YMMV / Perry Mason (2020)

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• Aluminum Christmas Trees: Less history-smart viewers might think the show may seem like it’s glossing over its Depression-era setting, but in reality Southern California actually was able to weather the brunt of the calamity much better than other parts of the country.
• Catharsis Factor: After several episodes of watching him get away with being a massive Smug Snake and get away with repeatedly breaking the law, constantly makes things worse for far more sympathetic characters just to serve his career, and blackmailing E.B. into suicide, it's immensely satisfying to watch Barnes have a Villainous Breakdown at the end of Season 1 after Perry gets a mistrial declared and tanks his chances of career advancement.
• Heartwarming Moments: E.B. and Perry talking about the day they met, when Perry was just a child in “Chapter 4”.
  Perry: You know, [my father] wanted me to see what a man who works behind a desk looked like.
  EB: And how do I look?
  Perry: As good as ever.
• Moral Event Horizon:
  • It’s unclear exactly when Barnes crosses it, but the most likely candidate is his entire smear campaign against Emily or blackmailing E.B. into suicide without a hint of regret. If he doesn’t cross it then, then he definitely crosses it when he has Emily’s matron falsely claim that Emily had confessed to the murder.
  • Emily’s matron also crosses it with the aforementioned false confession to the murder.
  • Ennis crosses it by participating in the kidnapping and killing the rest of the kidnappers in unnecessarily brutal fashion, while showing no remorse for the death of Charlie Dodson.
• Spiritual Successor: HBO, Prohibition, crime, police corruption, racism, old timey show business, Holier Than Thou hypocrites, World War I veterans, Tim Van Patten directing, Shea Whigham, Gretchen Mol, Stephen Root... we sure this isn't a Boardwalk Empire sequel?
• Tear Jerker: E.B. calmly committing suicide by poisoning himself with gas, and watching a hummingbird fly outside his window as he dies.
• They Changed It, Now It Sucks!: Inevitable for long-time Perry Mason fans, given the entirely different premise of the show and characters.
• The Woobie: Sister Alice is genuinely kind and selfless, but she's surrounded by predatory people who take advantage of her for her own gain (including her own mother, who has exploited her since childhood and used her as a prostitute) and her well-intentioned attempts to help Emily turn the public against her.

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