#Perry Mason Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Chapter One

Can we tell what kind of a man we’re dealing with after watching Perry Mason Season 1 Episode 1?

Not really.

We still have a lot to learn about the private detective or busybody, as Perry thinks of himself.

On the premiere of this new HBO series, our introduction to Perry finds him earning a living doing some pretty shady things.

He’s the equivalent of a TMZ staffer tracking down celebrities on behalf of studios who are too afraid to do their own dirty work.

When Perry ultimately calls out the big boss in the hope of scoring on photos he was not assigned to shoot, Perry is shot down in flames, earning one dollar where he could have $200 had he not overplayed his hand.

Perry and his partner, Pete, were in it for the easy money.

At least that’s what they were doing when we met them, which was three months after their last case with E.B.Jonathan.

Whether it was in those three months that Perry’s life took a nosedive is uncertain, but his family farm is dilapidated, and his ex-wife doesn’t have anything pretty to say about him.

The odds are good that the dishonorable military discharge tossed in his face while testifying on a case has something to do with it.

Attorney E.B. Johnson comes back into Perry’s life with an abysmal case.

Emily and Matthew Dodson lost their son to kidnappers who defiled the boy before taking the ransom money and fleeing.

Of course, the corrupt, low-life detectives on the case aren’t expected to do the family justice, so fellow parishioner Herman Baggerly aims to help the Dodsons find out who took and killed their beloved Charlie.

Perry pays attention to detail, always snapping photos of scenes and evidence. He’s got a keen eye for it, but his attitude might get in the way of his success.

As Pete says, he gets no fun out of life, and that’s a problem. It’s the end of 1931, and they’re in the midst of the great depression. What’s fun about that?

It’s no surprise that Sister Alice of the Radiant Assembly of God would be keeping up the spirits of the downhearted.

While Perry never fell into a religious habit, he sure could use something to help straighten out his life, and it seems the kidnapping and murder of Charlie Dodson might do the trick.

We’ve seen Perry in his rumpled, mustard-stained suit and a tie straight off the dead from the morgue, screwing an acquaintance unhappily and downing more tequila than a man of his future caliber should. It’s gotta be all uphill from here, right?

After all, once Perry got it out of his system, the urge to solve the case and use his time more wisely overtook the man. Baby Charlie is going to be the catalyst for Perry Mason to get his shit together.

No, this isn’t the Perry Mason from the novels or the classic television show. We would have never seen Raymond Burr looking so indelicate. It seems like HBO’s Perry Mason is a redemption story of a man that we didn’t know needed redeeming.

We don’t get much of an introduction to Della Street, but she’s already classin’ up the joint with her tailored clothes and her calibrated wit, which she uses well against Perry’s darker, more sarcastic tone.

Admirably, despite the times and the case at hand, she always has at least a hint of a smile on her face as if she is one step ahead of the men with whom she works, and that assumption probably isn’t far off the mark.

Very early, she seems like she’ll have a lot to offer and that her calm and collected demeanor will be invaluable.

Shea Whigham’s Pete is a lot of fun, the exact thing that Pete thinks Perry is missing in life. They may be doing some pretty crappy stuff for business, but he doesn’t allow himself to get sidetracked by unhappiness.

When a woman pulls him into an impromptu kiss on New Year’s Eve just as he’s verbally assaulting Perry, Pete merely spins on his heel and gives in to the moment.

Falling well within the climate of 2020, nobody on the Perry Mason canvas thinks much of the cops, from Herman to Perry, and without much effort, the corrupt and evil detective lives up to expectations.

That’s something that detective shows have always done well. They solve crimes with facts that are often overlooked by cops because they’re either too jaded or just plain unwilling to see.

Investigators are interested in solving crimes while the police, on behalf of the District Attorney, are interested in making arrests and putting to bed the unrest caused by the crime, whether they find the actual culprit or not.

Sadly, that’s a theme that doesn’t only play out in the movies or on television.

We have a long way to go in the story before it hits the ground running. The premiere was merely a launching pad to pull Perry in from out in the cold. He needed a reason to refocus his energy on more important topics, and the murder of an infant has pushed his buttons.

As Perry Mason Season 1 progresses, we’ll get a better understanding of what makes Perry tick, who in his world can bring out the best in him, and how far he’ll go to become the man we hope we’ll recognize.

By seeing where he’s been, hopefully, we’ll be better able to understand how he becomes the remarkable and indefatigable attorney who will take on the toughest, most difficult to win cases.

What did you think of “Chapter One”?

Are you interested in seeing more of the detective’s growth into the charismatic courtroom attorney we know and love?

Hit the comments and share your thoughts.

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.