Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Poker Face Season 2, Episode 3Poker Face, which follows human lie detector,Charlie (Natasha Lyonne), who goes from place to place and accidentally becomes embroiled in murder mysteries, is overflowing with unique storylines and fascinating supporting characters every week. InSeason 2 alone, we have seenGiancarlo EspositoandCynthia Erivogive stellar performances as Fred and Amber in their respective episodes, “Last Looks” and “The Game is a Foot.” However, in the third episode, “Whack-a-Mole,” we finally ended the overarching narrative of Charlie and Beatrix Hasp (Rhea Perlman) while still being introduced to whatI believe is the most endearing character seen yet inPoker Face: Beatrix’s husband, Jeffrey (Richard Kind).
Sadly, as happens every episode, there was one innocent victim, and that was Jeffrey who, despite being an informant for the FBI, was shot and killed because of Daniel’s (John Mulaney) tampering with Luca’s (Simon Helberg) gun that was supposed to be full of blanks. Not only is the nature of the death a tragic end, but Jeffrey was portrayed with such enthusiasm by Kind that it is impossible not to wish the show had kept him around. Even if we have seen other great actors and characters bite the dust along the way, I’ll always remember Jeffrey, and here’s why.
Jeffrey and Beatrix Are the Best Relationship in ‘Poker Face’
The marriage presented to us inPoker Face’s third episode is filled with nuance. Jeffrey is immediately a subversion of our expectations because he has no idea about the inner workings of themafia, which one wouldn’t expect from any partner of a criminal. However, we are only further shocked when, upon learning he is Luca’s informant, we learn that he isn’t snitching on Beatrix and her organization out of spite, or even amoral quandary.He is merely sick of being on the run, moving from place to place without the home comforts he is used to(which helps explain his speech about the versatility of an iron that we saw earlier). We see that, while he loves Beatrix, he can’t throw his entire life away for her, and it makes complete sense how anyone would become an informant if that was the case.
Every Episode of ‘Poker Face’ Season 1, Ranked
Hop in the Plymouth Barracuda. We’ve got mysteries to solve!
Furthermore, when Beatrix learns about his betrayal, her love for him isn’t entirely gone. When Charlie tells her that Luca is telling the truth about Jeffrey being dead, the choked sobs she lets out proves that the strength of their bond goes beyond the rules of business within the mafia. It showshow good of an influence Jeffrey likely was on Beatrix.If she was being “by the book” about how the mafia treats snitches, she would feel nothing for him anymore. However, he was the only one who could make her see any kind of life outside the underworld, as we see her choose at the end of the episode.
‘Poker Face’ Season 2 Has Incredible Characters, With Richard Kind’s Jeffrey Being the Best
As an actor, Richard Kind is without a doubt one of the finest working today, andPoker Faceproves it. We have seen him play a bumbling ball of rage numerous times in projects such asInside OutandBig Mouth. However, in this episode, we see him in a new light as a naive and camp man who only loves baking. Furthermore, Kind brings a range to the role that changes from scene to scene. When we first meet him, his speech pattern is almost like a song out of a fairy tale, as he delights as he talks about irons and different baked goods. However, when he meets with Luca, his tone is snippy and slightly bitter, yet still contains the harmless innocence that makes it helpless to try not to fall in love with him.Even when he is angry, it is incredibly different to his anger inBig Mouth, as there is no patriarchal dominancein it, but merely a child-like feeling that the world is unfair, and he deserves better (which he does).
Jeffrey’s Death Is One of the Most Complex in ‘Poker Face’
What makes his death all the more tragic is that he wasn’t killeddue to events outside his control. Most of the time, the events that lead to a character’s murder are coincidences or, because of a third party acting towards their end. Yet, Jeffrey died because he actively pushed for a better life where he was not a criminal. He wasn’t just a part of the scheme that got him killed, but the biggest component within it. Therefore,the morality around his death involves a severe irony that looms over characterslike Luca, and makes uscompletely unsympathetictowards Daniel, whereas we usually have some kind of nuanced feelings towards killers in this show.
Additionally, some of the other deaths in the show can be impersonal until we learn more about the character later on. That is part of the genius ofPoker Face, that it shows us how a different perspective can shift our opinions on a character or event. However,Jeffrey’s killing immediately felt tragic because we thought he was wholly innocent, with his terrified “no no no” as he awkwardly walked/ran towards the jet, something one could imagine a child might do. Then, the retelling of the story means that his dying only becomes even more tragic because he wasn’t just naive and in the wrong place at the wrong time, but exactly where he should have been, trying to do the right thing.
In the end, this is part of the blessing and curse of an anthology approach that means we won’t see these characters again. We are given these effective arcs that are given definitive endings, allowing for a nuanced character such as Jeffrey. However, it also breaks my heart to become attached to a character only to know this is the last time I’ll get to watch them on screen again. I’m sure there will be many more innocent people who get hurt and entertaining characters in the rest of the season, but if it was up to me, there’d be far more Jeffreyleft to enjoy inPoker FaceSeason 2.
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