Whenreviewing the second seasonofPerry Mason, which ended up being one of the more pleasant surprises of the year that surpassed its first by leaps and bounds, there was a feeling that the final episode could work as a series finale. At the time, the montage it concluded with had everything returning to normal — or some version of normal— whileMatthew Rhys’ titular detective-turned-lawyer found himself isolated and incarcerated. It wasn’t a glamorous or grand finale, as it showed how there was a cost to bear even with an incomplete victory. Like life, the triumph that Mason managed to achieve was intermixed with tragedy. What could be a more fitting final scene than that? Still, there was a hope that it wouldn’t end there. After the writers from the acclaimed seriesThe Knicktook over, Season 2 ofPerry Masonwas merely the culmination of how it tapped into something special that could have continued. Unfortunately, the initial prediction of this being the end proved to be fortuitous.
Despite the more positive critical response the series has recently earned, it was announced this week that the show’s second seasonwould be its last. The cancellation, while not entirely unsurprising considering the new direction that HBO has been taking with its programming, is still an unfortunate one. Following the stellar conclusions of shows likeBarryandSuccession,Perry Masonwas one of the remaining shows that felt like it could fill those big shoes. Each of those works was absolutely in a class all its own, butPerry Masonhad felt like it had just begun scratching the surface of its full potential. Not only was the writing sharper in Season 2, but the performances continued to be some of the best on television this year. Despite only recently coming to a close, the life this series could have had has now been cut short. Though HBO has had plenty of outstanding shows over the years, this was one that could have emerged as one of the very best of them.
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Of course, whether the show would have continued absent cancellation depended on whether those behind it wanted it to go on. The next worst thing that could have happened besides this early end would have been stretching it beyond the creative interests of showrunner and writerMichael Begler. Whether you’re the audience or the creative mind behind it, carrying on out of obligation as opposed to genuine interest only does a detriment to the story. However,per a recent interview Begler gavealongside executive producerSusan Downey, there was most certainly more they intended to explore. While Downey said that this most recent season was something they wanted to make sure had an ending point that provided closure for the character, she also indicated that they had thought about other storylines that could have been explored in the future. This was something she said was both in terms of the character of Mason himself and the setting of Los Angeles, going so far as to add that “Michael has definitely been noodling with some really exciting ideas.” Whatever those are, it’s now unlikely we’ll get to see them take shape.
Would a renewal have guaranteed the next step in Perry Mason’s journey would have been as strong as Season 2? Of course not, but it would have been interesting to see it at least try to tackle new territory. The structure of the show is such that there is room for reinvention and exploration in each new case that comes across the desk of the equal parts cynical yet optimistic lawyer. This was felt both in terms of theme and character. Where the first season saw Mason isolated on a family farm he was about to lose away from the city, the follow-up revolved around him living by himself in an apartment where he was no less lonely despite being in closer proximity to people. More than the twists that this season spooled out, the layers of the world Mason made his way through with his colleagues Della Street (Juliet Rylance) and Paul Drake (Chris Chalk) were what proved to be most interesting. The production design was meticulous and, when captured via a more focused direction, made the city into a beautiful one just as darker corruption thrived right under the surface. It was all part of how the show managed to win us back over as viewers.Perry Masonhad grown into something worth tuning in for, making the fact that it has now gotten the ax that much more disappointing.
What Does HBO Look Like Without ‘Perry Mason’?
Zooming out beyond just this one series, it is worth reflecting on what this latest loss represents for HBO. Following their merging with Discovery, there have been a rising number of outright cancellations, like that of the similarly resurgentWestworldandMinx, as well as a series of ruthless removals of programming that were already completed just for the tax write-off.
Despite promises to protect its programming, there is still a sense that the network is at an inflection point about what they want to be known for moving forward. Is it the type of prestige drama likePerry Masonor the litany of reality shows that have nowcome to dominate their streaming platform? Increasingly, it seems like the latter is winning out and that is an unfortunate development. While it will always be a plus thatPerry Masonwas able to close its story how it did and go out on a high note, its cancellation is a loss both for what stories it didn’t get to explore next and the network’s future. So while we say farewell to this scrappy lawyer on good terms, we can only wish there could have been more for him.
