SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of CBS’ “Matlock,” now streaming on Paramount+.
The case is closed on Season 1 of CBS’ “Matlock,” which from its pilot episode set itself apart from the 1986-95 Andy Griffith legal drama. Rather than a simple, gender-flipped reboot, widowed lawyer Madeline “Matty” Matlock (Kathy Bates) joined law fim Jacobson Moore spouting downhome Southern wisdom, while displaying sharp legal skills — and quickly ingratiated herself with her colleagues. However, the big secret the audience was let in on at the end of the pilot was that Matty is really named Madeline Kingston. And rather than having to go back to work because her husband had gambled away all their money before he died, she was, in fact, a wealthy lawyer on a personal mission to find out who at the prestigious firm had been responsible for burying vital opioid documents from pharmaceutical company Wellbrexa that could have saved lives of addicts — including Matty’s deceased daughter, Ellie. Nor was Matty a widow: Her loyal husband Edwin (Sam Anderson) stands by her side to help, as does their intrepid tech-savvy grandson Alfie (Aaron D. Harris).
As Season 1 progressed, Matty tried to stay under the radar in her investigating, but along the way she was the one surprised to find she’d bonded with several of her colleagues, including fierce lawyer Olympia Lawrence (Skye P. Marshall), who was an early suspect, but was eventually cleared by Matty. However, one of many surprises in the two-hour finale, “Tricks of the Trade,” was that the guilty party in burying the evidence was Olympia’s ex-husband, fellow lawyer Julian Markston (Jason Ritter). This information was uncovered by Olympia herself, whose world was already tenuous, given that she’d revealed in the April 3 episode that she knew Matty’s name wasn’t Matlock and had been lying to her, and everyone else since joining Jacobson Moore. The fact that Matty and Olympia had become the closest of friends during that time also hurt her deeply.
Besides Olympia finding out Julian was the guilty party with the missing Wellbrexa file (the fallout of which will come in the second season), there were a few more finale shockers. So Variety grabbed time with executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman for our own investigation into all the surprises, and how they all will shape Season 2.
It was always the plan to do it early, and to see what happened after that, and to propel us further into the storytelling for the second season. We wanted to create an obstacle for these two women whose love story we’ve watched unfold. When we first pitched the season arc, that moment was in Episode 13. But as we got into the episodes, we just realized that as soon as that happens, everything changes between the two women. We wanted more time before that happened with them actually falling in love and having more time together, and going and getting drunk in a bar.
Because once this happens, the balloon has deflated, and we have to start to blow air into it again in all different ways. So we ended up pushing it further than we thought, and it ended up feeling like the right time to do it. We had 18 episodes, but I still had more story. I called the studio and asked them if they wanted a two-part episode, because there was a way to do it economically, but that also would let the finale breathe and really service all these characters that we have come to know, and that everyone would have their moment in it. And the studio said yes.
Courtesy of Sonja Flemming/CBS
You have to think of the ending, and you have to commit to it. So you think about the second season enough to know that you want to go in those directions. So I had done that enough to know, “OK, I’m going to want to explore these things, and commit to those.” Then you want to take a little bit of time off for your brain. Then, before the writers’ room, I like to think about the big moments and turning points, like, “This is when this is revealed, and this is the spine. This is where we’re going to start and end, and here’s where we’re going to land ultimately.” Then we start to plot them out, and it’s a really detailed process.
I end up pitching it to the studio and the network. It takes about an hour, and it really goes through every episode, and we stick pretty close to it. You do all the intricate plotting when we’re building the structure, and then, of course, you still open up every episode and you’re finding the arc and the mini-arcs, and all the dynamics. We take two solid weeks at the beginning of the season, and we break the whole season.
I said it to the studio at the beginning — and to Kathy and Skye at the beginning — this is a love story between Olympia and Matty. That is what this is, and it’s epic. So they’re going to be together, and then they’re not. And they’re going to long for each other, and they’re going to have all of the contours of an epic love story — but it’s about friendship. Friendships are rare and life-affirming, and we are going to give weight to that in the show.
