Perry Mason (2020)

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 21, 2020
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 65 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 65
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 65
  3. Negative: 19 out of 65
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User Reviews

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  1. SimboTheKing
    Mar 14, 2023
    7
    Overall, a pretty good detective drama. On the surface, it doesn't deviate that much from others but the plot is strong and the overall direction kept me compelled to keep watching it. Nothing felt too contrived or coincidental which can sometimes sink mystery dramas.

    Matthew Rhys is good in the lead role, although I do think he does oversell his acting occasionally. I also felt some of    Overall, a pretty good detective drama. On the surface, it doesn't deviate that much from others but the plot is strong and the overall direction kept me compelled to keep watching it. Nothing felt too contrived or coincidental which can sometimes sink mystery dramas.

    Matthew Rhys is good in the lead role, although I do think he does oversell his acting occasionally. I also felt some of the side plots felt a bit lacklustre and didn't really add much to the complete story.

    Will probably watch S2 when it gets a UK release none-the-less, it's a solid watch and one I wouldn't mind recommending.    … Expand
  2. colemarisa
    Mar 8, 2023
    1
    Kind of pushes a modern political message. I suppose we should be used to it. Lots of money spent, bad writing, and bad acting. But nice period accurate cars and such.
  3. GringoViejo
    Jun 25, 2020
    1
    I lost respect for Matthew Rhys and John Lithgow, two of my favorite actors, for having appeared in this pathetic pander to poor taste and incongruity. Why use the name Perry Mason at all?

    The producers characterize Mason as a "gritty fixer"; I'd just call this version of him a sleazebag extortionist, but I'm not here to make a moral judgement. Although I'm actually a fan of f---ing    I lost respect for Matthew Rhys and John Lithgow, two of my favorite actors, for having appeared in this pathetic pander to poor taste and incongruity. Why use the name Perry Mason at all?

    The producers characterize Mason as a "gritty fixer"; I'd just call this version of him a sleazebag extortionist, but I'm not here to make a moral judgement.

    Although I'm actually a fan of f---ing (spelling censored here) the word is way overused in just about all the dialogue, and the sex scenes themselves seem gratuitous: Who doesn't like to see a nipple here and there, or even a naked fat man and a sophomoric "eating" visual, but how do these scenes advance the story? (Answer: Not at all.)

    The cheap ripoffs of famous peoples' names (e.g. Chubby Carmichael for Fatty Arbuckle and an evil Groucho Marx as a studio head) make no sense at all, and neither did the suggestion that you can hop down to Oaxaca from Los Angeles in a bi-plane (how many days, and refueling stops, would that take?) like you might drive from LA down to TJ.

    If Lithgow's character had said "boyo" once, it might have been considered an homage to L.A. Confidential; repeating it endlessly turned it into another cheap ripoff. Of course, the actors didn't write their lines -- it might have been better if they had. What a colossal waste of talent and money... and my time! Feh!

    Finally, although Terrence Blanchard’s haunting contemporary score and trumpet playing are beautifully executed — reminiscent of the soundtrack to Homeland or Bosch or perhaps some early Miles Davis albums such as Sketches of Spain — they sound jarringly out of place for a drama set in the 1930’s. I’m sure that Mr. Blanchard, given the appropriate request or commission, could have produced something of equal musical and dramatic value, in a more historically appropriate idiom. I'd buy the sound track but wouldn't waste my time on the rest of the series.    … Expand
  4. cmwy10a
    Jun 24, 2020
    0
    Even 2 separate scenes of cunnilingus can't save this slow , depressing show that makes the original Perry Mason emmy material
  5. RidingHood
    Jun 30, 2020
    10
    Well made show, bleak with great character and period detail. Not really Perry Mason save for a passing resemblance - maybe Perry Mason's depressive cousin.
  6. crankyerma
    Jun 28, 2020
    2
    HBO's "Perry Mason" is a beautifully shot, sleazy exercise in poor choices by both characters and filmmakers that leaves one feeling depressed and in need of a shower after viewing. The cable net's compulsion to needlessly remind you that you're not watching broadcast leads to joys like watching a morbidly obese actor (a barely veiled version of Fatty Arbuckle) engaging in food fetish sexHBO's "Perry Mason" is a beautifully shot, sleazy exercise in poor choices by both characters and filmmakers that leaves one feeling depressed and in need of a shower after viewing. The cable net's compulsion to needlessly remind you that you're not watching broadcast leads to joys like watching a morbidly obese actor (a barely veiled version of Fatty Arbuckle) engaging in food fetish sex with a hooker and running nude in the street. The grossest part of that sequence is that Arbuckle's life and legacy were destroyed by allegations which were proven false in court (the third jury actually wrote him a letter of apology) but HBO feels it would be more fun to take one more leak on his memory for sh*ts and giggles. Way to kick a man while he's dead, HBO. And while based on the original stories, what the producers have done to the character of Mason is not much better. The series seems hellbent on reducing his character to a Raymond Chandler/Dashiel Hammett gumshoe, deadbeat dad and immoral drunk. But lowering characters long beloved by the public to the gutter is in fashion these days. It's somehow more artistic and postmodern to pointlessly trash the memories of people and characters lately. The one saving grace of the production seems at first glance to be its attention to period accuracy and detail but then the jazz score comes in and it's about three decades off the mark, sounding more at home in a late 50's/early 60's NYC nightclub than echoing through the streets of early 1930's Los Angeles. So, this show is in many ways, an encapsulation of what has gone wrong in art and America over the past couple of decades. Wickedsuperbigtime PASS.… Expand
  7. OlivierPiel
    Jun 22, 2020
    3
    Plagued by modern television defaults: - Confuses slow pace with gravitas (i.e. pompous)
    - Mixes modern tropes while trying to achieve historical realism in its decors, costumes etc (i.e. rewriting history)
    - Actors reprising and recycling past roles (here Rhys playing the same tortured soul with the superior moral compass he's done in the Americans) - ultimately, trying to hide a very    Plagued by modern television defaults: - Confuses slow pace with gravitas (i.e. pompous)
    - Mixes modern tropes while trying to achieve historical realism in its decors, costumes etc (i.e. rewriting history)
    - Actors reprising and recycling past roles (here Rhys playing the same tortured soul with the superior moral compass he's done in the Americans)
    - ultimately, trying to hide a very empty boring core with all of the above

