There is usually some sort of big buildup to find out what the main secret of our lead is. That’s not the case with Matlock. We quickly get into the secrets.
The trailer made it clear that Matty was up to something. The promo using the Britney Spears lyrics “not so innocent” as the camera focused on Kathy Bates’s face made that exceptionally clear. The question was always what she was looking for.
Honestly, I expected to have to wait a few episodes. I’m so glad that we got the details right away.
Madeline Matlock isn’t a Matlock after all!
It turns out that our lead character isn’t even called Madeline Matlock. She isn’t a widowed grandmother raising a teenager all by herself with no money. She wasn’t in a loveless marriage, and she doesn’t actually need to work.
There were two parts of her story that were true, though. Her daughter did die, and she does raise her grandson; but not by herself.
Matty is actually Mrs. Kingston, and she has a very loving and devoted husband back at her large home. She has a personal driver, making it clear that she’s not poor. And yes, the two are raising their grandson, but he’s not a bratty child. He’s actually doting on his grandmother.
Rather than choosing to use her own name since that could be connected back to her daughter, she and her husband chose to use the name Matlock. They were both fans of the original TV series, especially his way of taking justice into his own hands. I love this twist, and now Matty’s mention of “like the TV show” in the trailer makes so much sense. The clue was there for us!
Matty is after justice for her daughter and others in Matlock
It turns out that Matty wants something from the law firm, and it is linked to her daughter. Her daughter died of an opioid overdose, and Matty holds the law firm responsible. Someone prevented the opioids being taken off the streets a decade earlier. Had that not have happened, countless of people could still be alive.
Matty isn’t just after justice for her daughter. She’s after justice for those who died of opioid overdoses when they didn’t need to.
We know Matty is using her age as her superpower. She’s not just using it in a courtroom, but also in her working life. I can’t wait to see how all this unfolds.
Matlock returns on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 9/8c on CBS.
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