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Perry Mason (2020)

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews

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68

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Ratings

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7.0

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7.0	Your Score
7.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Ratings

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Perry Mason

Now Playing: Perry Mason

Perry Mason (2020)

Series Details & Credits

HBO | Release Date: June 21, 2020

Summary: Set in the 1930s, Perry Mason (Matthew Rhys) is a private detective who beings looking into a child kidnapping case.

Genre(s): Drama, Suspense

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Recent Episodes

tbd
S1:E8. Chapter 8
Air Date: August 9, 2020
tbd
S1:E7. Chapter 7
Air Date: August 2, 2020
tbd
S1:E6. Chapter 6
Air Date: July 26, 2020

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

68

Positive:

25

Mixed:

14

Negative:

0

Critic Reviews

100

Washington Post

Hank Stuever

Jun 17, 2020

Season 1 Review: “Perry Mason” perfectly and methodically lays out a compelling and expanding mystery (which is, after all, the main attraction in a genre story), while giving remarkable shape to characters whose stories will resonate with a modern audience. ... Not a drop of talent is wasted here. Read full review

90

TV Guide Magazine

Matt Roush

Jun 19, 2020

Season 1 Review: A more realistic and sordidly satisfying [Perry Mason]. ... Rhys is a marvelous Perry. [22 Jun - 5 Jul 2020, p.6]

80

The Independent Ed Cumming

Jun 22, 2020

Season 1 Review: Perry Mason is its own brooding beast. It looks and sounds wonderful, every set and costume furnished in immaculate detail, with enough nudity and violence to let you know this is Telly For Grownups. Read full review

70

Time

Judy Berman

Jun 16, 2020

Season 1 Review: From a narrative standpoint, Perry Mason isn’t quite top-shelf HBO. In the spirit of the endearingly contrived original series, where Mason regularly got culprits to confess under oath, there are plot holes, unbelievable twists, speeches that sound great but raise more questions than they answer. Fans of the original’s case-of-the-week format may not be the only viewers frustrated by the slow pace of this serialized reboot. But Rhys leads a stellar cast. Read full review

66

TV Guide

Keith Phipps

Jun 16, 2020

Season 1 Review: Over the course of eight episodes, the show delves into Mason's past while redefining him for a new age of television driven by complex characters, richly detailed worlds, and season-long storylines. It manages those first two elements so well that it's a shame it keeps tripping over the third. Read full review

60

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Jun 19, 2020

Season 1 Review: It is a gorgeous show in terms of production design and the cast is strong from top to bottom, but writers Rolin Jones & Ron Fitzgerald struggle to find a story worth investing in for at least the first half of the eight-episode season. The back half is much stronger, and the performances elevate the production throughout, but with attention spans diminished by the state of the world in 2020, “Perry Mason” could struggle to hold viewers this summer. ... The jury is still out on that one. Read full review

40

The Telegraph Anita Singh

Jun 22, 2020

Season 1 Review: It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, Perry Mason. ... There is very little to like about him, but Rhys is an excellent actor who imbues the character with a sorrow that makes us – just – want to root for him. It is hard to take this drama on its own terms, because its creators clearly don’t want us to; they’ve hitched their wagon to the Perry Mason name, and have thrown in re-imagined versions of familiar characters. Read full review

SEE ALL 39 REVIEWS

Write a Review

7.0

User Reviews

10

SDB84

Aug 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 0 users found this helpful00

10

jmart1963

Aug 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, and supporting cast are awesome.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

9

wantedtolikebut

Jun 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, but watch the tone of the humor. Promising! II 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 1 users found this helpful10

8

truerock

Aug 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 Maslany (Orphan Black) were the reason I especially wanted toI 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 1 users found this helpful01

6

UncleWillard

Jun 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

2

AzathothWakesUp

Sep 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 clothes of a mystery.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

0

tombombadill

Jun 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.

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

SEE ALL 8 REVIEWS

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Seasons & Episodes

68

Series Overview
Season 1

68
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: June 21, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E8. Chapter 8
  Air Date: August 9, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E7. Chapter 7
  Air Date: August 2, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E6. Chapter 6
  Air Date: July 26, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E5. Chapter 5
  Air Date: July 19, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E4. Chapter 4
  Air Date: July 12, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E3. Chapter 3
  Air Date: July 5, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E2. Chapter 2
  Air Date: June 28, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E1. Chapter 1
  Air Date: June 21, 2020