[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for the Matlock Season 2 premiere, “The Before Times.]
Matlock Season 2 picked up right where the first season left off: The mystery of Alfie’s so-called father. Niko Nicotera appeared in the Season 1 finale’s last seconds, claiming to be Alfie’s (Aaron D. Harris) father. As promised by creator Jennie Snyder Urman after the Season 1 finale aired, the premiere revealed if his claims were true by the episode’s end. But in true Matlock fashion, there was a twist as the episode closed out. The premiere also revealed Olympia’s (Skye P. Marshall) intentions to protect ex-husband Julian (Jason Ritter) in the Wellbrexa scandal and try to pin it on his father, Senior (Beau Bridges).
Viewers learned the name of Nicotera’s character, Joseph Danza, in the opening moments. A protective Matty (Kathy Bates) had told husband Edwin (Sam Anderson) to take Alfie out of the house immediately while she grilled Joey about his paternity claims. She also asked why he emailed after Ellie’s (Marnee Carpenter) funeral, if not to try and get in touch with Alfie. As it turned out, Joey had no idea Alfie existed until the 14-year-old reached out to him.
Joey emailed the Kingstons after Ellie’s funeral because he wanted to give them her iPod, who left the device with him when he last saw her. Joey met Ellie when they were both struggling with substance abuse, and he didn’t know her name for the first few months they were around each other; he only knew her as “Karaoke.” Eventually, they fell in love, but Ellie didn’t tell him she was pregnant. Joey claimed that he’s been sober since 2021, and he shared private details about Ellie’s history with opioid addiction and how her struggles started.
Joey consented to a DNA test, and all Matty needed was seven strands of his hair. He obliged, and the first twist of the premiere came with the results. Joey is, in fact, Alfie’s biological father. What Matty didn’t tell him was that she had his DNA tested for signs of drug use, and it confirmed that Joey isn’t sober. Now, Matty and Edwin have officially left “the before times” again; life will never be the same for them now that Alfie’s father is in their lives.
The other twist involved the Matty-Olympia feud. A sneaky scene in Olympia’s brownstone made viewers think that Matty didn’t find the Wellbrexa document locked in a safe in Olympia’s coat closet, but a call with Edwin was really a decoy. While Matty set off a distraction in another scene on another day, she was able to get into the safe and steal the hidden study. The episode ended with Matty contacting a New York Times reporter to reveal her evidence of corruption at Jacobson Moore.
What did you think of the Matlock Season 2 premiere twists? Let us know in the comments below.
Matlock, Regular Air Time Premiere, Thursday, October 16, 9/8c, CBS