Warning: spoilers for Matlock Season 1, Episode 18 - “Tricks of the Trade” are in session.
This week on Matlock…absolutely nothing new happened. Sadly, if you were ready on April 24 to open a bag of Werther’s Originals at 9 p.m. ET on CBS and catch Kathy Bates once more in the 2025 TV schedule, you would have instead found an episode of Elsbeth, a procedural that stars Carrie Preston and is definitely not a new installment of Matlock.
But if you caught the big Season 1 finale for Matlock, then let’s sit a moment and pore over some really hard questions that were left in the wake of all the cliffhangers.
Who Will Olympia Choose: Julian Or Matty?
Ah yes, the eternal question: who will Olympia Lawrence (Skye P. Marshall) choose - her ex-husband/father of her children Julian (Jason Ritter) or the “friend” who was recently outed as a mole (Kathy Bates)? That’s not as easy a question as you’d think, especially when the rash actions of a daddy’s boy indirectly led to the death of Ellie Kingston, Madeline’s departed daughter and mother to dear Alfie (Aaron Harris). Put a pin in this one, as another question down the line could tie into this very query.
Is That Matlock Visitor Really Alfie's Dad?
Speaking of the little scamp, “Tricks of the Trade” saw Matlock Season 1 ending with an unnamed man (Niko Nicotera) claiming that Alfie had reached out to him. This person also claimed that he was the father of the youngest member of the Kingston family, which is a thread that’s been weaving through a good number of Season 1 episodes. So of course the really big question here is whether or not this man’s claim is valid, in light of whatever his motives for the future may be.
Could Claudia Be Lying About Her Pregnancy?
Just when you thought your Paramount+ subscription was about to include an ad proclaiming the start of “Hot Billy Summer,” David Del Rio’s young legal professional was subjected to a rather huge revelation. Apparently his on again/off again hook up with ex-girlfriend Claudia (Bella Ortiz) has led to a potential Matlock baby in Season 2. But could this be a tactic she’s using with an ulterior motive?
She may have discovered Billy’s dalliances with Simone (Andrea Londo), and what better way to get someone back than to start a kinda/sorta/maybe family? We don’t know much about Claudia, besides that Billy worshipped the ground she walked on. And knowing how Billy’s romantic compass works, that could be a problem yet again.
What's Sarah Going To Be Like After Her Breakup With Kira?
Poor Sarah didn’t leave Matlock Season 1 unscathed, as she finally left her open relationship with her beloved IT tech Kira (Piper Curda). While she did win her first case in court, and her mentor is now a partner at Jacobson Moore, the lack of this romantic connection still has the potential to wreak havoc. That is, if Sarah gives herself time to breathe, instead of just working herself to the point of distraction.
Will Simone's Schemes Clash With Matty's Quest For Justice?
What’s worse than one mole sneaking around your workplace? Try two. Just as Matty is going to continue snooping around to blow the lid off of the Wellbrexa mystery, Simone wants to bring out Sarah’s clandestine actions that started with Matlock’s stressful Season 1 all-nighter and ended in a murder case. So while Sarah’s nemesis continues to look for whatever dirt she can find, there’s a chance that she could stumble upon Madeline Matlock’s own sneaky quest. And if Olympia betrays Matty, this could be another dangerous alliance that threatens to tear apart the entirety of Jacobson Moore.
How Much Of Julian Are We Going To See In Season 2?
Previously in my final Matlock Season 1 predictions, I thought that there was a chance that even if Julian was exonerated of all wrongdoing, his loss in the partner race would have sent him packing. However, thanks to this statement from showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman in EW, I don’t think that’s the case anymore. She said:
I’m really excited for new pairings. Unexpectedly, we have really fun material for Billy and Julian together, and that has led us into interesting places.
So just how much will fans see of Julian since he's going to stick around? Whatever the answer may be, it certainly leads to the question of what it means for Jason Ritter’s role in the new Max original series Lanterns. Also, why are Billy and Julian hanging out, and how likely is it that we’re going to see a “wingman” episode that follows their romantic lives? More importantly, what in the world does this mean about Olympia's actions after that incidental meeting at the safe deposit box?
Will Melanie Lynskey Finally Get Her Guest Starring Role?
Yellowjackets star and beloved actor Melanie Lynskey wants to be a Matlock guest star. No, there’s not much more to that statement, and quite frankly I don’t think there needs to be for it to happen.
With Season 2 poised to dive into tons of interesting scenarios in the world of New York law, there’s no limit to who the Beautiful Creatures star could play. Wouldn't it be funny if she ended up playing a potential love interest for her real-life husband Jason Ritter as now-divorced dad Julian?
There you have it: the seven main questions I have about where Matlock Season 2 could be heading. I’m sure if I dwelled on the subject a bit more, I’d be able to come up with a lot of follow-ups. For now, I think it’s time to leave these case files to rest, and maybe take some time to recharge the batteries.
Though if anything surprising happens to surface over hiatus or anything new can be determined by rewatching episodes on Paramount+, you can bet court will be back in session faster than you can spell “Wellbrexa” correctly. (Sorry for all of the past confusion, folks.)
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