Last Looks (Poker Face)

In Yulee, Florida, a film crew is shooting a low-budget horror film set in 1973 at a funeral home. Nevertheless, the owner, Fred Finch (Giancarlo Esposito), is annoyed that the crew sneaks into his room and that the amount of lights cause an outage in the morgue. Fred's wife, Greta (Katie Holmes), is content with the film crew, but Fred is upset to learn that she forgot to inform a family that they had to reschedule a funeral for their grandmother for the following day. Greta then surprises Fred by asking for a divorce, as a crew member says she could get a make-up job in Miami. When he suggests having a baby to save their marriage, Greta finally admits that she has felt trapped since they got married.

After the crew leaves for the day, Greta takes a shower, packing her belongings to leave Fred. Fred takes her belongings, making her go downstairs to retrieve them in the living room. Fred subsequently kills her, planning to have the real blood cover the fake blood in the wall. He cremates her body, putting the ashes in an urn that is taken away by the crew the following day, while they also take the wall glass where her blood fell. After the crew leaves, Fred delightfully continues with his activities in the funeral home, turning Greta's remains into a vinyl of "Sleep Walk".

A few days prior, Charlie is approached by location manager Tommy Sullivan (Kevin Corrigan), who asks to use her Barracuda for a film set. Charlie agrees after being promised cash, and she is also cast as a background corpse in a casket. During a break, she hangs out with Greta, who relates her unhappy marriage and her desire to become a make-up artist. As a woman offers her a job in Miami, Fred pulls her aside for failing to reschedule a funeral. Later, Charlie runs into Fred, who reveals that he earns extra revenue by turning dead people's remains into keepsakes for their loved ones. That night, Charlie gets drunk with Greta and the film crew, and then takes her home, promising that they will leave together to Miami in the morning.

The following day, Charlie is told by Fred that Greta wanted to leave him, assuming she left with the rest of the film crew already. Using the crew's call sheet, she arrives at their new location to question about her whereabouts. While Tommy is unable to find her, he agrees to help Charlie. They sneak into the funeral home, where Charlie spots blood on a light bulb. As she retrieves it, she is confronted by Fred. Charlie notes that she saw the candlelight while filming the scene, which was covered by a white silk. She deduces that he killed Greta after she asked for the divorce, and demands that he say that he did not kill her. However, Tommy arrives, claiming that Greta just texted him that she had arrived in Miami.

Fred feigns an emotional breakdown, causing Charlie to apologize and console him. At his office, Fred shows that he has kept deceased family members' remains in different parts of the room. While Charlie goes to the bathroom, she overhears Greta's phone ringing, finding it in a drawer and realizing Fred sent the message. Fred drugs her and locks her in a casket, taking her to the crematorium to kill her. Charlie releases herself and throws her vape cartridge into the fire, causing an explosion that injures Fred. Charlie tries to help him leave the house, but a distracted Fred chooses to stay in his office to die in the fire while Charlie flees the house. As she lights a cigarette, she is held at gunpoint by Beatrix Hasp (Rhea Perlman), who forces her to drive.

Image:Natasha_Lyonne_2014_(cropped).jpg co-wrote and directed the episode.]]

The series was announced in March 2021, with Rian Johnson serving as creator, writer, director and executive producer. Johnson stated that the series would delve into "the type of fun, character driven, case-of-the-week mystery goodness I grew up watching."{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/rian-johnson-natasha-lyonne-poker-face-tv-series-peacock/|title=Rian Johnson Mystery Series 'Poker Face' Starring Natasha Lyonne Ordered at Peacock|first1=Jennifer|last1=Maas|website=TheWrap|date=March 16, 2021|access-date=May 9, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203205527/https://www.thewrap.com/rian-johnson-natasha-lyonne-poker-face-tv-series-peacock/ |archive-date=2023-02-03 |url-status=live}} The episode was written by co-executive producer Alice Ju and main lead actress Natasha Lyonne, and directed by Lyonne. This was Ju's third writing credit, Lyonne's second writing credit, and Lyonne's second directing credit for the show.{{Cite web|url=https://directories.wga.org/project/1214561/poker-face/|title=Poker Face - WGA Directory|website=Writers Guild of America West|accessdate=May 9, 2025}}

