Poker Face ended its first season today. And the finale was just wonderful, capping one of the best television debuts you’ll watch all year. I miss Charlie Cale already and you’d better believe, I will be seated whenever it returns. Give Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson all of their flowers.

And we have to talk about Benjamin Bratt. His Cliff elevated this prime piece of television.

Let’s talk about his monologue in the car after he finds Charlie. He begins something that sounds like a spoken word rant.

But my Gen Xers know that it’s actually “Hook” by Blues Traveler. A song which itself is almost an inside joke.

Suck it in, suck it in, suck it in, if you’re Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn
Make a desperate move or else you’ll win and then begin to see
What you’re doing to me, this MTV is not for free
It’s so PC it’s killing me, so desperately I sing to thee of love
Sure, but also of rage and hate and pain and fear of self
And I can’t keep these feelings on the shelf
I’ve tried, well, no, in fact I lied
Could be financial suicide, but I’ve got too much pride inside
To hide or slide, I’ll do as I’ll decide and let it ride until I’ve died

And only then shall I abide this tide
Of catchy little tunes of hip three minute diddys
I wanna bust all your balloons
I wanna burn all your cities to the ground
I’ve found I will not mess around unless I play then hey
I will go on all day, hear what I say
I have a prayer to pray that’s really all this was
And when I’m feeling stuck and need a buck
I don’t rely on luck because
The hook brings you back

Blues Travler wrote the song as a satire on how meaningless music could still be successful.

Cliff is leaning with a similar message. It doesn’t matter what Charlie does or how long it takes, the hook will always bring her back to trouble.

We also see the film “Hook” with Dustin Hoffman. Which could also be interpreted as a reminder to Charlie of what Cliff says.

Until we get an answer straight from Rian Johnson, that’s what I’m running with. None of the producers that have done post mortem interviews have addressed it yet.

Anyways, I can’t recommend “Poker Face” enough. It will be on my “best television of the year” list. I can say that even though we’re not halfway through March.

Season 2 can’t be here fast enough.

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