Matlock Season 2 Episode 1 Set A Slightly Different Tone Without Losing The Relationships That Made It A Runaway Hit

Critic’s Rating: 4.8 / 5.0

4.8

Welcome back, Matlock!

It seemed like everything was changing for almost every character when Matlock Season 1 wrapped up. Fortunately, the heart of the show is still the same.

Matlock Season 2 Episode 1 brought new challenges at home and work for Maddy, and I was here for every extremely emotional aspect of these conflicts.

The Mystery About Alfie’s Father Was Resolved Quickly, But This Story Is Far From Over

Kathy Bates always brings her A game, but Matty’s emotional conflict over Alfie’s father was even more special than usual.

I don’t think she ever truly doubted that he was Alfie’s biological father. She didn’t want to believe it because that might mean losing Alfie — and Joey was also a constant reminder of what she had already lost with Ellie’s death.

Ellie’s tragic backstory is what initially drew me to Matlock, more so than anything else.

A close friend died from drug abuse almost two decades ago, so I relate to her pain and the stories that have been told around it are cathartic for me.

This one was no different. I knew that eventually Matty would have to accept that Joey is Alfie’s father and that her reaction would break me when she realized it.

It didn’t disappoint at all. That scene where she explained the story she told people to try to make Ellie’s drug addiction less shameful, and how angry Ellie was about it, was one of the most heartbreaking anecdotes she’s told about Ellie yet.

It was sad but unsurprising that Joey was still using.

That’s a legitimate reason for Matty and Edwin not to want Joey to interact with Alfie, but I would be surprised if this is the last time Joey pops up in all of their lives.

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Alfie is curious about his father, so he may want to get to know him later in the season.

Plus, there would be little point to introducing Joey if he quickly faded into the background and was never heard from again.

Olympia’s Poor Decision Came Back To Bite Her, But I Hope Maddy Forgives Her Eventually

Maddy and Olympia’s relationship has always been complicated because Maddy wasn’t sure she could trust Olympia.

Olympia proved she couldn’t be trusted by hiding the Wellbrexa file instead of coming clean, but I think that points to the deeper problem: Olympia and Julian’s relationship.

Yes, they are co-parents, so they have to find a way to do that effectively, but Olympia’s loyalty goes well beyond that.

Her relationship with Julian is often toxic, but she can’t seem to walk away for good. His cheating on her wasn’t enough to do it, and now he’s got her covering for him when her loyalty should be to the truth about what Wellbrexa did.

In that sense, Olympia brought the fallout of her betrayal on herself, but I still like her friendshpi with Maddy and hope the latest rift can be healed someday.

Olympia can lie for Julian and sneak around all she wants, but she also can be the supportive friend who was there for Matty after Matty got Joey’s voicemail, and that’s what makes her relationship with Matty worth rooting for.

Plus, Edwin’s constant insistence that Matty was letting Olympia “suck her in” was getting on my nerves. It was cool that that last fight was staged for Olympia’s benefit, but his general attitude was aggravating me, and I want to like him.

Edwin and Matty have never been on the same page about her investigation into Jacobson Moore to begin with, and it often seems like this conflict will drive them apart.

Matty kept referring to being married for 49 years, so let’s hope they make it to 50.

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The Case of The Week Was Bizarre

I had a harder time getting into this case than usual.

For one thing, the girls were supposed to be 18, but they looked about 14 to me, which was distracting.

More importantly, this wasn’t the kind of socially conscious case Matlock often centers.

The case was supposed. tobe Julian’s, so it made sense that it was about two girls in trouble for a fire that started when they hosted an illegal party in a theatre.

That didn’t make it any more compelling, though. I hope there aren’t many more cases like that!

Matty’s trick with the gold balls, especially coupled with how it got her to be able to get the Wellbrexa file, made it worth it, though.

That said, I found Julian’s attempt to get his job back made little sense.

He basically asked Senior to let him work at Jacobson Moore so he’d have a more secure foundation for leaving the firm. Son or not, what boss would hire someone on that basis?

Still, Julian needs to be there so that Maddy can try to trap Senior, so I guess we have to assume Senior is ignoring the hole in Julian’s logic so that he can work with his son again.

It’s Your Turn Now..

I don’t want to be the only one talking about this show. That’s no fun.
Hit the comments with your thoughts about Matlock’s Season 2 premiere, and don’t forget to share this article with your Matlock-loving friends so they can join in the fun.

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If you like Matlock, check out our coverage of Elsbeth and Watson, the two other big CBS mystery shows this season. You might also enjoy Only Murders In The Building.

Matlock airs on CBS on Thursdays at 9/8c and streams on Paramount+ on Fridays.

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