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S02.E09: A New Lease On Death

AnimeMania

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AnimeMania

AnimeMania

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Now a city-dweller, Charlie's housewarming is put in jeopardy when her neighbor suspiciously dies.

Premiere Date: June 19, 2025   Peacock   

Michael Clayton 

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Awkwafina as Maddy Saint Marie,    Alia Shawkat as Kate Foster,      Lauren Tom as Anne Saint Marie     

Poker-Face-Cover-Episodics-050825-07-130

Christopher Chan as Mr. Leung

David Alan Grier as Otto

Myra Lucretia Taylor as Noreen

Pej Vahdat as Abdul

Anger Rosari Jr. as Ricardo Alvarez

Kareem Rahma as Ted

Paul Douglas Anderson as Micky

Jessie Hooker-Bailey as Gina

Irlandesa

Irlandesa

I liked this episode.  Alia Shawkat was maybe one of the most chilling villains this show has had, IMO.  

I was a little confused by David Alan Grier and thought he had already guest starred.  But then I realized it was because he was a murderous funeral director in Elsbeth and not the murderous funeral director from earlier this season. 

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Snazzy Daisy

Snazzy Daisy

As much as I cannot stand the Kate actress, the overall story is interesting enough for me to keep watching. And Awkwafina is tolerable.

Some nitpicks:

  • Both actresses who play Anne and Maddy are more believable as aunt and niece.
  • Maddy doesn’t seem like the type of person who would do what Kate tells her — go to the laundry room etc.
  • Pej Vahdat is underutilized.

The side characters are more interesting than the three mains — Noreen the ex-investigative journalist, the Broadway firefighter, Abdul the shop owner with face blindness and Ricardo the librarian.

RIP $640 NY penthouse with old school decor. The new tenant is going to ruin it.

3 episodes left…

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susannot

susannot

1 hour ago, Snazzy Daisy said:

As much as I cannot stand the Kate actress, the overall story is interesting enough for me to keep watching. And Awkwafina is tolerable.

Some nitpicks:

  • Both actresses who play Anne and Maddy are more believable as aunt and niece.
  • Maddy doesn’t seem like the type of person who would do what Kate tells her — go to the laundry room etc.
  • Pej Vahdat is underutilized.

The side characters are more interesting than the three mains — Noreen the ex-investigative journalist, the Broadway firefighter, Abdul the shop owner with face blindness and Ricardo the librarian.

RIP $640 NY penthouse with old school decor. The new tenant is going to ruin it.

3 episodes left…

3?  I thought there was only one.  Hooray!

 

I kind of want the new soulless tenant who is going to rip out all the hardwood floors to be the next murder victim.

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Orbert

Orbert

I really want to dislike Awkwafina because choosing a name that sounds like a brand of bottled water is dumb, but having that be the reason I don't like her is also dumb.  Plus, she's becoming a better actress and was pretty good here.

Charlie's bullshit detector was again used pretty openly, but using it against a con man isn't the same as using it to trap a felon who is clearly capable of murder.  I thought flaunting it in Kate's face wasn't just risky, it was insane.  When she pushed Charlie off the balcony I was wondering how they were going to come back from that, but of course it was all a set-up and the day is saved.  Yay!

I still felt bad for Anne because Maddy is gone and she really is going to move out of that awesome apartment because of the painful memories.  Her new "love" was all a sham, so she's left with no one.  Is she on the outs with her kids, Maddy's parents, or was Maddy kicked out but things are actually okay with them otherwise?  I don't think they really said.

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astrohip

astrohip

19 minutes ago, Orbert said:

When she pushed Charlie off the balcony I was wondering how they were going to come back from that, but of course it was all a set-up and the day is saved.

I thought they telegraphed that a mile away. Charlie literally set it up by standing on the balcony, leaning back, inviting a push. And with her flirt fireman saying "I owe you one" earlier, the pieces fell in place.

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SomeTameGazelle

SomeTameGazelle

I enjoyed the fact that I didn't know who would murder whom from the get-go in this one. 

I was surprised that the Kate character was not sly enough to pretend she liked Michael Clayton in front of Anne. But maybe that was to demonstrate that Anne could be smitten regardless.

