The mystery surrounding the death of Brooks McCutcheon continues to build in episode 3 of “Perry Mason” Season 2. Della Street’s night classes come in handy as she assists Mason with past cases and quotes to make a strong argument for the Gallardo brothers. Mason demands more time to prepare for the case, while the prosecutor argues for a faster trial. The judge orders the court case to begin after three weeks. Mason further demands separate trials for the two brothers, and the judge grants his demand. With only three weeks on hand, Mason has to find enough evidence against Brooks McCutcheon to build his case. The past continues to haunt Mason, making him often question the decisions he makes in the present.
Spoilers Ahead
Noreen Lawson
In the second episode of “Perry Mason” Season 2, an unidentified man slipped a paper into Brooks’ wallet, which Mason later found while going through the evidence box. The number written on the paper was that of a sanitarium housing facility, San Haven Home, and Mason was determined to find Brooks’ connection to it. It is obvious that someone wants Mason to dig up Brooks’ past. Is the death related to a dark past, or is it merely a distraction? Perry and Della met the owner of a rival oil company, Camilla Nygaard. Della met Nygaard briefly at the Los Angeles Philharmonic concert and was quite impressed and inspired by her success in running her business independently. Camilla Nygaard had known Brooks since he was a little boy. Nygaard was honest about Brooks’ hollowness and went ahead to compare him with a French realist painting. Brooks’ unsuccessful business ventures were no secret.
The gambling ship was not the only disaster; the stadium he had built was funded by the bank, and he was unable to pay the debt. Nygaard refused to help Brooks when she learned that he was doing it all without his father’s knowledge. She believed it was too risky for her to step in. Mason mentioned the San Haven Home in passing, unaware of the reaction his one question would garner. Camilla made it clear that she would not encourage a discussion around rumors. Though, while doing so, she gave away the girl’s name. Was it a clever move or simply an unthoughtful slip? Camilla Nygaard is surely a character to look forward to in the “Perry Mason” world.
Mason headed to the San Haven Home and inquired about “Miss Lawson.” The patient concerned was not allowed any visitors, so Mason managed to create a distraction and enter her room. He came across a picture of Lawson and her brother “V.” Later, he tried to introduce himself to Noreen, but she was lost in another world. Evidently, whatever the patient faced was traumatic, and it left her unresponsive. It is possible that her condition is closely connected with Brooks McCutcheon. With a few pictures of the patient and the room, Mason had a lot of figuring out to do to understand the connection. The brother might have all the answers he is looking for, but will he be willing to talk to Mason?
Lydell McCutcheon
Lydell McCutcheon is busy covering the tracks of his son. When one of Brooks’ creditors came to him hoping to settle a debt, Lydell chose to teach him a lesson without any hesitation. The man’s face is left distorted, acting as a permanent reminder to never disclose any information he had on Brooks McCutcheon. Lydell’s men got hold of Mason at his office and brought him to meet Lydell. Perry’s investigation into Brooks is surely not sitting well with him, and he warns Mason of it. It seems Lydell wants the secret behind Noreen Lawson’s condition to remain buried.
On the one hand, he is protecting the name of his son and the family he left behind, and on the other, Mason is standing up for justice. Lydell puts into question Mason’s sense of righteousness by bringing up the unfortunate death of Emily Dodson in the conversation. Lydell was aware of Mason’s emotional attachment to the case, and he reminded Mason about the ultimate result that the legal battle led to. The Gallerdo brothers belonged to a minority community, and Lydell believed that proving their innocence in court would not miraculously change their lives. They would continue to be treated as second-class citizens in their own country. Such questions have often kept Perry up at night, but the effort that Lydell was putting in to protect the name of his son further intrigued Mason’s interest in the case. While Lydell promised to go dirty if it ever came down to it, the madness to know the truth has already set in for Mason.
Season 2, Episode 3: Ending Explained – How Does Paul Drake’s Discovery Affect The Case?
Paul Drake traveled to Hooverville to meet the Gallardos, but upon reaching the town, the sound of gunshots caught his attention. He followed the sound and found two children aiming to shoot a rat in the dirt. A man in the slum was in the business of selling firearms, and Paul decided to borrow the guns to clear his doubt. He fired shots and examined the bullets from each of the guns. He was taken by surprise when he found a match between the bullet and the picture of the bullet recovered from the crime scene. Upon questioning the man about Rafael and Mateo, he immediately panicked and pointed his gun at Paul. Paul was half expecting such a situation, and he managed to tackle it. The man’s reaction confirmed Paul’s doubt. From what it seems, the brothers did borrow a gun from the local gun dealer. Since the bullet matched the one recovered from the crime scene, it indicates that the same gun was used to murder Brooks. All the evidence pointed at the brothers now, and it surely was not looking good for Mason.
Perry, at last, told Della of Emily Dodson’s passing. Della was surprised that Mason chose to keep it a secret for three months and allowed the guilt of being unable to save Emily to consume him a little every day. He never took the letters Emily wrote to him seriously. He was annoyed by the constant reminder of how he won the case but failed her. After learning about her death, he thought about all the ways in which he could have saved her life, but it was all too late. After spending months working on only civil cases without knowing the actual reason behind the decision, Della was mad at Perry. She was his partner, and she was disappointed that he chose to deal with it all by himself. Mason was not a man who would discuss his feelings, even when there was a storm building inside of him. He raged at the unjust world; he believed it was his duty to bring a balance to the way justice functioned, and at the same time, he was mostly disappointed in himself for not doing enough. His face reflected how defeated he often felt as a lawyer, and he did not wish to feel the same way as a father. He wanted to be there for Teddy, but he often struggled to channel his emotions. He hoped his son would associate him with all things fun and exciting, but in the end, he left Teddy slightly scared and with some incomplete homework to finish the next day.
Episode 3 of “Perry Mason” Season 2 ends with a possible connection between the Gallardo brothers and Brooks McCutcheon. Though the truth might be a lot more complicated than just that. Noreen Lawson seems to be a crucial piece of the puzzle, and the image of Brooks McCutcheon is only days away from being completely tarnished in court. The introduction of Camilla Nygaard hints at a larger rival conspiracy at play. The second season hits all the right notes with the old-world charm, the jazz, and the murder mystery at its center.
