Disgruntled, weary, and injured, Perry Mason enters the civil court to address another civil dispute. Season 1 of “Perry Mason” ended with Mason winning his first case, and in Season 2, episode 1, it seems that was the last time Perry felt good about his job. Maintaining an office and paying off E.B. Jonathan’s debts became his primary focus. Della Street made an arrangement with Mason in the last season; she wanted to work as a lawyer after earning her degree, and she stuck to her words. Mason and Street managed to pay off E.B.’s debt, and they were in a position to hire a secretary. Even though the office was now well maintained, and cases were won, there continued to be sadness in Mason’s eyes.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happened To Emily Dodson?
At the end of “Perry Mason” season 1, Emily Dodson joined Birdy McKeegan and adopted the baby found on the street, calling him Charlie Dodson. She was so convinced that her baby would be resurrected by Sister Alice that even when she noticed that the baby did not have Charlie’s features, she decided to ignore it. We learn that Emily had written several letters to Perry Mason after she was declared free. She had lied to herself about Charlie, but she could not continue to live a lie much longer. She missed her baby, and every day she was left wondering what her freedom meant to her. She was free, yet she was living her worst nightmare. Emily Dodson committed suicide by drowning. Everything that she valued in life was taken away from her, leaving her with a deep sense of emptiness. Perry had nightmares after he received the news of Emily’s death. Even though he was a good lawyer, he could not really help Emily.
After the Dodson case, Mason chose to deal with civil cases instead of criminal ones. They needed money to keep their office afloat, and Mason believed it was a necessary shift. But clearly, working on civil cases did not excite him. He was an investigator before becoming an attorney, and he missed that element of thrill in his professional life. He is now forced to defend a grocery store owner, Sunny Gryce, whose ruthlessness shocks him as well. As a talented attorney, he manages to win the case against his former employee, Mr. Purtell, but in the end, he is left wondering whether justice was truly served. Mason was aware of the financial condition of Mr. Purtell, and even though he was just doing his job, he was bothered that it conflicted with his ideals.
Who Is Brooks McCutcheon?
Brooks McCutcheon is the son of business mogul Lydell McCutcheon. A married man, Brooks enjoyed playing torture games with other women behind his wife’s back. He was obsessed with building a baseball team in Los Angeles, though Lydell did not agree with his proposal. Lydell was disappointed with the way his son handled his business. He was instructed to take care of the Luxe, but instead of dealing with them quietly, he blasted the entire ship in the middle of the night, garnering attention. He wanted his son to be more responsible, but all he saw in Brooks was a child who wanted to do things according to his own whims and fantasies. After the incident, he strictly asked Brooks to stay away from his position at the company and to put a stop to his interest in gambling. It goes without saying that he was absolutely against Brooks building a baseball team. But Brooks was not ready to simply stop building what he thought was revolutionary. He truly believed that he would be able to bring companies to advertise at the stadium he had built, but Lydall assumed that it was another half-baked fantasy of Brooks. He instead wanted Brooks to focus on his family, and the charity works that he believed were enough for Brooks to earn his name.
At the McCutcheon Soup Kitchen, Brooks announced that he would be bringing a major league baseball team, and they would be playing at the McCutcheon stadium. He believed that it was only fair that the city they lived in was represented in the major league, and he wanted to gift the common people of the city a team they could root for as well. Lydell was not too pleased to hear his son’s announcement, but he left the kitchen without much protest. Brooks was proud of proving to his father that he had indeed stuck to his plan and made it a reality. We later learn that Gene Holcomb, the crooked detective from “Perry Mason” season 1, was involved in lighting fire on the Luxe. Brooks had employed Holcomb’s men to do the job. Holcomb worked closely with Brooks and brought him information from the police department. There were boatmen who had witnessed the incident, and Brooks had to be extremely careful about what he shared with the police. But Brooks was confident; he believed that the Luxe fire could not harm them. People would flock to their sailing party instead. Holcomb had invested in the business with Brooks, and he wanted to make sure that the business was in no way harmed.
Season 2, Episode 1: Ending Explained: What Happens To Brooks McCutcheon?
Brooks McCutcheon attends the evening party on his ship to discuss his baseball plans with Walter Crippen. But to his disappointment, no one was ready to move their team to Los Angeles to play at the McCutcheon stadium. It was the 30s, and Los Angeles was still a developing city. The teams were not ready to move to the West for a major league. But Brooks refused to give up; he was confident that Los Angeles was the perfect city for baseball, and he would prove it by forming a baseball team. He was hopeful that if he could bring the owners of the teams to Los Angeles and show them around, they would be convinced to bring their team. His associates realized that Brooks was beyond logic and reasoning, so they reluctantly agreed to his proposal and left. After getting in his car, Brooks realized that he had Blake’s baseball card with him. As he started the engine of his car, someone pointed a gun at him.
The next morning, when a group of children was playing by the beach, a little girl walked up to Brooks’ car and found him lying dead inside. Brooks was shot in the eye, and the little girl was left screaming for her life. We can expect “Perry Mason” Season 2 to primarily focus on the mysterious death of Brooks McCutcheon. Brooks surely was not the most likable character, and the killer at this point could be anyone—a friend, family member, lover, or business associate. Since Perry Mason now only deals with civil cases, what will make him take an interest in the McCutcheon case?
The first episode of “Perry Mason” Season 2 also witnesses a budding romantic interest between Della Street and the woman she met at the powder room, Anita Pierre. While Della is in a relationship with Hazel, their romance seems to have fizzled out. She was initially unsure about contacting the stranger, and maybe it was Hamilton Burger’s remark on the dullness of her life that made her dial the stranger’s number. Meanwhile, Mason finds work for Paul Drake after discussing his situation with Pete. Since Mason was only working on civil cases, Paul did not have much work on his hands. Pete offered him a job; he had to keep a close watch on Melvin Perkins since the DA’s office had knowledge that “someone” wanted to take him out. Hamilton wanted his men to report to him about the people Perkins engaged with to avoid any unwanted situations.
While the creators have changed, the flavor of “Perry Mason” remains the same. Season 2, episode 1, begins with a complex case at hand, and this time with a business mogul’s family at the center of the drama, making it all the more engrossing.
