Poker Face Season 2 Episode 3 ending explained: Whodunnit does The Departed

Episode 2 of Poker Face Season 3 sees John Mulaney and Simon Helberg acting out The Departed as Charlie tries to “wack-a-mole.’

Poker Face Season 2 concerns the further adventures of human lie detector Charlie Cale, who solves crimes while avoiding hit-men sent by mob boss Beatrix Hasp.

Episode 1 of the new Poker Face season saw Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie squaring off with several Cynthia Erivos, while in Poker Face Season 2 Episode 2 she pitted her wits against Giancarlo Esposito.

Episode 3 – titled ‘Wack-a-Mole’ – is all about Rhea Perlman’s casino owner as the Hasp storyline draws to a close, so head here for the Poker Face Season 2 release schedule, or read on to discover how that corresponds with a Martin Scorsese classic. Just beware of SPOILERS ahead.

Whodunnit in Poker Face Season 2 Episode 3?

Good FBI Agent Luca (Simon Helberg) – returning from Season 1 – shoots Beatrix’s husband Jeffrey dead in Episode 3, but he kills him by accident, as bad FBI Agent Daniel switched his blanks for live rounds.

In a plot that mirrors Hong Kong crime classic Infernal Affairs – which in turn was remade by Martin Scorsese as Oscar-winner The Departed – Jeffrey is Luca’s mole inside the crime syndicate, while Danny is Beatrix’s rat inside the FBI. And like the movies, neither of them know the other’s identity.

As part of Jeffrey’s efforts to get himself into the Witness Protection Program, he agrees to fake his own death with Luca’s help. But thanks to Daniel’s switcheroo, Jeff’s death is very real.

What is Danny’s motive?

Danny facilitates Jeffrey’s murder to keep his criminal wrongdoing a secret.

He’s been working for Beatrix for years, feeding her information to keep the mobster out of jail. But when Hasp brings Charlie into her inner circle to figure out if there’s a mole in their midst, he suddenly becomes concerned.

And Danny is right to, as after Jeffrey’s death, Luca, Beatrix, and Charlie end up on a plane together, meaning it’s just a matter of time before he’s fingered.

How does Danny get caught?

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Luca figures out Danny is the rat when Charlie remembers seeing him drink milk, which Daniel does regularly because of the ulcer he’s developed while working for Beatrix.

Meaning Charlies uses her lie detector pretty sparingly in this episode. Instead, Danny gets caught when he sneaks into the plane, and a squabble between the four characters turns into a struggle that ends with Danny’s arrest.

The episode concludes with Beatrix agreeing to snitch in exchange for Witness Protection. While without Hasp’s goons on her trail, Charlie is also able to start anew, with forthcoming Episode 4 the first Poker Face instalment in which she won’t be running from someone.

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