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After a three-year hiatus, HBO's Perry Mason finally returns for its second season. This series is the latest work about famous criminal defense lawyer Perry Mason, a character who was first created by author Erle Stanley Gardner. Whereas other tales about Perry Mason start with the character as an idealistic lawyer, this adaptation is a gritty origin story set in Depression-era Los Angeles and follows Mason, played by Emmy-winning actor Matthew Rhys (The Americans), as a morally grey private investigator who eventually becomes a lawyer in a last-ditch effort to salvage a case he's working on. Even though it was originally conceived as a limited series, HBO announced in 2020 that Perry Mason would indeed be renewed for a second season. We've created a handy, easy-to-read guide that answers all the questions you may have about Perry Mason Season 2, including when it's being released, who's in it, and what it's about.
Editor's Note: This piece was updated on February 8, to include the latest trailer.
Watch the Perry Mason Season 2 Trailer
The first trailer for Perry Mason Season 2 was released on December 7, 2022, giving fans a glimpse of what to expect from this new season.
The full trailer for Season 2 was released by HBO Max on February 8, 2023. The 2-minute and 40-second spot gives us a much better and more in-depth look at the plot for this season as Perry Mason prepares to go back to the courtroom for another murder trial, despite still being haunted by the events that occurred in Season 1.
When Will Perry Mason Season 2 Premiere?
The first episode of Perry Mason Season 2 premieres Monday, March 6, 2023, at 9 PM EST on HBO and HBO Max. Subsequent episodes will air every Monday until April 24, 2023, when the season finale airs.
How Many Episodes Will Perry Mason Season 2 Be?
Just like the first season, Perry Mason Season 2 is made up of eight episodes.
Who Is Making Perry Mason Season 2?
The Knick showrunners Michael Begler and Jack Amiel are replacing Ron Fitzgerald and Rolin Jones as showrunners for this new season of Perry Mason. Tim Vat Patton, who directed most of Season 1 and is credited with bringing 1930s Los Angeles to life, serves as an executive producer for Season 2 alongside Amanda Burrell, Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Joe Horacek, and Matthew Rhys as well as Begley and Amiel.
Season 2 also features an entirely new line-up of directors that includes Fernando Coimbra (Narcos), Jessica Lowrey (Halo), Marialy Rivas (La Jauría), and Nina Lopez-Corrado (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Coimbra directed Episodes 1 and 2, Lowrey directed Episodes 3 and 4, Rivas, directed Episodes 5 and 6, and Lopez-Corrado directed Episodes 7 and 8.
The other writers of Season 2 have not yet been revealed, but we'll update this page once the information is available.
Who's in the Cast of Perry Mason Season 2?
In addition to Rhys, much of the cast from Season 1 returns for Season 2 including Juliet Rylance (The Knick), Chris Chalk (When They See Us), Shea Whigham (Take Shelter), Diarra Kilpatrick (American Koko), Eric Lange (Escape at Dannemora), and Justin Kirk (Weeds).
This season will also introduce several new characters played by Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice), Hope Davis (Synecdoche, New York), Jon Chaffin (Blindspotting), Fabrizio Guido (Mr. Iglesias), Peter Mendoza (From Scratch), Onahoua Rodriguez (Hawaii Five-0), Jee Young Han (Superstore), Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings films), Tommy Dewey (Casual), Paul Raci (Sound of Metal), Jen Tullock (Jen Tullock), Mark O'Brien (Ready or Not), and Wallace Langham (My Dinner with Hervé).
Who Are the New Characters in Perry Mason Season 2?
Katherine Waterston plays Ginny Aimes, an optimistic schoolteacher who works at the school that Perry's son attends, and her company might even uplift both of their spirits, even during the Great Depression.
Hope Davis plays Camille Nygaard, an exemplary and elegant business leader who becomes a companion for Perry's legal partner Della (Rylance).
Jon Chaffin plays Morris, the brother-in-law of Perry's new partner Paul Drake (Chalk) and who he and his wife Clara (Kilpatrick) move in with after she has recently given birth.
Fabrizio Guido plays Rafael Gallardo, a troubled artist whose reputation is threatened when he and his brother are accused of murder and face execution.
Peter Mendoza plays Rafael's brother Mateo, who is also in danger of being executed for a murder he didn't commit.
Onahoua Rodriguez plays Luisa Gallardo, Rafael and Mateo's aunt who enlists Mason to help prove her nephews' innocence.
Jee Young Han plays Marion Kang, Perry's new legal secretary.
Sean Astin plays Sunny Gryce, a grocery store owner and one of Perry's new clients who is a firm believer in the American Dream.
Tommy Dewey plays Brooks McCutcheon, a member of LA's wealthiest family who aspires to rise to the top.
Paul Raci plays Brooks' father Lydell, a self-made oil tycoon.
Jen Tullock plays Anita St. Pierre, a successful screenwriter who becomes close with Della.
Mark O'Brien plays a highly motivated Deputy District Attorney who will do anything to make it big.
Wallace Langham plays Melville Phipps, an attorney for a wealthy oil baroness.
When Was Perry Mason Season 2 Filmed?
Production on Perry Mason Season 2 began in Los Angeles on January 5, 2022, and officially wrapped on June 14.
What Is Perry Mason Season 2 About?
According to Whigham, who plays Perry's former partner Pete Strickland, Perry Mason Season 2 is set in 1933. It starts with the title character's firm taking on civil cases rather than criminal justice cases. That means Drake is working on his own--at least until the main crux of the season kicks into high gear. Whigham also mentioned that Perry is once again "in the soup," meaning that he's in trouble. He doesn't go into specifics, but perhaps Mason is still haunted by his experiences in World War I? Perry did have a drinking problem in Season 1, and 1933 is the last year of the prohibition.
HBO also released an official plot synopsis for Season 2 if you want to learn more:
Months after the Dodson case has come to an end, the scion of a powerful oil family is brutally murdered. When the DA goes to the city's Hoovervilles to pinpoint the most obvious of suspects, Perry, Della, and Paul find themselves at the center of a case that will uncover far reaching conspiracies and force them to reckon with what it truly means to be guilty.