For weeks upon weeks, dating back to the first half of this Matlock season, the "previously on Matlock" montage that opens every episode has been a consistent, albeit predictable, affair—so much so that it’s become a nostalgic TV theme song, whispering the show’s premise into our ears. A tale of how the law firm Jacobson-Moore hid documents that could’ve taken opioids off the market...and so on. But this week? The "previously" extends further, delving into more than just Matty avenging her addict daughter Ellie’s death. We’re reminded of Billy’s secret affair with Sarah’s archenemy Simone, Olympia’s career-defining class action suit against the alcoholic energy drink Slamm’d, and, most unexpectedly, a joke Matty made in the series premiere about buying butterscotch candies in bulk after turning 60. And then there’s the reveal that Matty’s sister Bitsy showed up at the end of last week’s episode.
Those last two items turn out to be intricately connected. For it turns out that the "Madeline Matlock" character that Madeline Kingston has been playing since episode one was inspired by Bitsy. The butterscotch, the Cindy Shapiro anecdotes, even the no-good philandering and debt-ridden dead ex-husband—all these are pieces of Bitsy’s life.
Matty’s imitation is not a form of flattery. When Edwin tries to placate his wife’s irritation at Bitsy’s visit by saying it’ll be good for "research," Matty snaps back, "Matty Matlock has substance underneath! My sister is a grown woman named Elizabeth who likes to be called ‘Itsy Bitsy.'" Madeline is easily annoyed by her sister’s incessant nattering about inconsequential things like gardening and baking, and she holds a lingering grudge against Bitsy because she once let Ellie hide out from Matty after rehab.
One of the smartest moves that Matlock creator Jennie Snyder has made in recent episodes is to show that Matty can be stubbornly misguided when it comes to her family. She demanded maybe too much of Ellie, perhaps too permissive with Alfie, and definitely overly dismissive of Edwin. Although she thinks Bitsy is dimwitted and naive, in this episode, her sister tells her things she never knew—namely that Bitsy skipped college because she was afraid their mother would relapse into alcoholism.
So while Matty considers herself to be an expert on addiction and Bitsy a sheltered neophyte, it’s Bitsy who notes that their mom became a food addict when she gave up booze, and it’s Bitsy who suggests that Matty herself is addicted to being righteous. After she discovers the Jacobson-Moore/Wellbrexa conspiracy board in the Kingstons’ home office, Bitsy asks her sister if she thinks about her mission every day and if she lies and sacrifices relationships to pursue it. If all these things are true—and they are—how can Matty say that she’s any different from Ellie?
I am captivated by Julie Hagerty's exceptional talent for portraying comic characters with a poignant undertone that resonates deeply. The revelation that Bitsy possesses a profound insight beyond Matty's, adds a sparkling zest to the domestic scenes of this episode. As an outsider, Bitsy poses the obvious questions that Edwin might shy away from (fearful of displeasing his wife, among other things). For instance, when Bitsy discovers Matty's Jacobson-Moore deception, she is astounded to learn that her sister has become deeply invested in the actual cases she's working on with Olympia. When Bitsy finds Matty working late on Slamm'd, she inquires, "Do you genuinely care about this case? Not just another ruse?" To be frank, I had the same question for roughly the first half of this episode. As I mentioned last week, Matty's recent preoccupation with memories of Ellie has hindered her involvement in the show's courtroom drama. This has been beneficial for Billy and Sarah, who were sidelined during the first half of this season. However, it has robbed some of the spark from the Olympia/Matty relationship, which - for better or worse, as we shall see by the end of this episode - is arguably the heart of the show.
Initially, Matty appears passive and unhelpful during this week's case. But she rallies by the end, delivering what turns out to be one of Matlock's strongest episodes from a legal drama standpoint. We commence by meeting Tucker Hoff (Leonard Harmon), a partially paralyzed former college football star who is the lead plaintiff in Olympia's Slamm'd suit. Tucker, blackout drunk on Slamm'd, once jumped out of a moving car. While he's doing okay now, Olympia needs him to be likable enough to win the jury's sympathy but not so cheery that they don't think he's suffered.
The trial scenes are beautifully written and staged, starting with the intertwined opening statements of both sides, producing a genuinely challenging debate. Is Slamm'd just a fun product, properly labeled with warnings of any potential dangers? Or is this drink - which contains five times the alcohol of similar canned cocktails, plus an unspecified amount of caffeine that can trick the body into missing the warning signs of intoxication - callously targeting impressionable young people with underdeveloped reasoning skills?
To support Tucker's testimony, Olympia wants to bring in Kennedy, the college kid from last week who accidentally killed a sorority sister. But Kennedy is hesitant. The ADA is planning to prosecute her because her victim's mother, Lydia Reed (Marley Shelton), needs to hold someone responsible for her daughter's death. Matty, of course, can relate to this feeling. So, for the first time in a while, she utilizes her Bitsy-inspired "Matlock" skills: homespun wisdom, empathy, and persuasion. Matty speaks to Lydia - a grieving mother to another grieving mother - and urges her to focus her anger on Slamm'd, not Kennedy.
The case hinges on Kennedy's testimony, as the teenager can provide a firsthand account of how the marketing reps for Slamm'd secretly distributed the drink at high school parties before it was available in stores. Her testimony carries weight, especially given Olympia's jury dilemma. Reluctant to work with Shae, Olympia enlists the services of an outside jury consulting team: the bickering Alli Glenroy (Kara Luiz) and Hayden Glenroy (Gabriel Bonilla). Despite this, Shae perseveres with her usual appraisal and research, uncovering that Juror 32 (Jim Hanna) pseudonymously penned multiple libertarian-styled blog posts advocating for personal responsibility. Shae believes Olympia should build their case around the idea that kids like Kennedy and Tucker were trying to make good choices but were manipulated and misled by the exploitative Slamm'd crew.
However, despite everyone's best efforts, the case spirals out of control. When the defense team unearths an old video of Tucker in high school shouting in agreement when a football teammate suggested they all get "so blitzed we can’t remember tomorrow," the kid decides to settle his case rather than continue the trial. Olympia is devastated. All her pro-bono social justice work was supposed to be funded by this class action against Slamm'd. If the case is dead, her dream of becoming a partner is too. Olympia confides in Matty about starting over in her own practice with Matty as her first hire.
This brings us back to Edwin and Bitsy's past warnings about Matty's obsessive nature, which can blind her to the bigger picture. Throughout this episode, Matty tries in her spare moments to trace Julian's movements on the day the potentially damning Wellbrexa documents arrived at the Jacobson-Moore offices. She has a scenario worked out in her head, where Shae warns Julian about the documents and he sneaks them into the shredding room. Except... Julian's key card was also logged as entering a women's restroom on the 25th floor and then entering Olympia's old office, 2523. Slowly, a different scenario - with Olympia as the villain - dawns on Matty.
The revelation that Olympia may have hidden the documents should be no surprise to any Matlock viewer who's been paying attention - or anyone who knows anything about how melodrama works. Nevertheless, this is a huge narrative pivot point. Can Matty take a step back, consider everything she knows about Olympia, and rethink her whole mission? Or is she so driven to finish the job that - yet again - she'll risk destroying the life of someone she cares about?