I liked Maddie and was hoping that she might survive the attack somehow. But I know there can't be too many fakeouts or they will become predictable. 

After the first Jeopardy clip I checked the J Archive website to see which episode they were watching. It turned out to be from September 27, 2024. So I was surprised when in the scene where they were watching with Charlie they had an episode from May 22, 2023. I doubt though that it was meant to be an indication that Charlie had been there for more than a year in her time. 

 

 

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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

9 hours ago, astrohip said:

I thought they telegraphed that a mile away. Charlie literally set it up by standing on the balcony, leaning back, inviting a push. And with her flirt fireman saying "I owe you one" earlier, the pieces fell in place.

Yes. Tap Dancing Fireman Who Owes One is a terrific Chekhov's Gun.

 

8 hours ago, ofmd said:

My favorite joke was about the magazine Vague.

What's it about? - This and that...

Loved that.
Myra Lucretia Taylor as Noreen, right? 

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EtheltoTillie

EtheltoTillie

(edited)

I really liked the episode but I was annoyed that it was based on an erroneous premise. A grandchild can succeed to a rent controlled apartment in NYC as a family member. No adoption was needed. The lawyer who figured out at the beginning about the rent issue should have known that. David Alan Grier would have known that too. 

I was hoping that by the end Charlie would move in with Grandma for a while and grandma would stay and that would be a way for a Charlie to stay in one place for a while. 

Edited by EtheltoTillie
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EtheltoTillie

EtheltoTillie

(edited)
On 6/19/2025 at 10:14 PM, merylinkid said:

This one was kind of sad.  Grandma loved her granddaughter.   Whose parents she doesn't want to leave the rent controlled apartment to.  I thought the Grandma's child had died that's why granddaughter lives with her.  Nope they kicked her out.   

 

You can’t “leave” the apartment to your choice of heir. The succession has to occur because the succeeding family member moves in and lives there. Then the landlords must continue to let them live there. 

On 6/19/2025 at 3:12 PM, NaughtyKitty said:

I enjoyed the episode but Nana looked like a young person in a bad wig.  I kept waiting for her to have a big secret.

Nana and awkwafina were too close in age. 

And the wig was terrible. 

Edited by EtheltoTillie
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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

20 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I really liked the episode but I was annoyed that it was based on an erroneous premise. A grandchild can succeed to a rent controlled apartment in NYC as a family member. No adoption was needed. The lawyer who figured out at the beginning about the rent issue should have known that

Maybe this was supposed to be an inside “joke” to you and others who know? Like the many movie references in last week’s episode that also went over my head? 
The lawyer did seem kind of sketchy, and not above making some money drawing up an unnecessary adoption.

Likewise, the landlord (super?) seemingly gets a cut of the rent, and was not above psychologically bullying or manipulating tenants into paying more.

Charlie seemed to believe the landlord would kill, but maybe she didn’t entirely? Or at all?

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Cress

Cress

Did the show explain how Kate knew that Anne had a rent controlled apartment, or that she was a retired poetry professor who would recognize the poem she quoted? Did she do some research before meeting her?

I also don't understand how come Maddie couldn't break open the door's hinge like she did before. Didn't Kate only change the door handle?

I liked this episode, with all 3 main guest stars. So great to see all of them.

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seacliffsal

seacliffsal

5 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

 

Nana and awkwafina were too close in age. 

And the wig was terrible. 

I so agree with this.  Small nitpick for an overall enjoyable episode, but they seemed more like mother/daughter or older sister/younger sister than they did grandmother/granddaughter IMO.  

I don't know, but would grandmother so easily be 'picked' up by a total stranger at a grocery store?  

I'd like Charlie to stay a bit longer at Good Buddy's apartment in NYC and have a few more adventures in the city.  By the way, the apartment building looked to be the same one used in an episode of Elsbeth (when one twin threw the other twin out of a window).  

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Haleth

Haleth

I too couldn’t help but think of OMITB and was waiting for Charles and Oliver to wander by. And I too thought Nana in a bad wig looked too young to have a 20something granddaughter. And I too wondered why Maddy couldn’t remove the door pins to free herself. Maybe she was overcome too quickly? Yeah, it was pretty obvious that Charlie’s acquaintance with the fireman was going to have a payoff later in the epi. 

