A case has them stressed. From left: Juliet Rylance and Matthew Rhys star in Season 2 of the legal drama “Perry Mason.”
The 21st century incarnation of the show is more noir than procedural, but there’s something about its stylistic approach that feels set off by air quotes. A lot of time is given to the initial setup reintroducing us to Perry, who is now a fully fledged lawyer. A milkman pulls up outside his building and the camera follows as the driver carries his deliveries inside and deposits them in the boxes outside each apartment.
The accused are pawns in a story of greed and shifting alliances. Corruption begets violence and if a few lives need to be sacrificed in the name of business? Way it goes. Someone somewhere is always opportunistic. Maybe it’s the dead man’s father, a coldblooded sort played by “Sound of Metal’s” Paul Raci. Maybe it’s the slippery heiress played by Hope Davis. Maybe it’s various dirty political forces that are mixed in as well.
Season 2 is strongest when the focus is on the case itself, and especially when we get to see Paul in action. Chalk is so good in the role, thoughtful but giving very little away; both wary and wry. He’s the kind of investigator who comes up with a deceptively simple and clever way of shooting surveillance photos in a hotel lobby with the help of his wife , who is his sounding board and occasional unofficial partner on stakeouts. Their dynamic is rich and developed.