WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Poker Face season 2, episode 6.
The ending ofPoker Faceseason 2, episode 6, “Sloppy Joseph,” finds Charlie peeling off after exposing the sinister Stephanie’s various schemes. After Charlie’s Florida pit stop inPoker Faceseason 2, episode 4, and stint as a ball girl for a minor league baseball team inPoker Faceseason 2, episode 5, Charlie finds herself involved in the mysterious accidental killing of a class gerbil at an elementary school. Unlike the previous murders seen throughout the first half ofPoker Faceseason 2, the killer in episode 6 wasn’t premeditated, and the victim was not human.
ThroughoutPoker Faceseason 2, episode 6,Charlie looks into the accidental death of a gerbil during a magic trick at a talent show. Elijah Turner practices his trick that involves putting the class gerbil on a table and swinging a large hammer at it, only for the gerbil to miraculously survive. Part of the trick was to drop the gerbil into a secret chamber below the table, which the devious and ultra-competitive Stephanie Pierce figured out. In an attempt to ruin Elijah’s confidence and secure herself as the winner of the most gold stars in class, Stephanie allows Elijah to kill the gerbil.
Poker Face Season 2 Episode 6 Cast & Cameo Guide
Who Stars In “Sloppy Joseph”
The cast ofPoker Faceseason 2, episode 6 is led by Charlie Cale, who is the protagonist of allPoker Faceepisodes and one of the series' few recurring characters. Child actor Eva Jade Halford plays the episode’s villain, Stephanie Pearce, while child actor Callum Vinson plays the innocent Elijah Turner.
David Krumholtz plays Elijah’s father, JB, a custodian at Elijah’s prestigious schoolwho works there to obtain free tuition for his son. Margo Martindale plays Dr. Hamm, the school’s principal caught in Stephanie’s blackmailing scheme, while Adrienne C. Moore plays Ms. Dee, Elijah and Stephanie’s teacher. Steve Buscemi briefly appears through voiceover as Good Buddy.
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale: Lyonne returns as series protagonist Charlie Cale. She’s best known for her roles in the TV seriesRussian DollandOrange is the New Black, and feature films likeHis Three DaughtersandAmerican Pie. Lyonne also has writing and directing credits inPoker Faceseason 2.
David Krumholtz as JB Turner: Krumholtz is best known for his performances in movies such asOppenheimer,Ray, and10 Things I Hate About You. His notable television credits includeThe Studio,The Deuce, andThe Good Wife.
Margo Martindale plays Dr. Hamm: Martindale is a 3-time Emmy-winning actress best known for her roles inThe AmericansandJustified. She’s also known for her notable roles inYour Honor,The Good Fight, andSneaky Pete.
Adrienne C. Moore plays Ms. Dee: Moore is best known for her roles inOrange is the New BlackandPretty Hard Cases. She has also appeared in recent movies such asJuror #2andShaft.
Eva Jade Halford as Stephanie Pearce: Halford has previously appeared in an episode ofWill Trent. She is set to appear in the upcoming filmThe Last Daystarring Alicia Vikander and Wagner Moura.
Callum Vinson as Elijah Turner: Vinson made his acting debut in 2021’sNext Stop, Christmas. He went on to play Henry Collins inChuckyand has recently appeared in episodes ofFBI: InternationalandLong Bright River.
Steve Buscemi as Good Buddy: Buscemi returns for a brief cameo inPoker Faceseason 2, episode 6. The Emmy-winning actor is known for his classic roles inFargo,Reservoir Dogs,Boardwalk Empire, and recently appeared as himself inThe Studio.
How Charlie Discovered Stephanie’s Plan To Sabotage Elijah’s Magic Trick
Charlie Found A Clue That Led Her To Catch Stephanie In A Lie
Charlie enters the mystery of the murdered gerbil after seeing a flood of students run out of the assembly hall in fear and shock.Charlie notices that Elijah, dressed in his magician’s cape and hat,is walking to the car with his dad, JB, the custodian at the school. Elijah throws his hat in anger after he believes that his failed magic trick killed the class gerbil, who was Elijah’s only friend at school. Charlie shows up at JB’s house with an alcoholic offering, which gets JB to open up about how upset Elijah has been.
Charlie also discovered a pin from Stephanie’s shirt in the custodian’s room, where Elijah had shown his dad his magic trick, connecting her to the gerbil’s death.
JB swears that something must have gone awry because he knows that Elijah practiced that trick to perfection. It doesn’t take long for Charlie to become suspicious of Stephanie, who has eyes and ears all over the school. Eventually,Charlie catches Stephanie in a lie as she pretends to cry, wishing she had friends and that people would like her. Charlie quickly realizes that she’s dealing with a budding sociopath and sets a trap for Stephanie to walk right into. Charlie also discovered a pin from Stephanie’s shirt in the custodian’s room, where Elijah had shown his dad his magic trick, connecting her to the gerbil’s death.
Why Stephanie Blackmailed Dr. Hamm & Tried To Frame Elijah’s Dad
Stephanie Would Do Anything To Be The Best In Class
With the help of Ms. Dee, who claims that the gerbil has healed from the injurious magic trick, the class welcomes Elijah back and offers him their gold stars, which Stephanie calls “socialism.” She grabs money out of the school cash box and tries to put it in JB’s custodian uniform, but Charlie catches her in the act and takes a picture for evidence. Upset that she no longer had the most gold stars, she tried to frame JB as a thief to get him fired, meaning thatElijah would no longer be able to attend the school.
Dr. Hamm, who had been stern and unfriendly during the first half ofPoker Faceseason 2, episode 6, reveals to Charlie that Stephanie has been blackmailing her.Stephanie caught Dr. Hamm stealing from the school cash box because of her gambling addictionand threatened to expose photographs of her in the act. Dr. Hamm had no choice but to listen for the sake of her job until Charlie came along and blackmailed Stephanie herself.
Did Elijah’s Class Gerbil Actually Come Back To Life?
Unfortunately,the gerbil did not seem to survive the gory scene at the magic show, but that didn’t seem to matter for Elijah and the rest of the class. Ms. Dee put a bandage on a new gerbil and told him it was the old one to make Elijah feel better, since the guilt of killing the gerbil, even accidentally, was weighing on him. Notably, Stephanie was the only one who called Ms. Dee out for lying to the class about it being the original gerbil. Still, the end ofPoker Faceseason 2, episode 6, shows that Stephanie may be cunning and ambitious, but she won’t get far without friends.
