REVIEW: 'Poker Face' Season 2 Episode 12 Stumbles On A Predictable Plot Twist

This article contains major spoilers for Poker Face.

Written by Laura Deeley and directed by Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face bows out of its second series with an episode that is both thrilling and frustrating in equal measure. “The End of the Road” picks up directly where the penultimate episode left off, with Charlie and Alex heading towards Beatrix Hasp after being actively pursued by the FBI and the infamous hitman known only as the Iguana. We discover that the Iguana is suspected of over 50 kills and is wanted by every Western government. Whoever they are, they’re good, and naturally, they’ve found themselves in a spot of bother with Charlie Cale.

The stakes are set high early on. The FBI is desperate to keep Hasp alive so she can testify, and we are warned that the Iguana’s disguises are flawless, making them effectively invisible. However, Agent Luca Clark (Simon Helberg) is one of the few who seems to understand just how resourceful Charlie can be, warning the NSA and CIA to “underestimate her at your peril.”

For much of the episode, paranoia runs rampant, and the tension is palpable. Charlie and Alex (Patti Harrison) scan every face they cross on the road, and in the diner they stop in for snacks and further disguise. Jumpy and unsettled, anyone could be a suspect. The pair zero in on a man with a suspiciously bandaged hand, which mirrors the one ‘Todd’ (Justin Theroux) had in the previous episode. It feels too good to be true, and it is.

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When they arrive at Hasp’s safe house, Charlie immediately senses something is wrong. Trusting her instincts, she tells Alex to stay in the car and to press the horn if anything seems off. Hasp won’t answer the front door, so Charlie circles the back to investigate. Meanwhile, Alex begins frantically honking the horn to alert Charlie. By the time she races back to the car, Alex is gone. Inside and around the house lie the bodies of dead agents and Hasp. It's clear the situation has spiralled into something far more dangerous. However, all is not as it seems. Or it is, if you’ve been as suspicious of Alex as I have.

The twist, that Alex was the Iguana all along, is where the episode both shines and falters. On the one hand, the reveal is executed in a way that allows Natasha Lyonne to deliver another standout performance, never letting Charlie’s weariness dull her wit or empathy. “Cut the shit. Come on out, I know who you are,” Charlie declares when she finally confronts Alex, only to find her holding her gun to her head. Alex’s plan is revealed in full: from staging the murder of Hasp’s son to manipulating Charlie’s compulsive need to help “the world’s victims and losers,” the woman had been playing her like a fiddle from the start.

On the other hand, the twist was foreshadowed so heavily that it weakened the impact. Poker Face has never, and will never be, a series that underestimates its audience, but it’s safe to say that Alex’s behaviour since she sought Charlie out in New York has been suspicious, and even the moment she presses the car horn to draw our heroine away, all seemed too conspicuous. By the time the truth is revealed, you expect it, which dampens the moment somewhat.

Still, their showdown is compelling, with Alex declaring that Charlie has been the greatest challenge of her career and even admitting that she wishes she didn’t have to kill her. Their deadly game of two truths and a lie in a speeding car on route to the Grand Canyon Canyon is a fittingly absurd climax, ending with Charlie rolling out of the car just in time to cling to the cliff edge while Alex and the vehicle go up in flames.

The final five minutes strike a bittersweet note. Charlie, tearful and shivering, is given a head start by Luca (“Next time, Charlie, I will arrest you. I mean, I have to at this point.”), before hitching a ride with a trucker, as a dog latches themselves onto her. Lyonne is incredible, and it’s a shame that the series was split into two regarding Emmy eligibility, as she would be a deserving nominee for her work in the latter part of the series.

Overall, the finale is a mixed bag. The performances stand out among the plot and there are some great lines (“You know what, I think uh, I think I uh, I think I just like people,” Charlie admits with heartbreaking simplicity), but the predictability of the twist undermines the tension Deeley and Lyonne set out to create, making the episode feel contrived.

It would also be a shame if we don’t get a third series. There’s clearly more life in Charlie yet, even if one wonders just how much further they can stretch this formula.

Rating: ★★★½

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About Poker Face

Premiere Date: May 8, 2025

Episode Count: 12

Executive Producer/Showrunner: Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne, Tony Tost, Ram Bergman, Nena Rodrigue, Adam Arkin, Nora Zuckerman, Lilla Zuckerman

Writer: Laura Deeley, Alice Ju, Natasha Lyonne, Wyatt Cain, Tony Tost, Kate Thulin, Taofik Kolade, Megan Amram, Tea Ho, Raphie Cantor, Andrew Sodroski

Director: Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne, Miguel Arteta, Lucky McKee, John Dahl, Adam Arkin, Mimi Cave, Adamma Ebo, Clea Duvall, Ti West

Production: Animal Pictures, T-Street

Distribution: Peacock

Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Adrienne C. Moore, Alia Shawkat, Awkwafina, Ben Marshall, B.J. Novak, Carol Kane, Cliff "Method Man" Smith, Corey Hawkins, Cynthia Erivo, David Alan Grier, David Krumholtz, Favionte "GaTa" Ganter, Ego Nwodim, Gaby Hoffmann, Geraldine Viswanathan, Giancarlo Espositio, Haley Joel Osment, Jason Ritter, John Cho, John Mulaney, Justin Theroux, Katherine Narducci, Katie Holmes, Kevin Corrigan, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Tom, Lili Taylor, Margo Martindale, Melanie Lynskey, Natasha Leggero, Patti Harrison, Rhea Perlman, Richard Kind, Sam Richardson, Sherry Cola, Simon Helberg, Simon Rex, Taylor Schilling

Synopsis: 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. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.