The story
Charlie Cale has an uncanny gift: she can always tell when someone is lying. After a suspicious death at the casino where she works, she takes to the road in a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda on the run from a casino boss. Wherever she stops, from small towns to offbeat corners of America, a killing seems to follow, and her knack for spotting falsehoods pulls her into solving it.
Why it matters
Rian Johnson's homage to Columbo revived the self-contained 'howcatchem' mystery for the streaming age, with a fresh setting and guest cast every week. It earned critical acclaim and an Emmy nomination for Natasha Lyonne before Peacock cancelled it after two seasons.
Notable facts
- Each episode adapts the inverted detective format popularised by Columbo, an approach described as a "howcatchem". (source)
- Natasha Lyonne was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. (source)
- Peacock renewed it for a second season in February 2023, less than a month after its debut; that season premiered on 8 May 2025. (source)