After learning that the Gallardo brothers were responsible for the murder of Brooks McCutcheon (in Season 2, Episode 4), Perry Mason was reluctant to make it to the first court hearing. Since he knew the truth, he struggled to find a way to defend them. With a little push from his new lover, Perry makes it to the courtroom. His strategy was simple: he focused on convincing the jury that the prosecutor was portraying a whitewashed image of Brooks and that the man’s past could be of interest. He was aware that it was not enough to keep the brothers away from the noose, and he was desperate to find another name to direct the blame for Brooks’ murder.
Spoilers Ahead
A Sudden Deal And Planted Evidence
After the opening argument, Perry was quite surprised by the deal offered by Hamilton Burger. Surely, there was something that had shaken the DA’s confidence. The man was not ready to budge at all when Perry requested that he come to an agreement, but here he was with a deal that guaranteed life imprisonment for the brothers. It was a safer option than a death sentence, but Perry was confident that if they could find out what Burger knew, they might be able to negotiate for better terms. After discussing the deal with the brothers, Rafael agreed with Mason’s strategy, whereas Mateo was not quite sure about it. They were well aware of the power that the McCutcheon family held, and the brothers’ hatred towards the family stemmed from a bitter past. The Gallardo family and the other occupants of the quarters were forced to evacuate so that the McCutcheon Stadium could be constructed on the property.
The McCutcheons set fire to the building, and in the rush of the moment, Mateo and Rafael did not realize that their baby sister had been left behind. Even though Rafael walked into the fire to save Rossana, it was too late. The brothers could not forgive the McCutcheons for taking away their little sister and their home. When they were handed the opportunity to take down Brooks McCutcheon, they readily agreed to it. They were needy and desperate, and whoever was behind it all knew about the brothers’ past and their condition to use it to their advantage. They could either accept the deal or provide Perry with a name that he could use to get to the bottom of the mystery; they chose the latter. The man who got them the job was Ozzie Jackson, and Paul Drake started to investigate him.
The prosecutor, Tom Milligan, attempted to prove to the jury that the fingerprint retrieved from the steering wheel of Brooks McCutcheon’s car matched that of Rafael Gallardo. He had the evidence and the perfect witness, but he did not have Mason’s craftiness as described by Hamilton. While pouring himself a drink, Mason realized that the fingerprint image was reversed. He proved to the jury that Rafael could not possibly hold the steering wheel backward, adding that such a fingerprint could only be obtained if it was planted by the police or the prosecutor. While the judge asked the jury to disregard Mason’s comment, both Mason and the prosecutor knew that it would remain etched in the minds of the jury members. After realizing what Mason was capable of, Tom Milligan discussed with Pete his friendship with Mason. Clearly, Tom intends to use Pete to get to Mason, and Pete will not mind doing so for the right price.
What Did Paul Drake Find Out From Councilman Taylor? Who Was Ozzie Jackson?
Mason and his team were convinced that Brooks had some connection with Noreen’s present condition, and they hoped to find out the truth from Noreen’s brother, Councilman Taylor. The man refused to provide any detail about his sister’s connection with the McCutcheons. He went on to repeat that his sister’s condition was the result of a car accident, and the only connection between her and Brooks was that she worked for his company. When Paul hinted at how it seemed to be more than just that, considering the McCutcheon stadium was in his district, he was quite offended. He resorted to racist remarks to express his irritation and disgust upon being interrogated by a Black investigator. Clearly, there was a lot more than what he was willing to say, and it is possible that Noreen was a victim and her brother was compensated by the McCutcheons.
Ozzie Jackson was the middleman involved in the murder of Brooks McCutcheon, and as luck would have it, he belonged to Perkins’ crew. After being unable to find his guy in Converse shoes, Paul gathered up his courage and walked into the hotel Perkins operated from. Paul caught his attention by sending over the pictures that implicated him. He offered a deal to help Perkins walk free from his charges, and in exchange, he wanted Ozzie Jackson. Perkins, by now, knew that Ozzie did not give him his share for the operation, and he, too, wanted him to suffer the consequences for it. While Perkins did not readily agree to the deal, Paul soon received a call from him.
Ending Explained: What Information Did Paul Get Out Of Ozzie Jackson?
Perkins demanded to know the man who was responsible for tarnishing his image in exchange for handing Ozzie Jackson over to Paul. Paul did not have any other option but to admit that he was the man who had followed Perkins and taken the pictures. Paul admitted that implicating Perkins was not his motive, to begin with, and he promised not to testify against him in court. His promise was not enough for Perkins, and Paul was asked to punch Ozzie for answers. Perkins wanted Paul to lose his moral high ground, and in that moment of desperation, Paul was forced to get violent with Ozzie Jackson.
After a few punches, Ozzie revealed that he did not know the name of the man who asked him to get the job done. The man’s wife was a heroin addict, and she would score two or three times every week. The man found out about it and paid Ozzie to stop providing his wife with drugs. That was the last time Ozzie saw the man before he visited again to plot the murder of Brooks McCutcheon. Ozzie was paid ten grand to execute the murder, and the brothers were paid two out of that. The wife never came back to score again, and Ozzie believed that it meant that she was perhaps dead. After finding out that the wife drove a Lincoln blue, Paul had all his answers, and he refused to get any more violent with Ozzie. But Perkins was not done with Ozzie, and Paul went on to beat the man to win Perkins’ trust. Paul left his job as a policeman to live a life of honor, or at least to have some control over his life, but all the shady businesses that he had to get involved in left him wondering if he was a good man.
Meanwhile, there is a mysterious stranger keeping a close eye on Mason’s team. The man followed Mason when he visited the Gallardo family in Hooverville, and later we watched him follow Della Street and Anita as they entered an underground lesbian club. Surely, there is someone waiting for the team to make a mistake, and Street’s sexuality might be used to discredit them. When Mason entered his apartment after spending a romantic night, he noticed that someone had intentionally set up the model train he bought for his son and left a burning cigarette along with it. The stranger wanted Mason to know that he was following his every move, and Mason could either protect the people he held dear by giving up on the case, or he could face something truly ominous.
So, to sum it up, there is a heroin addict whose husband paid Ozzie; we also have Noreen’s brother, Councilman Taylor, who is hiding something from Mason; there is a mysterious stranger following Mason and his team (he is perhaps working for the someone); there is Mr. Crippin, a close associate of the McCutcheons who was involved in the murder of Charlie Goldstein; and there is, of course, Lydell McCutcheon, the father of Brooks McCutcheon, who is desperate to protect the image of his son and his company. The list of suspects is expanding with every episode, and chances are they will all be linked in one way or another in the end. Episode 5 of “Perry Mason” Season 2 not only keeps the interest going, but it also adds to the tension and the drama.
