Perry Mason (2020)

HBO | Release Date: June 21, 2020

6.4	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 40 Ratings

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BlueRajaMar 26, 2023

We kept waiting for it to get better but it just kept getting worse. There were a LOT of plotholes, a lot of things that were never explained, and a lot of frustratingly unresolved threads. At the end, one of the characters says somethingWe kept waiting for it to get better but it just kept getting worse. There were a LOT of plotholes, a lot of things that were never explained, and a lot of frustratingly unresolved threads. At the end, one of the characters says something the writers clearly thought was really clever, and then smiles knowingly and walks away from the other character. It wasn't clever - it made no **** sense. My wife and I were both pulling out our hair and screaming at the TV. Just skip this one.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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WatchinMoviesMar 12, 2023

Not very faithful to the books. Not remotely like the 1957 TV show. The atmosphere is drab for LA in the 1930s. The acting is marginal. The story line is marginal. The extraneous morality is marginal (really vulgar). We'd give this "don'tNot very faithful to the books. Not remotely like the 1957 TV show. The atmosphere is drab for LA in the 1930s. The acting is marginal. The story line is marginal. The extraneous morality is marginal (really vulgar). We'd give this "don't waste your time as it's quite disappointing".… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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AzathothWakesUpSep 4, 2020

Truely an utter dissappointment for any real fan of the 1957 Perry Mason. If you are expecting to beable to follow along with the clues in order to solve the mystery yourself, i suggest you look elsewhere. An action/ drama wearing the clothesTruely an utter dissappointment for any real fan of the 1957 Perry Mason. If you are expecting to beable to follow along with the clues in order to solve the mystery yourself, i suggest you look elsewhere. An action/ drama wearing the clothes of a mystery.… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

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tombombadillJun 22, 2020

Not worthy of the Perry Mason name. This lacks all the charm and wit of the original and tries to convince you it is clever or sophisticated by bombarding you with shock fodder.

5 of 12 users found this helpful57

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shoulderoforionJun 22, 2020

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 we1930'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.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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JohnnyC4077Apr 6, 2023

Basically this is a re-imaging of the show where the titular character is a lazy, sad sack of a man. They invent reasons for him to wallow in self-pity and he's an idiot to boot. His female assistant is, of course, the brains. Add aBasically this is a re-imaging of the show where the titular character is a lazy, sad sack of a man. They invent reasons for him to wallow in self-pity and he's an idiot to boot. His female assistant is, of course, the brains. Add a obnoxiously choking amount of wokeness and you get this mess. I watched season 2 in the hopes they turned it around but they made Perry even more of a dullard.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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wantedtolikebutJun 25, 2020

I love the show so far. Yes, the set-up and backstory in epi 1 is a little incoherent -- didn't love the cow -- but the acting is stellar and the mood is dark and compelling. Love Matthew Rhys and John Lithgow in this. Hoping they stay dark,I love the show so far. Yes, the set-up and backstory in epi 1 is a little incoherent -- didn't love the cow -- but the acting is stellar and the mood is dark and compelling. Love Matthew Rhys and John Lithgow in this. Hoping they stay dark, but watch the tone of the humor. Promising! I could get hooked. Let's see...… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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truerockAug 3, 2020

I haven't seen the last episode of season 1 - but, I'm not watching this series for the plot - so it's not that important.

I very much like film noir - so, that drew me to this series. But Matthew Rhys (The Americans) and Tatiana MaslanyI haven't seen the last episode of season 1 - but, I'm not watching this series for the plot - so it's not that important.

I very much like film noir - so, that drew me to this series.
But Matthew Rhys (The Americans) and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) were the reason I especially wanted to watch this series and I absolutely was not disappointed. I find their acting mesmerizing. These are not charismatic individuals. These are actors who create very interesting performances.

By the way, the casting of Gayle Rankin as the mother of the kidnapped child was brilliant. The individual(s) who made that happen should be applauded.

If you enjoy film noir - you will want to watch this. It is also interesting to compare it to the other previous Perry Mason adaptations from books, radio, movie and TV series. Obviously they were completely different compositions in different media - so, they aren't directly comparable - which, I think makes the comparison more interesting.

After I watch the end of season 1 - perhaps I'll come back and change my score from 7 to something else.
************************************
So, I've watched the final episode of season 1 and I returned to this review to raise my rating from a 7 to an 8.

The season is wrapped up with an incredible take on the ambiguity of life and how faith is important because of that.

The thing is - and I know this is true for most people, and there is nothing wrong with it... most people don't handle complex presentation. They are looking for something simple to wrap their mind around.

But, then I read an interview in a major publication that is so oblique that it leaves me stunned that it represents what the entertainment industry has to play down to.

In this particular interview of Ron Fitzgerald and Rolin Stones (the two individuals who created the series), the interviewer brings up what is probably the most important scene in the entire season 1. And this is what the interviewer said, "Did I sense a romantic spark between those two?"
In this scene, two characters draw the whole point of the season to a succinct and incredibly clear revelation of what things are and how people deal with it. And, this ham-brained interviewer clearly missed the entire effort of two incredibly gifted producers. I'm sure they must have been stunned - but, they politely brushed by the incredibly inane question in a very polite way.

So, a reality is, that work like Perry Mason 2020 is a gift to a small number of people who can appreciate it. It seems like a waste.… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

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jmart1963Aug 7, 2020

Gripping, compelling, great storytelling. This isn’t your grandparents’ Perry Mason. Love the Raymond Burr series. Also love what HBO did with this version of Mason. Hope there will be a season 2. Matthew Rhys, Jonathan Lithgow, andGripping, compelling, great storytelling. This isn’t your grandparents’ Perry Mason. Love the Raymond Burr series. Also love what HBO did with this version of Mason. Hope there will be a season 2. Matthew Rhys, Jonathan Lithgow, and supporting cast are awesome.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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SDB84Aug 11, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Here is an example of why a series should be re-reviewed for Metacritic after the final episode. So many of the complaints are negated as the series goes on, such as Perry Mason was actually an attorney and not an investigator, and he had good battles in court, worked with Street, had his own investigator, etc... This show is very true to the story of Perry Mason, and it is one of the best series I have seen in a long time. Basing a review of it on one episode is criminal.… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

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killercaninesApr 25, 2023

Perry Mason is one of the most well-acted, well-dressed, compelling shows on television in a long, long time. Every cast member puts their soul into their role, and the writing is superb -- this is not the kind of show you can watch whilePerry Mason is one of the most well-acted, well-dressed, compelling shows on television in a long, long time. Every cast member puts their soul into their role, and the writing is superb -- this is not the kind of show you can watch while playing on your phone or you're going to miss out. The story is tragic in a devastatingly human way, but you do not leave feeling hopeless. It is great storytelling behind a gritty whodunnit.

People shocked that a modern reboot of a show (which, I don't care to call it that -- it's an adaptation of the novels) is very different than its **1950's** counterpart, frankly, need to get a grip. If you want a show that won't be accused of going "woke" for daring to have a Black person in it, you can go watch Succession.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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UncleWillardJun 22, 2020

Only seen the premier, but I'm intrigued. Got a Chinatown vibe I like. I only have vague memories of the old show, but this is nothing like that.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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