Perry Mason: Chapter 14
April 11, 2023 10:09 AM - Season 2, Episode 6 - Subscribe

Perry gets vital intel from Holcomb. Della grills Councilman Taylor. Armed with damning evidence, the prosecution aims to derail the case.
posted by nathan_teske (3 comments total)
 
Wife and I enjoy this show. But the scene where Perry accused his new love interest of spying on him was just preposterous. They did it simply to push a character arc (Mason is damaged and pushes away the people he loves... yawn). Perry Mason is supposed to be really clever... what are the odds that his kid's teacher could be bribed or coerced into spying on him at his office? Plus, she was at the office for maybe five or ten minutes. They were never repeatedly discussing the gun in the safe. It's far, far more likely that Della's new love interest (who so conveniently appeared and swept Della off her feet) is somehow in on the scheme, and Mason would have followed up on that angle more. Instead, it's mentioned in a throwaway line and forgotten about. Bit of a shark jump.

If anything, Della might at least have some suspicions. I know she's head-over-heels and maybe in a pink cloud.. but Della is the sharpest character on the show.

There's something old fashioned about this show that I really love. They're aiming for quality for sure... but it doesn't feel like the same "prestige TV" mold that so many other series follow. The performances, art direction and vibe are all really strong. But some of the writing is just... not great. Still, I enjoy this series a lot and consider it comfort food.
posted by SoberHighland at 5:24 PM on April 11, 2023 [6 favorites]


Yeah, this Perry Mason is a little too whiny and incompetent. All of the bumbling with the gun. Paul's anger at his brother in law also felt forced, then chasing after the Converse kid and losing his quarry. Or Rafa just flipping out to stir up some drama. The tail's wagging the dog a little too obviously.

Even Della is annoying me now because Juliet Rylance is playing her very boringly with like two expressions: default, and lukewarm smile. When she's on screen with Hope Davis she is obliterated.

(Also does that thing I hate in modern TV where it goes, "The minority has been accused of being a stereotype by the racists who are mean to them and framing them", and then later it's, "Tee hee they actually did it there was truth to the stereotype." Always having it both ways, patting the back of liberals while winking at conservatives.)

Add onto that the sudden and mostly off-camera resolution of the choking thing. Cashed in for nothing because they also discover the oil, but then also the gun. It's reminding me of the scandinoirs making my eye twitch like Chief Inspector Dreyfus thinking about Clouseau.
posted by fleacircus at 10:24 AM on April 12, 2023 [1 favorite]


Yeah, I didn't buy Perry's outburst at teacher lady either - or Paul's sudden transformation into a short-fused asshole either.

The co-incidence of it being the Converse kid who stepped in front of Paul's car also irritated me. It seemed so unnecessary - a random pedestrian forcing Paul to stop just as he had the blue car in his sights at last would have achieved the same end and felt far more credible. The kid disappeared immediately over the fence anyway, so its not like throwing him in here again contributed anything to developing the plot.

On the plus side, I did enjoy Della's courtroom performance. Do the original Perry Mason books carry any hint - however veiled - of her sexual preferences as they're depicted here?
posted by Paul Slade at 2:51 PM on May 13, 2023


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