(Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
This cursed year is drawing to a close, but at least Kathy Bates’ charmingly formidable lawyer Madeline “Matty” Matlock is back on TV. As her character’s quest for justice begins to have personal costs, it sure feels good to watch the veteran actress flex her character acting skills in a starring role.
There’s a reason why folksy underdogs like Matlock make for some of the most memorable characters on procedural television. From Columbo to Jessica Fletcher and, yes, Andy Griffith’s original Matlock, there’s something undeniably satisfying about watching these figures’ unconventional methods challenge the power and rigidity of traditional institutions.
CBS’ Matlock reboot is well-aware of this beloved archetype—in the pilot episode, Kathy Bates’ titular protagonist introduces herself to her new law firm coworkers by bashfully adding, “Like the old TV show.”
Throughout the series, Matty becomes an ace up her firm Jacobson Moore’s sleeve, weaponizing our culture’s tendency to ignore and underestimate older women to her advantage. This talent doesn’t stop at the courtroom door, either—in Season 1’s biggest twist, it was revealed that Matty isn’t actually a penniless widow dreaming of making it in the big city. In reality, she and her kindly professor husband Edwin (Sam Anderson) moved with their grandson Alfie (Aaron Harris) to New York just so she could infiltrate Jacobson Moore. She believes that the firm is responsible for covering up documents about the opioid epidemic that she believes could’ve saved her late daughter Ellie’s life.
At the end of Season 1, Matty confronted her boss Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) after discovering that Olympia’s ex-husband Julian (Jason Ritter) hid the documents at the request of his father Howard (Beau Bridges), a Jacobson Moore managing partner. As understandable as Matty’s desire for justice is, so, too, is Olympia’s initial hesitation about helping put her children’s father behind bars in the process. Their strained relationship is the heart of Matlock’s Season 2 premiere, which debuted Sunday night, as both have second thoughts about jeopardizing their friendship to protect their own personal agendas.
It’s an episode of theatrics even more so than usual, both on and off the clock. (“Are we suing a theater?” Matty quips at one point. “Because one time I saw a modern interpretation of As You Like It, and I think I have a strong case for intentional infliction of emotional distress.”)
This week’s case centers on a pair of teenage girls accused of arson when their high school theater goes up in flames after they broke in to throw a party. One of the girls—and therefore, one of the law firms representing them—seemingly betraying the other isn’t a subtle metaphor for Matty’s own unsuccessful attempts at convincing Olympia to join her as a whistleblower, but it is an effective one.
Outside of court, there are enough twists, turns, and admirable amateur acting attempts to sell out a community theater for weeks. The best deceptions are rooted in truth, a truism Matty puts into practice early on. After tearfully admitting to her friend that she once lied to acquaintances about Ellie being introduced to opioids after a swim injury rather than at a party, Matty gets close enough to notice a home safe security key in Olympia’s bag.
And remember that terrible As You Like It production that Matty mentioned? It turns out that Edwin co-starred in it. Ironically, that love of the theater makes Matty’s husband an unlikely perfect partner in crime as she attempts to out-maneuver Olympia. Yes, the couple are dealing with actual drama after a man claiming to be Alfie’s father turns up at their doorstep. That doesn’t mean they can’t set aside their family drama to stage a dramatic phone call to throw Olympia off their trail before Matty swipes her key.
As Matlock creator and executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman previously told The Daily Beast, the show is defined by contradictions.
There’s a nostalgic comfortability to watching a 19-episode network season obviously filmed across several soundstages. At the same time, the chemistry between Bates and Marshall makes the looming threat of these two women’s falling-out feel genuinely wrenching.
Getting to watch Bates cycle through comedic charm, aching vulnerability, and stony formidability across the span of an episode is a treat, and a reminder that Matlock is, thankfully, a late-career project worthy of her talents.
Will things between Matty and Olympia inevitably get messy? Absolutely. But no matter what happens between them, it’s good to know that, despite technically being a reboot, Matlock remains throwback television in the best way.
The post ‘Matlock’ With Kathy Bates Is So Good. Are You Watching? appeared first on The Daily Beast.
