‘Perry Mason’ Season 2 Premiere: What Happens? Ending Explained

Perry Mason came back for its second season on March 6, 2023, after a hiatus of almost three years.

And so much has changed since then, with HBO’s parent company, Warner Media, being bought by Discovery and the original showrunners Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald being replaced by Jack Amiel and Michael Burgler.

Even still, nothing about the overall essence of the show seems to have changed. Matthew Rhys is still doing an incredible job, and so are the rest of the cast members. After this week’s episode, I wouldn’t doubt that the writers have something thrilling in store for us.

The first episode of season 2 shows us the aftermath of Perry Mason having his first case as a criminal lawyer, the defense of Emily Dodson from the charge of murdering her own child, end in a mistrial.

At the end of season 1, we also see Paul Drake quitting his job as a police office to join Perry’s new law firm as a private investigator and Della Street becoming Perry’s assistant.

Here is a breakdown of everything that happened in the season 2 premiere.

1. What is Perry Mason up to in the New Season?

In Season 2 Episode 1, it is quite evident that Perry Mason has still not gotten rid of his drinking problem. After his family’s farm was sold to Lupe, an entrepreneur and also his ex-girlfriend, he is now in the process of moving into a small apartment in LA.

Back at the office, Perry has decided to stick to civil law and not take on any more criminal cases because of how the Dodson case ended.

We learn that Emily Dodson has since drowned herself after not being able to cope with the situation. She had been sending Perry postcards asking him why everything ended the way it did but he never replied because he didn’t have an answer. This may probably be why Perry injures himself while riding a motorcycle gifted to him by a client.

His latest case is that of a grocery store owner named Sunny Gryce who is suing his former employee for opening his own store by using the same sales techniques he invented for Sunny. Despite all the obstacles he faces, Perry doesn’t give up until the case is won.

2. Is Della Street still Mason’s Assistant?

Della Street is still Perry Mason’s Assistant and also his de facto co-counsel. She is now getting more involved in legal work.

Although Perry isn’t very satisfied with the civil cases they are winning, Della sees the bright side and decides to hire a secretary for him with the money they’ve been earning. She hires a young woman named Marion Kang.

Later in a restaurant, Della accepts an offer of a date from a woman she meets there. It seems like Della’s sexuality might be given more focus this season.

3. Does Paul Drake still work for Perry?

In the beginning of the episode, Paul Drake is still working for Perry Mason. However, a few scenes later, Perry tells Paul that he will have to let Paul go because he won’t be able to earn much if he stays.

Perry asks his former partner, Pete Strickland, to help Paul get a job with the District Attorney, Hamilton Burger.

With all the financial restrictions and Paul’s new baby, he and his family have now moved in with his brother-in-law. Later in the episode, the family has a cookout for Paul’s birthday to which they invite Perry as well.

4. Who is Brooks McCutcheon?

Season 2 introduces us to a new character by the name Brooks McCutcheon. He is a businessman and the son of an oil tycoon, Lydell McCutcheon.

We quickly learn that he has a darker side as he is unfaithful to his wife and was also responsible for setting fire to a boat belonging to his father’s rival, thus killing dozens of innocent people who were on it.

Brooks’ big business idea is to bring a baseball team to Los Angeles. He spends most of the episode trying to find investors and an audience for the same despite his father’s continuous objection to the idea.

He is adamant about this plan and after much convincing, he manages to find people to invest. His father and Gene Holcomb, the corrupt LAPD detective from the first season, also put in some of their money but Holcomb indirectly threatens Brooks’ to make sure the plan doesn’t go sideways.  

Unfortunately for Brooks, he realises that things are not going to work out in his favour because baseball is not a big enough sport yet and the investors are not interested in making a team from LA.

By the time the episode ends, Brooks is found dead by a girl who was on a trip to the beach with her family.

5. What to Expect in Perry Mason Season 2?

We can say for sure that Perry Mason is going to get back into criminal law and have some part in the Brooks McCutcheon case. He will be the one defending the innocent victims of the boat incident.

As for Brooks’ death, there is a long list of people who could be responsible for that because there are a lot of people he cheated by getting them to invest in his baseball team. For all we know, the killer could even be his own father.

Della Street will as usual play a crucial part in the investigation. I bet we will also see Paul Drake making his way back to Perry’s firm and helping out with the big case this season.

Finally, the trailer for season 2 also gave us some glimpses of Perry spending more time with his son. Let’s hope their relationship gets better by the end of the season.

We still have 7 more episodes in season 2 so there’s plenty of time for all our questions to be answered. Episode 2 will release on March 13, 2023, on HBO.

6. About Perry Mason (2020)

Perry Mason is an American period drama television series based on the character of the same name created by Erle Stanley Gardner. It focuses on the origin story of famed defense lawyer Perry Mason. The series was developed and written by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald and stars Matthew Rhys in the title role.

Long before Perry Mason became the legendary lawyer that he was, he was a PTSD-ridden war vet struggling to find his place in the world. His first test as a lawyer was the gruesome killing of a child who was kidnapped and returned with his eyes sewn open. His next case is to reveal the true killer of Brooks McCutcheon.