Benjamin Bratt Joins Natasha Lyonne And Rian Johnson's Peacock Mystery Series Poker Face

Rian Johnson is really out here making us happier and happier, isn't he? His first ever television series, "Poker Face," is set to star Natasha Lyonne ("Russian Doll," "Orange is the New Black") and has been quickly assembling a supporting cast full of genre fan favorites. 

In addition to the previously announced Stephanie Hsu ("Everything Everywhere All At Once"), David Castañeda ("The Umbrella Academy"), and Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("Snowden"), Variety reports that Benjamin Bratt ("Law & Order") has now joined the cast as well. The announcement comes in the wake of his recent appearance on the HBO Max limited series "DMZ," but Bratt is likely known by most for his career in the '90s and '00s in films like "Demolition Man," "Miss Congeniality," "Clear and Present Danger," "Traffic," and "Snitch."

While character details and a full plot synopsis are still being kept under wraps, we know that the series will follow Lyonne across 10 episodes in what Johnson described in a press release, as "fun, character-driven, case-of-the-week mystery goodness." Please, please just let this be a "Columbo" reboot or a spiritual successor. PLEASE, RIAN. I AM BEGGING YOU!

cc @columbophile @nlyonne pic.twitter.com/5fHpMY5V5b

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) December 18, 2020

Joining Johnson, who will serve as writer/director of "Poker Face," are Nora and Lilla Zuckerman of "Fringe," "Human Target," and "Haven" as co-showrunners. The Zuckerman sisters are also executive producing the series alongside Johnson, Lyonne, Maya Rudolph, Danielle Renfrew Behren, Ram Bergman, and Nena Rodriguez.

In the wake of the true crime boom, it's nice to see more focus on murder mystery stories that aren't yet another dramatization or ripped-from-the-headlines limited series profiting off of a very real tragedy. Shows like "Only Murders in the Building" are great fun because they allow audiences to invest in the mystery from the comfort of their couch and immerse themselves in a captivating story about solving of a murder, without the icky reminder of there being a real victim and real families that will be impacted by the series' existence. Natasha Lyonne solving mysteries plucked from the mind of Rian Johnson? Where can we sign up?

After toxic, reactive film "fans" tried their hardest to destroy the life and career of Rian Johnson following "The Last Jedi," there was no greater middle finger than the success of his murder-mystery movie "Knives Out." Seeing that Johnson has chosen to go full-tilt into the mystery realm is an absolute delight, and he deserves nothing but the best. 

We're still unsure of when the series is slated to debut on Peacock, but we'll be waiting with baited breath until the day finally arrives.