“Slow and steady like reading a great book”
I have to come to this show’s defense. This new Perry Mason is an excellent and worthy tribute to the original. Allow me to tell you why I feel this way.
I understand and sympathize with those that don’t like the show. This is a very different Mason. But is it really? They say this version is crude and unsophisticated and definitely not a gentleman.
Tv Series Review:
Season 1 have 8 episodes. The show starts slowly with the introduction of Perry Mason and Pete Strickland ( Mason’s work partner ), following a wealthy and also big fat man. Slowly we get to know about Perry Mason. He is just a private detective but not successful one and lives in his parents house ( they died), his wife left with 9 year old. He is now alcoholic and in poor shape. And also have darkside of his life.
Few days later, his friend Elias Birchard “E.B.” Jonathan (a struggling attorney and regular employer of Perry Mason) visits him to investigate on a child abduction case. From this point, we don’t get anything from first few episodes, just few truth reveals, Bad sides of Police and also not much investigation until E.B Jonathan’s death, the series takes sudden attention and also real tensions begins. Perry Mason become an attorney. You heard right.
Raymond Burr’s performance as Mason was flawless, and we all loved him. That’s why we’re here, watching and critiquing. Burr gave the character so much depth without us knowing much about his life outside and before the courtroom. Burr’s Mason was a serious man who seemed to be in pain. Haunted.
Don’t you want to know why he’s haunted? Why is justice and the truth everything to him? Was he just born in a suit? Of course not. So how did he become that man? Rhys’ Mason swears, he has sex, he lives in the dark sides of life. But no matter how dark these sides may be, they are still, like the original, on the side of justice. He’s asked, “Why are you digging so hard?” Mason answers, “Because she’s innocent…it’s the way I play the game.” Isn’t this the essence of the original Mason? Matthew Rhys’ performance is outstanding. For me, he is the younger Mason that we all met in the original. And he’s really interesting.
I’m glad HBO and this show’s creators asked that question, who was Mason as a younger man? What made him who he is in the original? I want to see how he gets from point A to point B. Don’t you?
Just remember: Never meet your heroes unless you’re ready to see the truth. They are regular people, with faults, and, sometimes, they disappoint. This show however, like the original, does not disappoint and I can find very little fault with it.
This isn’t Raymond Burr’s Perry Mason – and That’s Okay
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