Matlock season 2 has a lot happening for its various characters, but what could Edwin bring to the table in season 2?
By now, everyone knows the big twist of Matlock’s first episode. Throughout it, Matty (Kathy Bates) claims to be a widow with her husband long dead after a lifetime of putting them in debt via gambling or drinking. The end of the pilot had the revelation that Matty was a rich woman going undercover at the Jacobson & Moore law firm to find out who there buried evidence of the dangers of opioid addiction, which could have saved Matty’s addict daughter.
It also turned out that Matty’s husband, Edwin (played by veteran actor Sam Anderson) was very much alive, he and Matty in love and raising grandsome Alfie. The pair were a good partnership with Edwin helping his wife in her quest for justice.
Edwin was under the impression that once Matty got the goods on Jacobson & Moore, she’d go back to retirement. He was even planning all the ways they could spend their twilight years together. But Matty declared that she’d become so enamored with helping people that she intended to continue as a lawyer, leading to an argument between them.
That was a big turn that will have to be addressed in Matlock season 2.
Edwin has good reason to worry about Matty in Matlock season 2
Speaking to TVLine, showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman shared that while there are no plans to break up Matty and Edwin, the pair need to come to an understanding of Matty’s desire to continue working.
“I mean, it’s a 50-year marriage, right? So they have to figure it out, and that’s what I’m interested in. But, how do you solve something in a long-term marriage when you say, ‘I want X and I want Y’ and they definitely don’t want X? Like, what happens? It’s the same thing as in a legal case when you get to a negotiable and you’re each non-negotiable. You still have to negotiate. So I’m interested in seeing how they get through that and what it leads to.”
Edwin understandably doesn’t want to spend his twilight years watching his wife carry on a legal career while he raises a teenager. He was already worried about Matty getting in too deep with her undercover job and the risks if she was discovered and that her obsession with avenging their daughter is overwhelming her reason.
For Edwin, this could be Matty going back to law just to escape the guilt over failing their daughter. He does love his wife and does want her to be happy, he just has trouble believing it’s by doing this. The challenge of coming together will be a big factor in season 2.
Edwin and Matt have to find common ground in Matlock season 2
A lot of Matlock season 2 depends on the fallout of the cliffhanger for the first season. First, there was Olympia finding out her ex-husband Julian was the one who buried the file and wrestling with whether or not to expose him. There was also a man claiming to be Alfie’s real dad showing up at Matty and Edwin’s doorstep.
The pair are going to bond to face Alfie’s dad and whether or not he wants to be part of his son’s life. If Matty ends up staying at Jacobson & Moore longer, Edwin will continue to support her, perhaps with more understanding of why Matty is doing this.
Season 2 can give Edwin a bit more focus, exploring his own past and his skills as he helps Matty out. It’s obvious the pair love each other deeply and if Edwin was willing to support Matty in this wild scheme to begin with, he can come around to her continuing to prove herself as a sharp lawyer aiding others. That would be good as the pair are better on the same side.
So, Matlock season 2 is going to push Edwin to be more supportive of his wife, and hopefully, they can come together to continue this hit series!
Matlock season 2 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS this fall.
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