Sumith Prasad
The fourth episode of Peacock’s thriller series ‘Poker Face,’ titled ‘Rest in Metal,’ follows Charlie Cale, who continues her journey after the arrests of Taffy Boyle and Mandy Boyle for killing George Boyle. Charlie joins a has-been metal band named Doxxxology as a merchandise seller while the band is on tour. She befriends the band’s new drummer named Gavin. When Gavin mysteriously dies during one of the performances of the band, Charlie sets out to connect some loose ends to figure out how exactly his friend died. The enthralling episode ends with several astounding revelations and here are our thoughts about the same! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Poker Face Episode 4 Recap
‘Rest in Metal’ begins with Ruby Ruin, the lead singer of a once-celebrated band named Doxxxology, trying to find a drummer for their upcoming tour. Gavin, who idolizes Ruby and her band while growing up listening to their hit song “Staplehead,” meets the singer for the opportunity and she selects him. Soon, Ruby and Gavin join the rest of the band members Al and Eskie as they perform in various bars and pubs in Wisconsin, in front of audiences who don’t find the band even relevant. Doxxxology’s listeners demand the performance of “Staplehead” although the group isn’t particularly excited to sing the same since it was written by their former drummer, who also cherishes the royalty of the song all alone.
After leaving Boyle’s BBQ, Charlie searches for a job and ends up meeting Ruby, who gives her the position of the merchandise seller of the band. Charlie accompanies the band in her own car and sells the band’s merchandise while forming a connection with Gavin. Since Gavin is not one of the original members of the band, Ruby, Al, and Eskie do not treat him well enough, which leads the drummer to hang out with Charlie. Seeing the drummer’s suffering, Charlie even talks to Ruby about including him in the rest of the band’s personal circle. Affected by her words, Ruby allows Gavin to spend a night with the rest of his bandmates.
Poker Face Episode 4 Ending: Why Do Ruby, Al, and Eskie Kill Gavin?
When Doxxxology was formed, the metal band was lauded for their hit song “Staplehead.” Although the song became the identity of the band, the same negatively impacted the group as well. “Staplehead” was written by the previous drummer of the band, who left the same without offering any royalty to the other three bandmates. Even though Ruby, Al, and Eskie try to continue performing, they fail to deliver a hit in the recent past, which makes the group a has-been one. Due to the lack of a hit, Doxxxology members even think about dissolving the band but Ruby insists that they should continue performing since they are capable of delivering a hit soon.
While Ruby, Al, and Eskie wait for a hit, Gavin lets them know that he had written and composed a song, titled “Sucker Punch,” on his own. His band members listen to the same and realize that Gavin’s song is a hit material. But Al and Eskie don’t want the “Staplehead” predicament to repeat since they don’t want Gavin to earn the full credit of “Sucker Punch” as well. But since the band needs a hit, they are not in a position to ignore or pass on the song he makes. Thus, the rest of the band members kill him and acquire the song.
As far as Ruby, Al, and Eskie are concerned, “Sucker Punch” is their second chance at becoming relevant musicians again. They start to believe that the song will turn their current identity of a has-been band into a celebrated one soon and for the same to happen, it is essential that the song is presented as the group’s creation. By killing Gavin, the rest of the Doxxxology succeeds in sharing the credit equally.
How Does Charlie Solve Gavin’s Murder?
Gavin dies during one of Doxxxology’s performances. Al, Ruby, and Eskie tamper Gavin’s amplifier and make sure that his microphone will have electricity passing through the same. Ruby then asks him to do the iconic “Staplehead” scream so that the drummer will touch the mic and die. Ruby, Al, and Eskie’s plan to kill Gavin succeed as he gets electrocuted and dies on stage, making Charlie curious about the same. She accidentally comes to know that it was Gavin who wrote the lyrics of “Sucker Punch” by compiling the advertisement captions of several products the drummer has been using.
When Charlie confronts Ruby concerning the same, the latter accepts that she and her band are using the song without giving Gavin any credit since they deserve another chance at becoming a recognized or distinguished band. Meanwhile, Charlie learns from Deuteronomy that the amplifier which killed Gavin can be tampered with to make it a dangerous piece of equipment. She also listens to Al creating a new song about an undoable murder, which further increases her suspicion. Charlie doesn’t hesitate to share her doubts with Ruby, who asks her how the rest of the band would have intentionally risked their own lives by being on the stage with Gavin.
That’s when Charlie remembers the camera Gavin has kept at the bottom of the chair to examine his footwork. Charlie collects the same and finds out that Ruby, Al, and Eskie wore shoes with thick rubber soles to get protected from the electric shock that kills Gavin. Since Deuteronomy, who usually arranges the amplifier and other equipment, gets fired right before Gavin’s death, Charlie realizes that he was fired for the band members to tamper with Gavin’s amplifier.
Charlie’s success as an investigator severely affects Ruby, Al, and Eskie’s future. While Doxxxology is about to sign a record deal after the hit status of the song “Sucker Punch,” Charlie reveals the evidence she has about Gavin’s murder on a podcast. The revelation stops executives from the music industry from joining hands with Doxxxology as a band.