    A bit like a very expensive consumer product or toy whose packaging is far more intricate amd pleasing than the product itself....marketing in short!    … Expand
  8. Monteg
    Jun 24, 2020
    8
    I enjoy the atmosphere the show presents. Makes me feel very into about what will happen.
  9. GoodTaste
    Jul 3, 2020
    1
    This is Perry Mason in name only. The bastion of justice whom that name brings to mind is NOT the low-life we are forced to watch in this ridiculous adaptation. No, this is not your grandma's Perry Mason and that is a shame. The lawyer who is known for sticking up for the little guy, taking on hard-luck cases, and persevering in the name of justice is so far removed from this dead-beat,This is Perry Mason in name only. The bastion of justice whom that name brings to mind is NOT the low-life we are forced to watch in this ridiculous adaptation. No, this is not your grandma's Perry Mason and that is a shame. The lawyer who is known for sticking up for the little guy, taking on hard-luck cases, and persevering in the name of justice is so far removed from this dead-beat, extortionist buffoon that the real tragedy is in the writing and not in the story. Hollywood doesn't seem to be happy until all of our beloved characters are dragged through the mud and reduced to a lowest common denominator. Throw in some pointless and sleazy sex scenes, a shockingly graphic dead baby, and a well-made movie set and you have just enough distraction to hide how predictable the "mystery" is. I'll give it a 1 because the setting and costumes are well done. The rest is garbage.… Expand
  10. shoulderoforion
    Jun 22, 2020
    8
    1930's Hard Boiled Los Angeles Noir Detective fiction, oh, yes please, thank you. Was a 10 until the last scene, then it lost me a bit, I like my LA Private Eyes tough, smart, drunk and a pro with the ladies, not overly tortured, and hope we get more of the former and less of the latter. I'm in, and will be eagerly tuning in on Sunday nights.
  11. jmart1963
    Jun 27, 2020
    10
    Excellent reimagining of the original Perry Mason. Those critical of this version need only go to MeTV to enjoy reruns. I choose to do both.
    On a side note, is there any way to filter out reviews from some of the individuals that clearly have a political or social mission to bad mouth anything (films, tv shows, games, whatever) that dare to present a vision that is evolved beyond 1960?
  12. Davsav30
    Jun 22, 2020
    2
    It’s just to woke. I wish it stuck more to a true crime/legal drama rather than a woke agenda.
  13. Benny555
    Jun 25, 2020
    4
    More like bad James Ellroy than Perry Mason. Liked the titles and on-screen graphics which fitted in well with the era depicted.
  14. VideoStew
    Jul 20, 2020
    2
    As a previous reviewer points out "Why use the name Perry Mason at all?"

    Four episodes in and I'm tapping out.
  15. Nryan830
    Jun 21, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Go home boss. I’m bout done with this show bro, it had me at hello. I can stick my ass in a heater before I see this again. Mad libs bro. Don’t you test me now. I see the light for what it is.… Expand
  16. aantik4444
    Aug 20, 2020
    10
    Well written, beautifully shot and finely acted. Multi-dimensional characters whom you sympathise with despite them doing the wrong thing, that is very rare for TV dramas these days. Great music too. Absolutely loved this one.
  17. UncleWillard
    Aug 15, 2020
    4
    Seemed like a good idea and it certainly captured the look of the era, but it just reminded me of a cut-rate Chinatown with no real payoff.
  18. kszweda
    Aug 17, 2020
    7
    My overall impression is positive. It starts slowly but gets faster as you follow the episodes. The plot is dark, but it fits the times it describes. I can recommend.
  19. geewah
    Jan 10, 2021
    7
    The telling of this origin story is gritty (and at times goes to far), but it's shines brightest in the courtroom scenes.

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Most Discussed TV Season of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. The Playlist
    Reviewed by: Jessica Kiang
    Oct 5, 2020
    91
    By about episode 3 it hits its stride, and you realize that as splashy as the murder mystery hook might be, it is not the plot that is the puzzle here, it is the people. There is a jigsaw-player’s pleasure in watching how their scattered, frayed edges will eventually fit together, how they will slowly reconfigure across the eight episodes into a stable new status quo. That of course relies on exceptional performances and “Perry Mason” delivers right across the cast.
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  2. The Detroit News
    Reviewed by: Tom Long
    Aug 14, 2020
    67
    Strained at times, wandering at others, “Perry Mason” finds its footing eventually and by its end you may want to watch a second season even as you hope it’s better than the first.
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  3. The Atlantic
    Reviewed by: Sophie Gilbert
    Jun 25, 2020
    50
    So much attention is paid to establishing Mason as a complicated and sufficiently pained male protagonist (and Rhys, to his credit, has a greater range with watchable mournfulness than anyone else on television) that the other elements of the story can get lost. ... The stylistic self-indulgence and narrative nebulousness are more of a shame because when Mason finally finds himself in court, all the pieces of the show fall into place.
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