By a wide margin, Perry Mason’s Chapter Thirteen is the best episode so far, to the point where it practically becomes a new show. Far from being a terrible thing, it wasn’t before! Yet this episode has such a strong sense of everything coming together nicely, from the character drama to the investigation to the cross-examination in court, that it’s safe to conclude the program has at least entered a new phase.
Perry Mason Season 2 Episode 5 Recap
Why Did the Gallardo Brothers Kill Brooks Mc Cutcheon?
We learned for sure in Episode 4 that Brooks McCutcheon was really killed by the Gallardos. But the question still stands: Why? We are aware that they got a sizable sum of money. We are aware that their marksmanship instruction was paid for and that they were given the opportunity to accept responsibility in the most direct way possible. Whether you are guilty or not, a setup is obvious.
The reasons the Gallardos had such justifiable resentment towards Brooks are explained in Chapter Thirteen. Their entire village had to be forcibly relocated in order to build his stadium. To urge compliance, the cops rode into town after receiving presumably payment and set the neighborhood on fire. The Gallardos sister was killed in the midst of the commotion.
Already, the brothers wanted to murder Brooks. It was merely a bonus that someone would pay them to do it.
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How Does Perry Win Over the Jury?
In court, Perry is essentially up against the impossibility. The Gallardos would be in danger even if they were guilty, thanks in part to Fightin Frank stirring the conservative populace. But they’re not, as we all know. Perry’s task is therefore challenging.
Yet the problem with racist rage is that people frequently overreact to it. Perry can easily be made fun of because of his well-known reputation as a softie, even when testifying. He is casually referred to as Mr. Maggot by prosecution witnesses, and the audience even laughs when they do so. Perry, however, seems unconcerned. The lawsuit appears to be a hatchet job the more he is personally assaulted and denigrated.
He also has a powerful card. Perry has noticed that Mateo’s fingerprints’ photo negatives have the numbers in the wrong order. Do you remember how, in Chernobyl, Jared Harris expertly explained nuclear fission to the audience in a way that made for gripping television? So, it’s essentially the same.
The entire scenario strikes the perfect balance between conveying the significance of the data without coming off as patronizing and Perry’s deduction’s brilliance without making him sound overly intelligent.
It is implied that Mateo’s fingerprint was found at the scene of the crime. by the police, perhaps? The jury will not ignore the judge’s last instruction, Perry teases Della as he settles back down.
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Perry Mason Season 1 Episode 5 Ending Explained
This episode has plenty of hearty cheers, but it concludes on a string of unfavorable and eventually scary notes.
Paul is forced by Perkins to beat the brakes off of Ozzie Jackson, the man who hired the Gallardos to kill Brooks, forcing him to seriously consider who he is (on someone else s orders.) One night, as he and Clara go into bed, he tremblingly queries, “Am I good?”
Hazel confronts Della about playing away from home, but Della is too scared to admit the truth even though Hazel is already aware of it.
Finally, when Perry gets home, he finds his son’s train set idlely chugging a lighted cigarette, indicating that someone had just just gone inside to communicate with him.