Warning: SPOILERS ahead forMatlockseason 1, episodes 18-19, “Tricks of the Trade.“Matty (Kathy Bates) is facing some potentially major hardships afterMatlockseason 1’s ending, but one of her previous rivals may actually be facing a much more immediate threat. Much of theMatlockseason 1 finalerevolves around Matty’s attempt to win Olympia’s (Skye P. Marshall) favor, a task made difficult by the fact that the father of Olympia’s children turns out to be responsible for hiding the Wellbrexa documents. Going intoMatlockseason 2, it’s uncertain whether Olympia will side with Julian (Jason Ritter) by destroying the documents or pursue justice by turning the evidence over to Matty.
If Olympia sides with Julian, she could blow up Matty’s entire revenge scheme. Although it’s revealed that Matty Kingston legally changed her name to Madeline Matlock in order to avoid any direct accusations of fraud,Matty still told several lies that could jeopardize her position with Jacobson Moore. But she’s not the only one in a precarious position right now, and she might find her story intertwining with that of another key figure fromMatlock’s cast of characters, who once sought to bring her down.
Matty’s Job Could Be In Jeopardy At The Start Of Matlock Season 2
Olympia Still Hasn’t Proven Herself Trustworthy
Kathy Bates might benefit fromMatlock’s 2025 Emmy chances, but her character’s own career doesn’t currently look as promising. Even if Olympia doesn’t hide the evidence against Julian in the Wellbrexa survey cover-up, she still poses a significant threat to Matty. Although she is able to conceal her suspicions about Madeline after finding clues such as her ice cream punch card,Olympia isn’t otherwise portrayed as a particularly skillful deception artist. That could make her a terrible person to trust with a secret as significant as Matty’s.
Supposing that Olympia doesn’t intentionally betray Matty, she could still wind up giving her secret away. She raises suspicions with Sarah (Leah Lewis) and Billy (David Del Rio) when they find Matty’s phone in Olympia’s purse during Matty’s unlawful imprisonment. Matty is able to throw them off the scent, buta person like Senior (Beau Bridges) would likely be far less easy to convince if Olympia said or did anything to make him suspicious. But while Olympia could put Matty at risk, whether intentionally or not, another employee at the firm is facing a rival who’s more explicitly out for blood.
Sarah’s Job Is In Even Worse Straits After The Matlock Season 1 Finale
Her First Solo Client Might Also Be Her Last
Given her ambitious personality, it’s hardly surprising that Sarah decides to sign her own client without going through Olympia first. Unfortunately,signing gym owner Dino (David Fumero) could prove more detrimental than beneficial to Sarah’s career. As showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman tellsTVLine:“You can’t take a case in a giant law firm without going through the proper channels…it’s a fireable offense, so that’s what’s at stake.” To make matters worse, Simone (Andrea Londo) is actively snooping into how Sarah acquired that client. According toMatlock’s Sarah actor Leah Lewis:
Simone is going to make so much trouble, which breaks my heart! Sarah has been working her ass off for one thing this whole season and finally gets it, but of course the way she went about it [was wrong]. It makes sense why Simone and Sarah are in such competition. Only Simone would sniff out Sarah that way, and Sarah would have done the same exact thing to Simone. I’m excited to see Simone pull out that intensity from Sarah, and see them fight tooth and nail.
It’s not clear how Simone might use the information she’s getting from Dino, but she and Sarah have been at each other’s throats since beforeMatlock’s first episode. Since it’s clearthe true villain ofMatlockis Senior,going over Olympia’s head would be the obvious way for Simone to ensure that Sarah receives consequences. However, Simone might also be savvy enough to realize Senior’s a bit shady himself, and he might not care too deeply in light of Sarah winning the case. But Simone’s crafty and she may not give up until she’s found a way to hurt her rival.
How Sarah And Matty’s Stories Could Connect In Matlock Season 2
They Both Need Clever Allies Right Now
It’s not easy to imagine Matty volunteering her secret to anybody else right now, especially Sarah. Matty stealing Sarah’s chance to work a case that drew on her personal experiences with an ailing grandmother barely flew under the radar as one of themost heartbreaking moments ofMatlockseason 1, andSarah resented Matty so much for the betrayal that she joined Shae’s (Yael Grobglas) mission to figure out what Matty was hiding. Sarah’s tenure as a possible villain was short-lived, but Matty would be foolish to think that she could trust Sarah after that.
However, the last thing Matty needs is another colleague digging into people’s secrets. Simone could eventually become a threat to Matty as well, whereas Matty could cement Sarah as an ally by helping her get Simone off her back. Moreover, having Sarah learn Matty’s secret inMatlockseason 2 could change the shape of Sarah’s ambitions at Jacobson Moore, which could make for some rather interesting new character growth. But whether they join forces or not, it’s clear that both Matty and Sarah will have to watch their backs when the series continues.
Matlock
Cast
Matlock (2024) follows the return of Madeline Matlock, a brilliant septuagenarian, to a prestigious law firm. Utilizing her unassuming demeanor and astute strategies, she navigates the legal world to win cases and uncover corruption. The series draws inspiration from the classic television series of the same name.
