'Perry Mason' season 2 review: Matthew Rhys and Juliet Rylance excel at a more focused, edgier story
What can we do to find justice in a world where corruption has consumed everything? There is a unique fusion of optimism and pessimism at the heart of the HBO seriesPerry Mason, who wants to answer this question in the second season. Much feels the same this time around, withMatthew Rhys in a rare form when its titular heavy-drinking private detective turned crusader lawyer, remains both ornery and horny as ever. However, as the flawed character tries to grapple with his role in the system meant to bring about justice, Season 2 also finds a better balance than when we first met him. Although not as good as their spectacular previous seriesThe Kinkhiring new showrunners Michael Begler And Jack Amielhas proven to be the winning addition needed to crack wide open both the character and his latest case. Sure, it may not have a moment like that of Season 1, where Mason was launched out of a bed during sex, but the way he continues to thrash his way to justice makes this sophomore outing strong nonetheless.
Discussing the details of the story requires a great deal of restraint; to even highlight certain elements could be a tip for off-key reveals to come later. The basis is that Mason and his colleague Della Street (Juliet Rylance) have moved from doing high-profile defenses to more standard legal work. It keeps the lights on, but it also feels unsatisfactory. The reason they shifted focus is that Mason remains shaken by the events of the first season and his former client's tragic fate revealed early on. Now living in an apartment in Los Angeles after selling his family farm and trying to start a new chapter in his life, all of this continues to haunt him as he feels like a failure.
Perhaps, despite himself, he is drawn back into another case when a high-profile businessman is murdered under the cover of darkness. The blame is quickly placed on the Gallardo brothers, Fabrizio Guidois Rafael and Peter Mendozais Mateo, though Mason believes there's more to this crime than meets the eye. Thus, he begins working with Della and former cop turned private investigator Paul Drake (Chris Chalt) to get to the bottom of what really happened that night. This won't be so easy - not only are they facing a city bent on blood, but there are powerful forces that will stop at nothing to prevent the truth from getting out.
Giving further details is best left to the show itself, so as not to take away from the experience of seeing it all taken apart. Suffice it to say there are new and old faces all becoming part of this evolving cause. With the odds stacked against them and limited resources, Mason must resort to shoddy tactics both inside and outside the courtroom. Rhys continues to capture this perfectly, convincingly delivering scathing answers that scream through the gallery. Mason's methods remain stubbornly dangerous - to himself, his colleagues and his clients - as his dogged determination to discover the truth threatens to make them all targets. Part of this stems from his own desire for redemption from the tragedy for which he feels responsible, while another portion stems from a genuine desire to help those who might be casually brushed aside without a second thought. There could and should have been a little more development for the Gallardo brothers, but the glimpses we get of how this city has beaten them down make it clear that injustice existed long before this process began. It teases how, whatever the outcome, the world is fundamentally out of balance.
Even if Perry Mason is a beautifully shot series with a great score that immerses you in the era in every detail. This is not a nostalgic piece, as dark truths remain lurking just beneath everything. While this was present in the first season, this time around it feels more focused and sharper in how the story builds. A single glance at an important moment or a hesitation in a crucial conversation can carry as much weight as some of the more gruesome elements sprinkled throughout. The nature of the truths at the core of the mystery itself eventually becomes unexpected in a way that initially feels like a possible evasion. Furthermore, there is a rather significant and unexpected betrayal that the series struggles with at times.
Once the dust settles on these newly discovered details, we are only drawn deeper into more complicated revelations in which there are no neat answers at the end of the road for everyone involved. As Mason knows all too well, all the late hours spent seeking some semblance of justice may have been for nothing. Rhys is as dynamic as ever, even if this brings down his feisty nature when darkness hits. Whether it's an outburst to those he cares about or when a resigned sadness crosses his face, we feel the fear he still has about what might happen if he's anything less than perfect. Even the slightest misstep can quickly turn into a complete and utter disaster from which there is no chance of recurrence.
While this is going on, all the characters try to find some semblance of peace in their personal lives. Mason tries to reconnect with his son, Street with a passionate new love interest she must keep a secret, and Drake with his own family who took a blow after losing his job. There's a witty playfulness to all this that the cast brings to life in their own way, making each character feel more excited as we get to see what it is each desires. The gentle tragedy is that it's also cut with a greater melancholy about how this can always be just out of reach. Just as was present in The KinkSeason 2 of Perry Mason subtly explores how the political is always intertwined with the emotional. As the characters try to bring justice to a system that proves time and time again to be unjust, the institutions that rule their own lives are omnipresent. This is something they all had to come to terms with in order to survive, but it comes at a cost that takes a heavy toll.
Without giving a hint as to what exactly happens, there's a final montage scene in Season 2 after the trial ends where everything goes back to "normal" and things go on as usual. The show emphatically stops embracing the status quo, showing how there are still painful wrinkles that can't be ironed out no matter how much one tries. Seeing where Mason ends up and how he has to think about this truth alone, it almost feels like the season 2 finale could be an end to the series. One hopes not, like Perry Mason has really found its niche, but still gives a poetic sense of closure.
Judgement: B+
Perry Mason Season 2 premieres March 6 on HBO and HBO Max.
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