8
Image via Peacock

Poker Face follows the same narrative structure — and even some of the tropes — that Columbo made iconic, like the case-of-the-week premise and the quick-witted, but somewhat oblivious detective. Every new episode sees Charlie arriving in a new town in the USA countryside, meeting new people and finding herself in the middle of cases that, without the aid of her bullshit-detecting abilities, would have had very different outcomes if left in the hands of regular cops. But, while Lieutenant Columbo (Falk) is an official investigator, Charlie has to make it clear to everyone that no, she's not a cop — she's just super friendly and extremely nosy.

Nowadays, howcatchems are extremely rare. The current streaming and cable landscapes develop their series with the intent of keeping them hooked week after week, with linear storylines being the ideal way to do so. While case-of-the-week shows are indeed entertainment, the fact that you don't have to watch every single episode makes it a risky bet for the average platform in terms of keeping their audience. Even release models create debates in the media between the binge and weekly release models; choosing between a narrative structure that doesn't require the viewer to log in every week is a no-brainer.

Poker Face has been swimming against the current in that sense, leading the audience ratings on Peacock and gathering almost universal acclaim from critics and viewers alike, so perhaps there's hope for the case-of-the-week format still. For older viewers, that brings the nostalgic feeling of turning the TV to watch a new story every time. For newer ones, it's a chance to engage with a different format than the one they are used to and watch TV the way it was designed decades ago.

'Poker Face' Requires Charlie To Be Analog

Natasha Lyonne in Poker Face Episode 8
Image via Peacock

The nostalgic case-of-the-week format is not the only thing that gives Poker Face its old-school charm, though. Structuring the series around an old-school mold is only effective in giving this feeling if the story itself does its part to hold on to it, and, in Poker Face, it does.

The very first case that Charlie has to solve is the only one that follows her around throughout the show, and not because she couldn't crack it. The murder of her best friend, Natalie (Dascha Polanco), is what sets her on her path, because it also led to the suicide of Sterling Frost Jr. (Adrien Brody), the son of crime boss Sterling Frost (Ron Perlman). He is hellbent on making Charlie pay for the loss of his son, and sends his best henchman, Cliff (Benjamin Bratt), to follow her traces. To do that, Cliff uses all the tracing mechanisms available, especially through technology. If Charlie uses a credit card, he can trace it. If she gets money from an ATM, too. So she gets rid of all her technological possessions to go off the grid, going full analog.

For the first couple of episodes, Charlie follows the main highways, making stops along the road and trying to get by despite being cut off from the world. But that also allows Cliff an easy and straight path after her, so she dives ever deeper into the countryside, taking local roads and going to smaller towns, where technology wouldn't have a big presence anyway. These places seem to have almost stopped in time, giving off a "land that time forgot" vibe. There is some technology, of course, but it's not inescapable as it is in urban centers.

As we saw, Charlie is the friendly and nosy type, so she thrives in small communities. She makes friends and finds jobs very quickly, which allows her to become a part of local everyday life and, thus, gather the knowledge she will eventually need to solve the cases that the cops couldn't. These places are full of eccentric and unique personalities, and that adds an extra layer of challenge to the whole ordeal that Charlie has to face every week. For us, though, everything about Poker Face is a delight. Who knew a '70s TV show in 2023 streaming could be so good?