Perry Mason – Season Two [2022] on HBO/Crave Canada

Perry Mason gets himself into another complicated case with great writing, and even better actors. Can’t wait for HBO to renew the show.

Season two of this HBO drama is even better than expected. More cohesive and engaging than its woolly first installment, this Perry Mason season is a marked improvement. In fact, it was a pleasant surprise to see how driven the season is. Plus, Matthew Rhys is commandingly watchable as ever. And that’s not an easy feat.

Rhys aside, the real star of the series is the way in which the show’s creators have established an atmosphere of Depression Era desperation and corruption. The show’s heady evocations of time and place are like an intoxicating, bewitching brew. The season’s central mystery is compelling, but it’s details like that that set the show apart and draw it into the tradition of other classic Los Angeles-set noirs. And while the slow pace in the first few episodes might test your patience, prepare to get drawn in as this hot-potato case reflects the tenor and the racism of the times, and is far more gnarly than originally thought.

However, this is still very much Rhys’ show, and he continues to impress in a way that – if there’s any justice – should see him at least repeat his Emmy nomination from 2021.

Should you watch it?

The show demonstrates, in this new season, that it has a clearer direction in what it wants to tell and in the cohesiveness of the story. Renewal should be a given.

Where can I watch it?

You can stream season one and two of HBO’s Perry Mason exclusively on HBO Max in USA and on Crave in Canada.