Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Poker Face season 2, episode 9!After another murder mystery,Poker Faceseason 2, episode 9 ends with a final poem that reflects the deeper meaning behind Charlie’s latest case.Poker Faceseason 2has had multiple cases that have been personal for Charlie. Episode 9 is no different, asshe ends up befriending Anne and her granddaughter, Maddy,who live in a rent-controlled apartment in Brooklyn. However, she comes into conflict with Anne’s girlfriend, Kate, who, unbeknownst to her, is a wanted criminal named Amelia Peek. Thecast ofPoker Faceseason 2, episode 9doesn’t know about this, aside from Maddy, who confronts her.
Amelia ends up killing Maddy by locking her in the laundry room, using a mixture of descaler and bleach to create chlorine gas that suffocates her.As her investigation carries on, Charlie discovers the truth, leading to a confrontation where Amelia attempts to murder her. This leadsPoker Faceseason 2, episode 9to end with her arrest. However, due to her granddaughter’s death, Anne decides to sell her apartment and move elsewhere. But, before the episode ends, she reads part of a poem to Charlie that reflects the events that have transpired.
The Poem By Edna St. Vincent Milay Is Crucial To The Events Of The Episode
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At the end ofPoker Faceseason 2, episode 9, while Charlie is helping Anne pack her belongings, she recites part of a poem from one of her books.The passage is about “the beautiful, the tender, the kind” going to their graves, with the speaker not approving of their deaths. She ends up giving the book to Charlie as a parting gift, offering a somber, bittersweet note for the episode to end on. Given Anne is a retired poetry professor, it’s not surprising she used her love of poetry to illustrate the grief she feels after everything that’s happened.
The poem she read to Charlie was called"Dirge Without Music" by Edna St. Vincent Milay. The poem is a lamentation on the death of a loved one, reflecting the grief and feelings of loss that come with such a tragic event. WhilePoker Faceseason 2’s formula breakshave often been large, this small change makes Anne’s losses feel more personal. In particular, the poem’s themes relate to Maddy’s death, with Anne’s grief so heavy she decides the only course of action is to change her life’s trajectory.
The poem is a reflection of this multifaceted grief, while also explaining her final decision at the end of the episode.
Butit also somewhat relates to her loss of Amelia, who, as Kate, could have been someone she could build a future with. Instead, the wanted criminal was willing to resort to murder to try and get married to Anne and take the apartment for herself. This betrayal of her trust is another heartbreaking death, though this time the loss is the metaphorical perfect love the pair had between them. The poem is a reflection of this multifaceted grief, while also explaining her final decision at the end of the episode.
How Dirge Without Music Reflects Poker Face’s Latest Case
Its Exploration Of Grief Explains Why Anne Makes Her Final Decision
By having Anne’s story end with a passage from “Dirge Without Music,” the episode is able to fully encapsulate the grief she feels after everything she’s lost.This explains why she was willing to leave her apartment at the end, wanting to escape the loss she endured and start over in a place that won’t remind her of it. WhilePoker Face’s similarities with other mystery showsmakes its formula familiar, this moment is a reminder of how its differences offer a compelling human angle to its murder mysteries.
With a core focus on the pain of losing a loved one,Poker Face’s use of “Dirge Without Music” is the perfect way to emphasize just how much pain Anne went through. Season 2, episode 9 may have been another murder mystery case, but its use of the poem allows it to further contemplate the lasting aftermath of Maddy’s death. This exploration of grief elevates the episode’s ending, offering a bittersweet recollection of the tragedy Anne has gone through.
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Season 2, Episode 12: “The End of the Road”