Having all these well known guest stars in big and small roles bodes well for the series sticking around a while. 

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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

(edited)
6 hours ago, Cress said:

I also don't understand how come Maddie couldn't break open the door's hinge like she did before. Didn't Kate only change the door handle?

From the episode transcript:

  • [LANDLORD] This is a Schlage F50. I installed a Schlage F30. I never would've sprung for an upgraded model.

    Charlie: Oh, I see. What you're saying is that whoever bought this Sludge F50, well, they're the one that set up this whole Rube Goldberg of death?

    [LANDLORD] Who cares? It means I'm not liable.

So the bolded parts might be all that matters??

However…
A locksmith would know better, but Google AI for schlage F50 v schlage f30 difference fire escape (which might be the source of choice for info for the writers) includes:

Quote

Fire Escape Doors:

Fire escape and exit doors must allow for free egress.

Typically equipped with panic hardware (push bars).

Some fire escape door locks are designed to automatically unlock upon loss of power, fire sprinkler system activation, or fire detection system activation. 

Conclusion:

The Schlage F50 is a residential lock with a keyed entry function. The Schlage F30 (in the L Series) is a heavy-duty, commercial-grade lock suitable for institutions with fire rating and ADA compliance.

The F30's fire rating and ADA compliance might be more suitable for a fire escape door than the F50's residential features.

Fire escape doors have specific regulations requiring panic hardware and free egress, so the chosen lock must comply with those requirements.

Always consult local building codes and fire safety regulations to ensure compliance when selecting door hardware for fire escapes. 

google.com/search?q=schlage+f50+v+schlage+f30+difference+fire+escape

But I think I also saw mention of one being easier to modify (tamper with) than the other?

Edited by shapeshifter
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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

(edited)
7 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I really liked the episode but I was annoyed that it was based on an erroneous premise. A grandchild can succeed to a rent controlled apartment in NYC as a family member. No adoption was needed.

6 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Maybe this was supposed to be an inside “joke” to you and others who know? Like the many movie references in last week’s episode that also went over my head? 
The lawyer did seem kind of sketchy, and not above making some money drawing up an unnecessary adoption.

Likewise, the landlord (super?) seemingly gets a cut of the rent, and was not above psychologically bullying or manipulating tenants into paying more.

Charlie seemed to believe the landlord would kill, but maybe she didn’t entirely? Or at all?

More thoughts after sleeping on it including, but not limited to:
A more poignant denouement would be Grandma revealing that she knew the adoption was not necessary for her granddaughter to retain the rent-controlled apartment at its 1970s rate, but that she thought the adoption would be psychologically healing for her granddaughter.

Edited by shapeshifter
typo
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paigow

paigow

17 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

After the first Jeopardy clip I checked the J Archive website to see which episode they were watching. It turned out to be from September 27, 2024. So I was surprised when in the scene where they were watching with Charlie they had an episode from May 22, 2023. I doubt though that it was meant to be an indication that Charlie had been there for more than a year in her time. 

More like finding an excuse to say Grover Cleveland and Buckminster Fuller out loud... perhaps foreshadowing Charlie moving on to Cleveland or living in an experimental dome....

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SomeTameGazelle

SomeTameGazelle

6 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I don't know, but would grandmother so easily be 'picked' up by a total stranger at a grocery store?

By the time Maddy found out about it I believe they said the relationship had been going on for two weeks. So partly the William Carlos Williams Plum conversation was just the start of it and we didn't see how it developed, but also Nana did comment that she had been lonely since Grandpa had died and (paraphrasing) that she wasn't a dedicated puritan or anything. I just picture Kate pulling out all the stops to sweep her off her feet offscreen. 