The announcement of the series included that Natasha Lyonne would serve as the main lead actress. She was approached by Johnson about working on a procedural project together, with Lyonne as the lead character.{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rian-johnson-and-natasha-lyonne-bring-a-columbo-energy-to-poker-face/|title=Natasha Lyonne's Poker Face Is Bringing Columbo Energy Back to TV|first=Alec|last=Bojalad|website=Den of Geek|date=January 25, 2023|access-date=May 9, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209043907/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rian-johnson-and-natasha-lyonne-bring-a-columbo-energy-to-poker-face/ |archive-date=2023-02-09 |url-status=live}} As Johnson explained, the role was "completely cut to measure for her."{{cite web|url=https://www.theringer.com/tv/2023/1/25/23569853/rian-johnson-interview-poker-face-peacock-natasha-lyonne|title=Rian Johnson Mastered the Whodunit. Now He's on to the "Howcatchem."|first=Herman|last=Alison|website=The Ringer|date=January 25, 2023|access-date=May 9, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201023434/https://www.theringer.com/tv/2023/1/25/23569853/rian-johnson-interview-poker-face-peacock-natasha-lyonne |archive-date=2023-02-01 |url-status=live}}

Due to the series' procedural aspects, the episodes feature several guest stars. Johnson was inspired by the amount of actors who guest starred on Columbo, wanting to deem each guest star as the star of the episode, which allowed them to attract many actors. The episode featured guest appearances by Giancarlo Esposito, Katie Holmes, Kevin Corrigan, Kathrine Narducci and Sherry Cola, who were announced to guest star in July 2024.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/poker-face-season-2-cast-giancarlo-esposito-katie-holmes-kumail-nanjiani-gaby-hoffmann-1236073924/|title=‘Poker Face’ Season 2 Adds Giancarlo Esposito, Katie Holmes, Kumail Nanjiani, Gaby Hoffmann to Cast|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=July 16, 2024|accessdate=May 9, 2025|work=Variety}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/poker-face-season-2-cast-kathrine-narducci-ben-marshall-kevin-corrigan-sherry-cola-1236082120/|title=‘Poker Face’ Season 2 Casts Kathrine Narducci, Ben Marshall, Kevin Corrigan, Sherry Cola|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=July 23, 2024|accessdate=May 9, 2025|work=Variety}}

Filming for the episode began on July 1, 2024. While it was the first episode of the season to be filmed, it was the second to air.{{cite web|url=https://bleedingcool.com/tv/poker-face-s02-natasha-lyonne-rian-johnson-series-begins-filming/|title=Poker Face S02: Natasha Lyonne, Rian Johnson Series Begins Filming|last=Flook|first=Ray|date=July 1, 2024|accessdate=May 9, 2025|work=Bleeding Cool}}

"Last Looks" received highly positive reviews from critics. Noel Murray of The A.V. Club gave the 3-episode premiere an "A–" grade and wrote, "“Last Looks” was directed by Lyonne, who also co-wrote the script with Alice Ju. That same team produced season one's “The Orpheus Syndrome,” a stylish mystery set in the world of motion-picture special effects. This episode is similarly moody, using the shooting of a horror movie as an excuse for a lot of skewed angles and deep shadows."{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/poker-face-season-2-premiere-recap-episodes-1-2-3|title=Poker Face returns with three (mostly) killer episodes|last=Murray|first=Noel|date=May 8, 2025|accessdate=May 9, 2025|work=The A.V. Club}}

