Warning: SPOILERS for Perry Mason Season 2, Episode 5, a.ok.a. “Chapter 13” are forward!
Perry Mason Season 1 noticed Gayle Rankin’s Emily Dodson being placed on trial for the dying of her toddler son, Charlie, and whereas viewers in the end knew that she didn’t have something to do with the crime, her story nonetheless had a tragic ending. For Season 2, it’s brothers Rafael and Mateo Gallardo, respectively performed by Fabrizio Guido and Peter Mendoza, who the HBO present’s title character is defending, besides in contrast to Emily, the Gallardos dedicated the crime for which they’re on trial: murdering philanthropist Brooks McCutcheon. The brothers’ actors have now shared their reactions about this massive twist to CinemaBlend, as nicely mirrored on taking pictures the Gallardos-focused flashbacks in Season 2’s fifth episode.
I had the pleasure of talking with Fabrizio Guido and Peter Mendoza forward of tonight’s Perry Mason episode, however earlier than asking them about how “Chapter 13” progressed their characters’ arcs, I wished to find out how they reacted after they realized that Rafael and Mateo shot Brooks McCutcheon. They voiced their ideas thusly:
“Peter Mendoza: It felt like for some time, it was stored below lock and key. We knew some specifics of somebody died and certainly one of us perhaps holds a duty, however we don’t know. And so it was very a lot Casablanca; like each episode was a brand new embellishing of the historical past of how we acquired right here, so perhaps that was why they did that, to create this truthfulness from us in order that we didn’t give away any specifics about how we acquired right here… All these concepts had been being thrown round, so we simply didn’t know which space we had been going. It was like an enormous, complete jigsaw puzzle, however on the finish, it was thrilling, it was surprising, it was stunning, and it was like, ‘Oh, however what can we do with this now? The place can we go? How does that affect our efficiency happening?’
Fabrizio Guido: I used to be shocked, I used to be excited for the sequence, I used to be excited to observe how the storyline would play realizing that I knew it was going to take us right into a path that fueled extra pleasure for us. We acquired one thing greater to chew on, one thing greater to chunk on with the sequence. However clearly as quickly as I head that, I used to be like, ‘Okay, I’ll see you guys, I’m gonna go do some character work and attempt to determine this out, as a result of I do know it’s about to be an enormous enterprise.’”
So we all know for a proven fact that Rafael and Mateo shot Brooks McCutcheon, however what hasn’t been revealed is why. Whereas the Gallardo Brothers initially claimed they did so as a result of their try and rob Brooks went fallacious, it was revealed on the finish of “Chapter Twelve” that Mateo had hidden $2000, i.e. the sum of money he and Rafael had been paid to hold out the killing. Matthew Rhys’ Perry Mason now has that cash for safekeeping, and he, Della Road and Paul Drake additionally realized in “Chapter 13” that the brothers had been paid to for the hit by Ozzie Jackson, a intermediary for an unknown man who has a drug-addicted spouse. So whereas just a few extra items of this puzzle have fallen into place, we’re nonetheless a methods off from seeing the finished picture.
“Chapter 13” was additionally notable for offering some tastes of what Rafael and Mateo’s lives had been like earlier than they killed Brooks McCutcheon, beginning with a flashback to when Mateo proposed to his girlfriend Sofia on the development web site for McCutcheon Stadium as Rafael watched. Right here’s what Peter Mendoza and Fabrizio Guido needed to say about their expertise taking pictures this uplifting second:
“Peter Mendoza: It felt like we had been simply youngsters in a playground, and all people was simply taking pictures us. For thus lengthy, we had both been working on the jail or within the courtroom with Matthew Rhys and Chris Chalk and Juliet [Rylance], however right here was an opportunity for us to have enjoyable, play, let go, present extra about our characters that perhaps we’re additionally discovering on the identical time. So it was like we had been enjoying tag and operating and hiding, and it was simply so thrilling that we had the entire coliseum to ourselves, and the way it was so massive and overwhelming, and but so awe-inspiring. I felt to a lot gratitude as a result of that complete night time was a lot enjoyable, it didn’t really feel like work. So simply the prospect to the touch on completely different features of the humanities, this household that’s simply attempting to do what they’ll to outlive, making guarantees that perhaps they’ll’t maintain as a result of they know that they want one another. So right here was a second when as a lot of the chaos of the world is beginning to come down on them, they’ll take pleasure in little moments of respite, of religion that’s promised for the longer term, one thing to look ahead to. I used to be beautiful simply to have the ability to share that.
