What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1494073
T2 WHATS UP! March 5 - 11, 2023 TV FEATURE BY DANA SIMPSON TV Media A mid a jazzy Christmas celebration on a dark Los Angeles street in 1931, a fedora-clad man cradles a bundled blanket, its woolen plaid bright under the light of a single streetlamp. As the music turns somber, a grav- elly voice comes over the tele- phone to instruct a local grocer and his wife, both shaking with fear, to leave $100,000 on the desk behind them and meet an approaching streetcar. The opening scene to "Perry Mason" is neither easy to watch nor easy to forget, yet it's been nearly three years now since this pilot aired. Thankfully, fans of the series led by Matthew Rhys ("The Americans") no longer have to wait: Season 2 premieres Monday, March 6, on HBO. While the title "Perry Mason" may sound like just another cop drama named for its leading character, viewers of a certain age may well remember other- wise. The original series, creat- ed for CBS in 1957 and starring "Rear Window" (1954) actor Raymond Burr in the titular role, followed defense attorney Ma- son throughout his slog of cases as he worked his magic to clear each client while always manag- ing to expose the real criminal in the process. And while there are many similarities between the two shows beyond the name, HBO's version is quite a bit edgi- er than its CBS counterpart. In HBO's "Perry Mason," Ma- son is a private detective operat- ing on the streets of Los Angeles in the early 1930s. Bedraggled and downtrodden following his time serving abroad in World War I, Mason has since returned home to a failing America; a country crippled by loss of life, financial devastation and deep- seated corruption. Sadly, the L.A. police force is also deeply affected. Determined to make some cash while helping people in need, Mason tries to set his own personal troubles aside to focus on the heart of the matter: justice. As a result, Mason even- tually turns to a career in law in order to help his clients to the best of his ability. The first season's eight epi- sodes center largely on the kid- napping of baby Charlie Dod- son, mentioned above. To avoid spoilers for those not yet im- mersed in the L.A. noir series, suffice it to say that the season unfolds with suspicion falling on little Charlie's parents, Emily (Gayle Rankin, "GLOW") and Matthew Dodson (Nate Corddry, "The Circle," 2017); the members of their evangelical church, including Sister Alice McKeegan (Tatiana Maslany, "Orphan Black"); and several others in their community, all of whom have the financial motive to extort $100,000 from the cou- ple during the Depression. Moving forward into Season 2, it's 1933 and Mason finds him- self thrown headfirst into a new case for another eight-episode run. This time around, the legal situation at hand is much more House Ad 5 x 5 continued on page T10 Matthew Rhys is "Perry Mason" L.A. Noir Did you know those images are available for purchase? IT'S EASY! Just scan the QR code below to visit our website where you can search for the photo/s you want and order prints (many print options to choose from, including canvas). Check it out today! Did you see a photo in our newspaper or on our website that you would love a copy of? Scan QR code for photos!