Courtesy of Robert Voets/CBS
I’m so glad you asked that, because Kyla [Plewes], our editor of that episode, was like, “I think this needs a needle drop.” I know Kyla loves needle drops, but we don’t use them a ton on this show. We listened to a few, and we were like, “No, no, no.” And then she was like, “I just have one more for you to listen to.” She played “Silver Springs,” and it was just like, “Kyla, oh, bless you.” She was so right.
At the beginning of the episode, Olympia is so angry and betrayed and hurt. And Matty is saying to her, “Two things can be true, I did lie to you, and I also loved you.” That is so important to her. They really are true. But to Olympia, in her mind, Matty is dead to her, but over the course of the episode, Matty gives her some tricks of the trade, right? It was living in Matty’s shoes. And because of that, Matty is hopeful that Olympia will see that it is hard. You can love someone and you can have to manipulate them if the need is great enough.
Matty also says to Olympia to aim where her it hurts, and Olympia does that with Julian. And then also with Matty, when Olympia says, “Let me go to the bank alone. Think about your daughter. If our friendship meant anything to you, you will let me go.” It’s exactly what Matty wants to hear. But is Olympia being truthful to her? Are Matty’s own tricks being put back on her? And that’s the question, but Matty doesn’t know. Is there a chance back for their friendship? Or is Olympia manipulating her there? And does Matty deserve that?
Courtesy of Sonja Flemming/CBS
Yes, we wanted every character to have a big moment. And for Sarah [Leah Lewis], she’s been wanting to have a case. We saw the way that Matty’s plan affected Sarah’s career in Episode 10 when Sarah was going to be chosen for this case — Matty was about to be found out, so she pivoted to Billy [taking the case]. Matty sees her striving and starting to get insecure, and part of the collateral damage has been Sarah. So it was a way to give a big moment for the character and one she’s been waiting for all season. Matty wants Sarah to win, because she knows that she took away this other opportunity for her.
Yeah, we debated it in the writers’ room. Would it be Senior? Would it be Julian? We knew it was going to look like Olympia at the worst moment — and then it wasn’t going to be Olympia. We knew that Matty would be relieved, and then Olympia would unmask her. We were thinking it would be Senior, but it just kept feeling like, in terms of our characters, what would put the most people in the maximum amount of pain and conflict, and actual deep turmoil and moral dilemmas? Which makes for great TV.
Courtesy of Robert Voets/CBS
The way Jason delivered that scene, he made us understand that Julian made this huge mistake. He’s felt so bad about it. That’s why he kept [the documents]. It’s his telltale heart, and he’s trying to be a better. I felt for him so much because of who Jason is, and how he really humanized this character that was really privileged and had a lot of faults, including cheating on his wife, [Olympia]. He has all these faults, and yet we still like him. Julian’s a character that wants to be better, and then when he’s under a lot of pressure, he goes for the easier thing.
Kathy and I talked about Alfie’s father in the pilot, and when he would be brought in. I said in the finale, and she says, “Okay, because I have the perfect actor for him,” which is who we cast. His name is Niko Nicotero. He and Kathy had worked together on “Richard Jewell,” and she had these great scenes with him. She said, “He’s fabulous, and is deep and interesting and layered.” Say no more, Kathy Bates.
With the father, if it’s him or not, is the question. But it also could come with memories of Ellie that they didn’t have access to, and moments of joy, too. I want to explore some of the joy of who she was as well. But it destabilizes the whole home environment, which is Matty’s safe haven.
They resolve it, or they come to an agreement. I’m not going to say how and why, but it’s fun. They come to an understanding of sorts around Episode 4 [of Season 2]. And that agreement and the understanding starts to lead to new avenues of comedy and drama. I’m so excited for their storyline. I can’t say more. There’s so many spoilers but, you know, once you answer a problem, it opens up new problems, so it’s not going to be the same problem the whole time.
I can answer it. You don’t have to worry. It works. We know what the plan is for the next season, and we’re not losing Matlock and her folksy persona. Who that character is is important and the way that the plot plays out over the second season enables us to do all of the things. It’s exciting! I’m excited about it.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