Alan Sepinwall wrote, "Lyonne is really good at playing a more vulnerable Charlie, but it's also a place that the series needs to be judicious about going to. She can be threatened by the killer in most episodes, but it has to be rare for her to seem this close to death for those moments to have weight. This one did, and it led into a rare cliffhanger, with Beatrix appearing in the back of the Barracuda, a gun at the ready."{{cite web|url=https://alansepinwall.substack.com/p/back-on-her-bullshit|title=Back on her 'bullshit'|last=Sepinwall|first=Alan|date=May 9, 2025|accessdate=May 9, 2025|work=What's Alan Watching?}} Elisa Guimarães of Collider wrote, ""Last Looks" is a story that falls on the darker side of Rian Johnson's creation, one that is on par with Season 1's "Escape from Shit Mountain." However, while that episode came later in the season and thus felt like it had higher stakes when it put Charlie's life on the line, "Last Looks" feels somewhat hollow in that regard. Its villain-of-the-week gets an appropriate ending, but how we get there and what happens to Charlie herself just doesn't seem earned."{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/poker-face-season-2-episode-2-recap/|title='Poker Face' Season 2 Episode 2 Recap: Charlie Cale Can't Put the Fun in Funeral Home|last=Guimarães|first=Elisa|date=May 8, 2025|accessdate=May 9, 2025|work=Collider}}

Amanda Whiting of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Can we take a moment to celebrate Natasha Lyonne? I know we celebrate her fairly often, but the second episode of Poker Face{{'}}s sophomore season is a testament to her range and her idiosyncrasies. As Charlie, she gets to show shades of the character we've rarely seen before, but Lyonne's stamp is all over “Last Looks” as its director and co-writer."{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/poker-face-recap-season-2-episode-2.html|title=Poker Face Recap: Ashes to Ashes|last=Whiting|first=Amanda|date=May 8, 2025|accessdate=May 9, 2025|work=Vulture}} Melody McCune of Telltale TV wrote, "Like episode one, the pacing is a bit on the slower side and inconsistent overall. However, the laid groundwork sets up that action-packed climax and cliffhanger. It's more narratively fruitful than the premiere, and it delightfully leans into some fun horror tropes."{{cite web|url=https://telltaletv.com/2025/05/poker-face-review-the-game-is-a-foot-last-looks-whack-a-mole-season-2-episodes-1-3/|title=Poker Face Review: The Game Is a Foot / Last Looks / Whack-a-Mole (Season 2 Episodes 1-3)|last=McCune|first=Melody|date=May 9, 2025|accessdate=May 9, 2025|work=Telltale TV}}

Ben Sherlock of Screen Rant wrote, "Esposito was the perfect guest star for this role. Ever since his iconic turn as Gus Fring, he's made a career of playing characters who put on a friendly, unassuming facade to cover up their true evil nature. When Charlie is onto him and he turns on her, Esposito is every bit as terrifying as his Breaking Bad villain."{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/poker-face-season-2-episode-1-2-3-review/|title=Poker Face Season 2, Episodes 1-3 Review: Natasha Lyonne Is A Modern-Day Columbo In The Best Murder Mystery Show On TV|last=Sherlock|first=Ben|date=May 8, 2025|accessdate=May 9, 2025|work=Screen Rant}} Shay McBryde of Show Snob wrote, "It was great to see Charlie kick back and have some fun with some strangers at the banger in Poker Face season 2 episode 2. She has such a warm heart for people in need. It's a shame she couldn't catch a fresh start in Miami with Greta. Nonetheless, things worked out the way they were meant to."{{cite web|url=https://showsnob.com/poker-face-season-2-episode-2-recap-review-house-death-peacock|title=Poker Face season 2 episode 2 recap and review: The house of death|last=McBryde|first=Shay|date=May 8, 2025|accessdate=May 9, 2025|work=Show Snob}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb episode|32810910|Last Looks}}

{{Poker Face (TV series)}}

Category:Poker Face (TV series) episodes

Category:2025 American television episodes

Category:Television episodes directed by Natasha Lyonne

Category:Television episodes written by Natasha Lyonne

Category:Television episodes set in Florida

Category:Television episodes about filmmaking