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SoMuchTV

SoMuchTV

This was one of my favorites this season, but still I’m having a lot of trouble understanding why Kate, who was apparently such a skilled criminal (I forget what all she did, but it seemed like a lot) would set as her main goal in life to live in an apartment where, granted, she might save a few K a month over market rent, but everyone in the building would be looking at her sideways and she would still need a source of income. It’s not like she could make a profit off the apartment. Why not swindle some rich widow/widower with a mansion and a pending inheritance?

shapeshifter

shapeshifter

19 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

I’m having a lot of trouble understanding why Kate, who was apparently such a skilled criminal…would set as her main goal in life to live in an apartment where, granted, she might save a few K a month over market rent, but everyone in the building would be looking at her sideways and she would still need a source of income. It’s not like she could make a profit off the apartment. Why not swindle some rich widow/widower with a mansion and a pending inheritance?

There were several scenes where Kate expressed her absolute infatuation with the apartment. Plus, it would make a great base of operations for her to entice other wealthy marks to "invest" in her personal endeavors. 
Kate's ego and self-assuredness regarding her ability to manipulate people would probably cause her to see the landlord and possibly other suspicious neighbors as challengers she would vanquish, like she did the librarian. 
 

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peeayebee

peeayebee

On 6/19/2025 at 3:39 PM, Irlandesa said:

I liked this episode.  Alia Shawkat was maybe one of the most chilling villains this show has had, IMO.  

Boy, did I hate her -- or rather, Kate -- and couldn't wait for her to get her comeuppance.

On 6/19/2025 at 5:53 PM, Snazzy Daisy said:

 

  • Pej Vahdat is underutilized.

Yes. I really enjoyed him and wanted more. Like you said, all the guest actors were fun.

On 6/20/2025 at 12:38 PM, ofmd said:

My favorite joke was about the magazine Vague.

What's it about? - This and that...

Loved that, too. I also liked this exchange:

Charlie: I'll go feed the pigeons.
Kate: We don't have pigeons.
Charlie: Not with that attitude.

15 hours ago, Cress said:

Did the show explain how Kate knew that Anne had a rent controlled apartment, or that she was a retired poetry professor who would recognize the poem she quoted? Did she do some research before meeting her?

Yeah, this would need a major fanwanking. She obviously did research, but how she went about that or even became aware of Anne and her apartment is anyone's guess.

Quote

I also don't understand how come Maddie couldn't break open the door's hinge like she did before. Didn't Kate only change the door handle?

I kept expecting and hoping that she somehow managed to get out, and then when we see her in the little flashback taking the hinges off (while we didn't yet know for sure about her death), I had more hope. But what certainly happened was that she was overcome by the toxic fumes.

15 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

By the way, the apartment building looked to be the same one used in an episode of Elsbeth (when one twin threw the other twin out of a window).  

Oh! Now I want to revisit that ep and check out any similarities. Do you remember what episode number that was?

I liked all the actors in this ep. I saw Patti Harrison's name in the opening credits and thought it was going to be George Harrison's ex-wife. I've never heard of this Patti Harrison but found she's a comedian. I didn't get the point of the scene with her and the coffee. Also, what was the point of Charlie doing the CAPTCHA stuff?

Anyway, I love when shows have memorable guest actors.

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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

(edited)
9 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Charlie: I'll go feed the pigeons.
Kate: We don't have pigeons.
Charlie: Not with that attitude.

🤣😆👏😁

9 hours ago, peeayebee said:

what was the point of Charlie doing the CAPTCHA stuff?

It was just a job.

The face-blind (prosopagnosic) bodega guy was played by Peh Vahdat was also Aristoo Vaziri on Bones — in case I'm not the only one who was wondering.

 

On 6/20/2025 at 7:55 PM, SomeTameGazelle said:

I was surprised that the Kate character was not sly enough to pretend she liked Michael Clayton in front of Anne. But maybe that was to demonstrate that Anne could be smitten regardless.

Yes. But also Kate not even pretending to like Michael Clayton bookended the denouement line from Anne:

  • [ANNE] You're so fսckеd.
  • [KATE] What?
  • [ANNE] You're fսckеd.
  • [KATE] Uh, uh, darling, w-who's this?
  • [ANNE] He's my witness. Charlie was right about you. And so was Maddy.
    You really should have paid attention during "Michael Clayton."

 

On 6/19/2025 at 5:07 PM, susannot said:

I hope that Charlie stays in that apartment building.  I enjoyed David Allen Grier as the super and her hunky firefighter neighbor Micky.

