How far could one go to have a second shot at success? Could one, in his or her perfect conscience, commit murder for fame and money? Yes, one can, and “Poker Face” Episode 4, dubbed “Rest in Metal,” explores one such case of Ruby Ruin, who used to be a well-known singer but has faded from the spotlight with time and now is forced to pick up odd jobs to make ends meet. Ruby desperately craves her former fame—the recognition, the adrenaline rushing through her veins as fans scream her name, and obviously the steady cash flow that comes with it. The other members of Ruby’s rock band, Eskie and Al are likewise having trouble making a decent living. The situation is so dire that Eskie can’t even afford law school and is forced to enroll in some average degree program with no future prospects at all. Al’s situation is no different, as he, like his other friends, can’t even afford to pay his alimony.
Spoilers Ahead
A Second Chance At Fame
Years ago, Ruby and her band enjoyed a huge following thanks to her highly successful song “Staple Head,” and she realised that she just needed one hit song to get back to her old life, and she needed to come up with one before the conclusion of her local tour. Wherever she goes, people force her to play “Staple Head,” and Ruby hates it because she doesn’t want people to recognize her just because of one song she composed years ago. Soon afterward, Ruby hires Gavin (played by Nicholas Cirillo) as the newest member of her band. Gavin was a talented drummer and loved to jot his ideas down into songs. After a show and a heated discussion about the advent of a new song, Gavin presents the group with his own masterpiece, which he calls “Sucker Punch,” putting Ruby and the others in a euphoric paradise. Everyone recognizes the song as a “hit,” something the band desperately needed, calling it even better than “Staplehead.” Gavin was already thrilled to be a band member, and Ruby’s decision to play the song was the icing on the cake. Sadly, Ruby has a sinister plan in her mind and convinces Eskie and Al to help him murder Gavin and steal his masterpiece. The trio defiles Gavin’s gear, making sure he never leaves the podium alive. During the next show, Gavin dies of an electric shock, and the ensuing investigation labels the event as a “tragic accident.” Ruby swapped the original paper and burned it, not to leave any evidence behind, waiting for her impending fame.
Unfortunately for Ruby, Gavin was a good friend of Charlie Cale, the woman known for calling out people’s bullshit, who was handling merchandise duty for the band. Ruby was also in desperate need of money, so she agreed. Gavin has already shown Charlie his song, and when Ruby refuses to give him credit, she notices that something is off and decides to probe into Gavin’s death. Ruby and her friends had already made a demo recording and mixed it with their own tunes to lock in their ownership. Upon further investigation, Charlie notices that someone has messed with Gavin’s amps and reversed the plugs. She also snuck into Al’s trailer and noticed him jamming on the new song he wrote, and the lyrics make it clear that he’s confessing to what he did. The song was a guilty conscience unburdening itself for killing a drummer. Sadly, that wasn’t enough to bring Gavin’s murderer to justice. Al even put Gavin’s amp on eBay to earn a good sum, not knowing that it was evidence. Gavin used to attach a camera under his chairs to record his moves for practice, and the footage became the missing link that allowed Charlie to solve the murder. In reality, Eskie, Al, and Ruby wore shoes with thick rubber soles to insulate themselves from the inevitable shock that they sent through Gavin. Ruby didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty about murdering an innocent guy for the sake of regaining her fame. According to her, Gavin’s death was a sacrifice—a necessary evil that’ll change her and her friends’ lives. Unfortunately, Charlie could do nothing as Cliff (Sterling’s henchman) arrived at the show, forcing Cale to retreat. Days later, the song topped all charts, and the band was presented with a massive check and a lucrative contract. Unfortunately, before the trio could run their fingers across the paper, news broke that the music of the “Suckerpunch” song was copied from an old hit. As expected, the contract stands void, but that was the least of their problems. A chroma key podcast reveals during the show that Ruby and her band members killed Gavin to steal their hit song, sending them to prison.