Fabrizio Guido: What caught with me was actually that pleasure that we present in that second, and this sense of, like, issues are unhealthy, however I felt like there was this second of… nicely, life goes on. You deal with the best way you’re feeling, however for them, life goes on, and we’re going to search out the enjoyment on this second and make the perfect out of it. As a result of that’s what these individuals do, they’re resilient, they usually discovered that pleasure in that second. Mateo had the intention to suggest, and I knew that. We knew it was a particular night time.”
However with the nice comes the unhealthy, as McCutcheon Stadium was being constructed the place the Gallardos used to dwell, and Perry Mason Season 2, Episode 5 confirmed how the household and their neighbors had been forcibly pushed out of their properties. This flashback ended with Rafael and Mateo’s little sister dying within the fireplace that burned their group to the bottom and left Rafael with the scar on his neck from his try and rescue the lady. The actors stated the next about what it was like taking pictures this intense sequence:
“Fabrizio Guido: It was a vital second as a result of… that second is my emotional justification to go forward and participate on this homicide. That’s one thing that we really feel justifies why we do what we do. It was additionally the second the place I’ve the scar that stays with me eternally, the second the place I lose my little sister. It was such an enormous scene and simply being there, you simply really feel the historical past and the way these items have truly occurred all through historical past. You’re dwelling this second and also you simply comprehend it’s essential and also you wish to do the perfect job. In scope, it was so grand. I’ve been saying earlier than that having the ability to watch Peter, the police, the hearth, my mom screaming, realizing I’ve to run again for my little sister, that is all occurring on the identical time, it’s not one thing that was carried out very remoted. This scene simply unfolded so it was this lovely, virtually like a large second the place you’re on this second and also you get to soak in and expertise all the things, versus simply being tight and simply performing, however no, this was all truly occurring.
Peter Mendoza: I feel the chaos of all of it was insane. There was a lot occurring, there was plenty of buildup as a result of we didn’t shoot this till the night because the solar was happening. So we had plenty of time to simply gestate and sit with what was about to occur. And I feel in our personal means, we had been all attempting to arrange for what this referred to as for, and but whenever you had been there, it felt really easy to simply fall into the desperation, the sacrifice. Right here I’m specializing in my future spouse, and but I neglect my sister and my obligation because the older brother. Our mother and pop, they’re taking a look at us to have the ability to maintain the household, and I drop the ball. Then my little brother goes in to run after her, and I understand after which I am going in too late, and the one one which I can save is him, however I can’t save him from the scar that each jogs my memory of my incapacity and his lack of safety. To know that we’re now within the jail all the time confronted with that reality that we can’t let go, we failed. I failed, I failed all of them, I didn’t do my obligation as a result of I used to be specializing in what I assumed was essential to me [and] Sofia, however but I uncared for my household that now I’m virtually having to make up for it due to what occurred that day.”
Peter Mendoza added that Perry Mason’s depiction of the Gallardos and their neighbors being “ripped” from their properties is an correct reflection of how Latino Individuals had been handled through the Nice Despair, particularly in Los Angeles. Fabrizio Guido then famous how all of the freeways which might be current in LA had been a results of communities being “torn aside” throughout this era in historical past, so there was a “enormous duty” for the individuals engaged on the HBO sequence to correctly present such a second. So now viewers have extra context behind why Rafael and Mateo agreed to kill Brooks McCutcheon, and there are three episodes left to go for the remainder of this thriller to be solved.
New episodes of Perry Mason premiere Mondays at 9 pm ET on HBO and may be streamed afterwards with an HBO Max subscription. Maintain observe of different present small display programming with our 2023 TV schedule.
