by Aaron Schweitzer, Editor
You could be reading this and totally unaware of the second season of HBO’s Perry Mason‘s existence, and I would totally understand. You could also be completely unaware of this whole show’s existence, and I would also understand. Initially conceived as a miniseries, then renewed for a second season, Perry Mason premiered in the summer of 2020. It redefined the classic TV character with which I admit I have no history. But I really enjoyed the inaugural season, and was excited for the return.
Season Two, premiered and it seems like nobody has been talking about it. Granted, I don’t remember a ton of conversation about Season One, but I do remember some. Season One seemed to have some discourse on the nature of the rebooted show, with it being a lawyer show that really had no reason to use the names of the former TV characters, other than as a promotion. There was also discussion on the significantly darker tone than even shows of today, let alone a show from the ‘50s and ‘60s. It was certainly divisive, but I think people who watched it were generally favorable to the show for what it is. For Season Two, I really don’t know what the consensus is, because I’m not sure if anyone besides me has seen it!
So while there are certainly some things to like with Season Two, there isn’t enough for me to even make a tweet saying that more people should be watching it. Let’s start with the acting, which I thought was strong in the first season. This time around, it is all fine. Nearly everyone gives a good performance, but there is not really a standout for a great one. I expect this show to not get a single Emmy nomination, whereas the first season got two for acting (and a snub for Tatiana Maslany’s performance).
Moving on, the crime of this season is the murder of a highly influential man, and Mason (Matthew Rhys) takes on the case after not practicing criminal law for months, because he is the only person in town that believes the two men arrested are innocent. The case winds up being more complex, but nothing you cannot follow. However, it also isn’t memorable. It kind of becomes a run-of-the-mill story where there are a few twists and turns, but nothing you can’t see coming. The case itself ends with a relatively unenthusiastic thud.
That last sentence nearly pains me, though, because I like where the show was trying to go in general. There seems to be this running theme in this series that, as the District Attorney (Justin Kirk) says in an early episode, “There is no justice; only the illusion of justice.” There are several moments in this case that, on both the prosecution and the defense, justice is tampered with. The judge, however, is very fair, and it is a really refreshing take for a show like this, which often has a judge unfairly leaning towards the antagonist’s side. This season ends with a note of melancholy where you hate what is going on, and it feels like there is no justice served, but you can still celebrate that it is not the worst case scenario. It then has a brief epilogue where it sets up what will likely be the case for the third season, provided HBO renews it.
Everything with the trial is exhilarating, even though the case is relatively bland. The real disconnect with this show is all the superfluous filler. We explore relational and family dynamics with our three main characters that ultimately do not really lead anywhere. None of it is particularly engaging, and at the end of the day, none of it feels particularly relevant.
When I ended this season, I was leaning on giving it a pretty unenthusiastic 8/10. After sitting on it for a few days, I realized that was too high. I started this review planning on a 7/10, but I do not feel like the season has even lived up to that. Here’s what I landed on: my scale has to change. If this show were to come out in like 2017, it should be like an 8/10, but it came out in 2023.
I said on the a recent episode of the SiftPop Writers’ Room that when we look back on 2023, we’ll be talking about the great TV from this year more than the films. Already, we have seen excellent shows come out with The Last of Us, Shrinking, Barry, Ted Lasso, Poker Face, Yellowjackets, Succession,and many others. The schedule for the rest of the year looks stacked! For the rest of 2023 (barring any consequences from the WGA strike), we are expecting new episodes of Severance, Ahsoka, the revival of Justified, Loki, Secret Invasion, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Black Mirror, What We Do in the Shadows, Dune: The Sisterhood, Muppets Mayhem, Clone High, Futurama,and True Detective.I’m not saying all of those shows are going to be hits, but that is a lot to be excited for! There will also be shows that aren’t on my radar that will wind up in our best-of lists.
My point is, average TV just doesn’t cut it anymore. With all the talk of these other shows, it is no wonder why no one is talking about Perry Mason. This show has aired episodes during the runs of The Last of Us, Succession, Barry,The Mandalorian (which wound up being disappointing to most), and Ted Lasso. Sure, Perry Mason Season Two is fine, and I certainly wouldn’t tell you not to watch it, but there are plenty more great shows to watch before you get around to this one.
Score 6/10
Perry Mason is currently streaming on HBO Max
You can read more from Aaron Schweitzer, and follow him on Twitter and Letterboxd