I agree, but based upon the parts of Charlie's personality with which I identify, I think she wouldn't want to put up with the possibly murderous super, and she'll move on.
BTW, isn't there a This American Life episode based on a real-life assassin super that was being referenced?

Edited by shapeshifter
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seacliffsal

seacliffsal

11 hours ago, peeayebee said:

 

Oh! Now I want to revisit that ep and check out any similarities. Do you remember what episode number that was?

I

I don't remember which episode number/title it was.  I think I remember it had the same recessed entrance, etc.  However, I may be wrong, but it just struck me as looking visually the same.

Paloma

Paloma

On 6/20/2025 at 10:24 AM, AnimeMania said:

Patti Harrison as Alex

 

On 6/20/2025 at 11:20 AM, susannot said:
  • I don't remember her.  What did she do in the episode?
  • was she girl who offered coffee to Charlie?

I had to look her up, but she was the girl who offered coffee. When I saw her name in the cast, I thought they meant the ex-wife of George Harrison and Eric Clapton and was confused when I didn't see anyone who looked like her.

On 6/20/2025 at 1:09 PM, astrohip said:
On 6/20/2025 at 12:48 PM, Orbert said:

When she pushed Charlie off the balcony I was wondering how they were going to come back from that, but of course it was all a set-up and the day is saved.

I thought they telegraphed that a mile away. Charlie literally set it up by standing on the balcony, leaning back, inviting a push. And with her flirt fireman saying "I owe you one" earlier, the pieces fell in place.

I figured that Charlie couldn't be dumb enough to put herself in that position, but I wasn't observant enough to put together the fireman owing her one with that scene until after she fell. 

 

12 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I saw Patti Harrison's name in the opening credits and thought it was going to be George Harrison's ex-wife.

Glad I'm not the only one.

shapeshifter

shapeshifter

On 6/20/2025 at 10:24 AM, AnimeMania said:

Patti Harrison as Alex

On 6/20/2025 at 11:20 AM, susannot said:
  1. I don't remember her.  What did she do in the episode?
  2. was she girl who offered coffee to Charlie?
12 hours ago, peeayebee said:

what was the point of Charlie doing the CAPTCHA stuff?

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

It was just a job.

Was this whole bit just a distraction taking the place of a red herring?
It did get referenced when Charlie brought the pineapple to mourning Anne and was turned away by Kate even after Charlie said someone did a nice thing for her so she was "paying it forward."
IDK. 
Maybe this will happen:

On 6/21/2025 at 7:05 AM, seacliffsal said:

Charlie to stay a bit longer at Good Buddy's apartment in NYC and have a few more adventures in the city. 

and there will be call backs to Charlie's CAPTCHA job and Alex the free coffee/pay it forward rando?

 

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peeayebee

peeayebee

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

and there will be call backs to Charlie's CAPTCHA job and Alex the free coffee/pay it forward rando?

I hope there are callbacks to the CAPTCHA business because that was so random. Maybe a writer just thought it was a funny thing to do as a job.

As for the coffee business, I wonder if this is part of the theme I think is ongoing, that of community. The woman with the coffee was being nice. The ex-journalist was also a random person, but she and Charlie seemed to connect. I mean, Charlie always seems to connect with people and make friends quickly, so maybe  I'm off about that.

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SomeTameGazelle

SomeTameGazelle

11 minutes ago, possibilities said:

How is the CAPTCHA thing a job? Why would someone pay you to solve those?

I can only think of two possibilities, and when I try to type out the second one it sounds a bit unlikely:

  1. someone needs to go through the process so that there is a "right answer" to compare to.
  2. Hackers getting a real human response that they can somehow make a macro of (or whatever the correct technical term would be nowadays) and then have their bot submit when lying about not being a robot.

I have refrained from speculating that it is any way a reference to The Red-Headed League.

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peeayebee

peeayebee

Years ago I participated in a website activity where you identified pictures and did something with words -- my memory is hazy -- which was to help when people would search for a particular thing. Basically helping software see things as people see them. (Sorry, I wish I could explain better.) I figured Charlie was doing a similar thing with the CAPTCHA stuff, although I also think this was completely made up by a writer trying to be funny.

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