Paul Drake (Chris Chalk), a police officer here, is Mason’s private investigator in the classic version. One of the new series’ better tweaks is to cast a black actor as Drake, and to create a strong subplot exposing the racism and corruption in the police department. As Drake grapples with choices about his own future – he is a cop but forbidden to handcuff a white man – Chalk gives the character a strength and sternness that make him almost as compelling as Mason