Charlie Uncovers Stephanie’s Dark Secret: A Gerbil’s Death Changes Everything!

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WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Poker Face season 2, episode 6.

At the conclusion of “Sloppy Joseph,” the sixth episode of Poker Face season 2, Charlie decides to leave after unmasking Stephanie’s deceitful plans. Following her temporary stay in Florida (episode 4) and a brief stint as a ball girl for a minor league baseball team (episode 5), Charlie becomes entangled in an enigmatic incident involving the accidental death of an elementary school’s pet gerbil. Unlike the premeditated murders shown earlier in Poker Face season 2, the killing in episode 6 was not intentional and the victim was not a human being.

In the sixth episode of season 2 of “Poker Face”, character Charlie investigates the mysterious death of a gerbil that occurred during a magic trick at a school talent show. The class’s magician, Elijah Turner, had planned to hit the gerbil with a hammer, but unexpectedly, it survived. However, there was a secret compartment below the table where the gerbil was supposed to go. Manipulative and highly competitive student Stephanie Pierce discovered this hidden chamber, which she used against Elijah by allowing him to believe he had accidentally killed the gerbil in order to win more gold stars in class.

Poker Face Season 2 Episode 6 Cast & Cameo Guide

Who Stars In “Sloppy Joseph”

In episode 6 of Poker Face season 2, the story is primarily driven by Charlie Cale, a character who appears in every episode and serves as one of the few recurring figures throughout the series. Young actress Eva Jade Halford portrays the antagonist, Stephanie Pearce, while Callum Vinson, another young actor, takes on the role of the innocent Elijah Turner.

In this show, David Krumholtz is cast as JB, the father of character Elijah, who works as a custodian at Elijah’s prestigious school to secure free education for his son. Margo Martindale portrays Dr. Hamm, the principal of the school who becomes entangled in Stephanie’s manipulative plot. Adrienne C. Moore takes on the role of Ms. Dee, the teacher of both Elijah and Stephanie. Lastly, Steve Buscemi makes a brief appearance through voiceover as Good Buddy.

Natasha Lyonne reprises her role as Charlie Cale, the main character. She’s recognized for her performances on TV shows like “Russian Doll” and “Orange is the New Black,” as well as movies such as “His Three Daughters” and “American Pie.” Additionally, Lyonne has contributed to writing and directing in “Poker Face” season 2.

David Krumholtz is recognized primarily for his acting roles in films like “Oppenheimer”, “Ray”, and “10 Things I Hate About You”. On the small screen, he has made a name for himself with appearances on shows such as “The Studio”, “The Deuce”, and “The Good Wife”.

Margo Martindale is the three-time Emmy-winning actress famed for her parts in shows like “The Americans” and “Justified”. She’s also widely recognized for her significant roles in “Your Honor”, “The Good Fight”, and “Sneaky Pete”. In this context, she plays Dr. Hamm.

As a passionate cinephile, I’m thrilled to be recognized for portraying the character of Ms. Dee. Known predominantly from my roles in the critically acclaimed series Orange is the New Black and Pretty Hard Cases, I’ve also recently graced the screens in movies like Juror #2 and Shaft.

Eva Jade Halford will be seen as Stephanie Pearce, a role she has previously taken on an episode of ‘Will Trent’. She’s also set to feature in the upcoming movie titled The Last Day, alongside stars Alicia Vikander and Wagner Moura.

Under the character name Elijah Turner, Callum Vinson first stepped into acting in the 2021 release “Next Stop, Christmas.” Later, he portrayed Henry Collins in “Chucky,” and more recently, he has made appearances in episodes of both “FBI: International” and “Long Bright River.

In the sixth episode of season 2, Steve Buscemi makes a short appearance in the series “Poker Face.” Renowned for his iconic performances in shows like “Fargo,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and more recently “The Studio,” Buscemi reprises his role as Good Buddy.

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 delves into the enigma of the slain hamster following a wave of students exiting the auditorium in terror and alarm. As he observes, Elijah – clad in his magician’s robe and hat – is heading to the car with his father, JB, who serves as the school custodian. Upon witnessing his frustration, Elijah discards his hat in anger, attributing the death of the classroom hamster, his sole school friend, to a botched magic trick. Seeking solace, Charlie arrives at JB’s residence with a bottle of liquor, eventually coaxing him into sharing Elijah’s emotional state.

In a different wording: JB is convinced that something has gone wrong since he knows Elijah was flawless at that particular trick. It doesn’t take long for Charlie to grow wary of Stephanie, who seems to have an extensive network of spies throughout the school. Eventually, Charlie uncovers Stephanie lying about crying, yearning for friends and popularity. Charlie soon understands that she’s facing a potential sociopath and lays a trap specifically designed for Stephanie. Charlie also found a pin from Stephanie’s clothing in the custodian’s room, where Elijah had demonstrated his magic trick to his father, linking her to the gerbil’s demise.

Why Stephanie Blackmailed Dr. Hamm & Tried To Frame Elijah’s Dad

Stephanie Would Do Anything To Be The Best In Class

In the presence of Miss Dee, who asserts that the gerbil has recovered from a mischievous magic trick, the class invites Elijah’s return and rewards him with their gold stars, which Stephanie refers to as “socialism“. She reaches into the school’s cash box and attempts to slip the money into JB’s custodian uniform, but Charlie notices her and snaps a photo for proof. Displeased that she no longer has the most gold stars, she plots to falsely accuse JB of theft in an attempt to get him fired, thereby preventing Elijah from continuing his education at the school.

In the sixth episode of season 2 of Poker Face, it was revealed that Dr. Hamm, who had seemed stern and unfriendly earlier, was actually being blackmailed by Stephanie. This was because Stephanie had discovered Dr. Hamm stealing from the school’s cash box due to her gambling addiction and threatened to reveal incriminating photos if Dr. Hamm didn’t cooperate. However, when Charlie entered the scene, she took matters into her own hands and blackmailed Stephanie herself, ultimately resolving the situation.

Did Elijah’s Class Gerbil Actually Come Back To Life?

Ms. Dee & Charlie Had To Get Creative

Sadly, it appeared that the gerbil didn’t make it through the gruesome magic show incident, yet this fact seemed to hold little significance for Elijah and his classmates. In an attempt to comfort Elijah, who was burdened by the unintentional death of the animal, Ms. Dee replaced the deceased gerbil with a new one, pretending it was the original one. However, only Stephanie had the courage to question Ms. Dee’s deception. By the finale of “Poker Face” season 2, episode 6, we can see that while Stephanie is clever and driven, she may struggle without the support of her friends.

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2025-05-29 13:10