HBO's Perry Mason Season 1 TV Show Review & Comments

Casimir Harlow

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Thanks for the Review, Cas.
Yes, why call it "Perry Mason"? I remember watching & enjoying the TV series & TV Movies. Is HBO gambling on the fact that people will watch because of the Title, & then carry on watching anyway?
What is next - a breakfast cereal called "Free Money Inside"?
Are people really that easy, nowadays?
 
You could say that HBO's Perry Mason borrows from HBO's Boardwalk Empire for its visual shock value but as gratuitous as some of the graphic images may be it does focus your attention to the dark backdrop of the 1930's Great Depression, which is a high quality production feature of this show.
Viewers will need to stick with the story to gain some idea of how Perry Mason's more familiar lawyer guise starts to develop, the post WWI years are obviously a big part of Mason's personal outlook on justice and a need for personal redemption after the horrors of WWI.
If the wartime trench scenes of episode two are a good example of the production standard set for the rest of the series, it could potentially become one of the best drama shows released in 2020.
Episode one and two gets 7/10, mostly because the story needs to be further developed.
 
The original TV well the 50/60 started a re run on Justice and about 17 episodes in of a run if they do them all again of all 271, but then Star Trek been shown on a loop on the Horror Channel before TV was invented :rolleyes: well it seems like that:laugh:

Film of Perry way back in time.
 
Watching the reruns of Perry on CBS Justice loving it, especially Della what a woman!
 
Lacklustre stuff. Rhys is so smugly (when he can manage it) down about it all, that it made me feel similarly and wonder why am I bothering with this?
It's all a bit odd, as HBO gives it the room for adult content and themes but falls short of basic tenseness in story telling. I drifted off thinking; this is like being strapped in the Clockwork Orange chair for disturbing images being presented but in the modern age, blunted senses surface with little care.
 
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It's just okay - a few good moments among the tedium. A big part of the problem for me is that the lead has no charisma whatsoever. He may have been cast in The Americans for that reason. He's pretty unremarkable and has some bizarre flyaway hair going on!

I'm not excited about episode 3 but I might give it that to see if I'll continue or not.
 
Ep 1 was a bit bland and uninteresting but it was just introducing the characters and setting I guess.

Ep 2 was a lot darker and more intriguing. Still not quite setting the world alight but a big step in the right direction and enough to make me genuinely look forward Ep 3.
 
Anybody else find the dialogue unintelligible via Sky Atlantic?
 
watched the first episode perry is such a unlikable character by the end I was just hoping someone would just shoot him to put him out of his and my misery might give the second episode a chance though
 
watched the first episode perry is such a unlikable character by the end I was just hoping someone would just shoot him to put him out of his and my misery might give the second episode a chance though

It gets more understandable in the second episode, but they've got a way to go before anybody in the world is going to come even vaguely close to 'liking' him.
 
Ok going to give the second episode a try

It may not set your world alight but it's an improvement over the first... which is something. I still hope this goes places, but agree that his dour character is the weak link at the moment at least.
 
It doesn't just apply to this series but for the love of God, can we not just have some series again with separate storylines per episode. I'm sick of this "long form storytelling" that takes forever to get nowhere.
 
I agree I really do miss law and order and nypd blue good cop shows esp episodic ones are really thin on the ground now
I'm really beginning to hate this new format for everything now. Cop shows like the ones you've said and going back to Kojak, The Rockford Files and The Sweeney were far better than most of the expensively made boring dross served up now.

I really wish writers and developers would see this and pitch ideas for episodic, tightly written linear shows with charismatic lead actors again.
 
I used to love the Rockford files about the only half decent cop show around at the moment is the rookie and that's a bit lightweight a more modern tj hooker
ive stoped watching most uk tv as its all to pc for me at the moment and with whats going on in the world today I doubt we will see to many new u.s cop shows on tv
ive just recently downloaded the entire run of hill street blues so looking forward to watching that
 
I used to love the Rockford files about the only half decent cop show around at the moment is the rookie and that's a bit lightweight a more modern tj hooker
ive stoped watching most uk tv as its all to pc for me at the moment and with whats going on in the world today I doubt we will see to many new u.s cop shows on tv
ive just recently downloaded the entire run of hill street blues so looking forward to watching that
Yeah that's another good one. I've episode 3 of Perry Mason recorded and I've been putting it off. Still in two minds about watching.
 
Really struggled with this for the first 2-3 episodes, but it is getting progressively better with each episode. Really starting to enjoy it now.
 
Yes episode 4 is a game changer. I thought the show was a reinvention but it's an origin's
 
I too was pretty down on this to start with but I've stuck with it and enjoyed it more as it's gone along.
The death of a major star had me worried but that's the way of things here. Once Perry gets his courtroom legs and put-downs in play, I'm hopeful - though I did enjoy his PI ambles.
 
Season 2 supposedly coming in February 2023.:thumbsup:
 

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