Perry Mason Season 2 Review: The Gritty Reboot Has Its Day In Court
Created in the 1930s by Erle Stanley Gardner, Perry Mason has traversed the world of books, film, radio, and TV, only to arrive in the peak TV era in 2020. That adaptation, created by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald, kept the character rooted in the past while also giving him a gritty new outlook. It's likely that if modern audiences remember "Perry Mason" at all, they remember him as the star of stagey courtroom TV dramas; a lawyer who always manages to get the truth out of those he's cross-examining on the stand. But the new Perry Mason, as played by Matthew Rhys, began his first season as a gumshoe; a rumpled private eye caught up in the seedy underbelly of early 1930s Los Angeles. It was only at the end of the show's first season that Mason became a lawyer, rather quickly (he passed the bar after an all-night cram-study session).
When the new "Perry Mason" was first announced by HBO, the network seemingly played things close to the vest by initially declaring it a "limited series." In other words, it sounded like we were only getting one season of the show. But just as they did with "Big Little Lies," HBO decided to give "Perry Mason" another season, and that season is ready to arrive after a nearly 3-year delay.
It made a certain sense to bring the character back for another go around: so much of that first season felt like set-up; it was the origin story of how Perry Mason became Perry Mason. Now that he's a full-time lawyer, it's time for Perry Mason to have his day in court.
A new case
When last we left Perry Mason, he had just saved the life of accused child killer Emily Dodson. Sort of. He didn't score his client an acquittal, but he secured the next best thing — a hung jury. The trial has left its mark on Mason, who no longer wants to practice criminal law, just civil. Unfortunately, this is proving to be a dead-end, money-wise. Perry and his defacto partner, Della Street (Juliet Rylance) can barely make ends meet, which means Perry has no work to throw to his investigator, former cop Paul Drake (Chris Chalk).
But an entire season of Perry Mason's money woes probably wouldn't be that thrilling, so it's not long before a criminal trial presents itself. Two Mexican kids stand accused of murdering the heir to an oil empire, and the evidence is pretty damning. But after doing some soul searching, Perry starts to believe these kids might be innocent. The stage is set for a story about the system railroading two poor, non-white kids looked down upon by the upper crust. But "Perry Mason" season 2 has more than a few tricks up its sleeve, which means that not everything is as it seems.
This allows the show to settle into an almost comfortable procedural approach. Yes, the series is still plenty gritty and violent, but it feels slightly toned down from the first season, which was frequently so relentlessly bleak (the first episode involved the murder of an infant) that it threatened to buckle under its own weight. Not so this time around, as Perry and his team dig deeper into high society and threaten to turn over a lot of metaphorical rocks.
Slick and stylish and unapologetically aimed at adults
Rhys, with his flawless American accent and constantly weary eyes, cuts a great figure as the lead. The actor is not afraid to play Mason as kind of a short-tempered jerk who often lets his emotions tank an otherwise beneficial situation, making for a great flawed protagonist. The other characters surrounding Mason get plenty to do as well, including Rylance's Della Street, who embarks on a new romance, and Chalk's Paul Drake, who struggles with his own temper as he struggles to find work to take care of his wife — and ends up dragging his wife into one of his jobs.
There's also the always-welcome Shea Whigham, making the most of a somewhat limited role as investigator Pete Strickland, and "Sound of Metal" breakout Paul Raci, who strikes an imposing figure as the father of the murdered man. Hope Davis is also a treat as a wealthy woman at the center of the high society Mason keeps butting up against. Curiously, the extremely talented Katherine Waterston is wasted in a rather thankless, forgettable role that I kept expecting to expand simply because I know what Watertson is capable of
"Perry Mason" season 2 is slick and stylish and unapologetically aimed at adults. It's also a show without much room to grow — this feels like more of an ending than a new beginning. But if "Perry Mason" should step back into a courtroom for a third season, I'll be there, as I've grown fond of the rumpled way Rhys tackles this character, using his hangdog expression to eye up a case and determine if he'll triumph in court or end up losing it all. He'd like others to think that doesn't bother him — "If we lose, you get the noose and I go home," he matter-of-factly tells his clients — but we know that deep down, it's all a front. He wants to win. And he'll do whatever it takes.
"Perry Mason" season 2 premieres March 6 on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.