Warning: spoilers for Matlock - Season 1, Episode 6 “Sixteen Steps” are in play. If you haven’t watched this particular case just yet, you’ve been warned.
My friends and fellow Matlock viewers, we’re still in the middle of our mini-drought in the 2024 TV schedule. With the Kathy Bates-led ensemble dramedy on a bit of a hiatus, we have to wait until December for a new episode. But that doesn’t mean our collective jaws aren’t still on the ground after Madeline “Matty” Matlock has been shifted to big pharma like she’s always wanted. However, fans have apparently become concerned with this shift.
I can’t blame them, as it still feels like we’re getting used to “Team You Three” acting as a unit under the watchful command of Olympia (Skye P. Marshall). Fans don't have to worry too much, though, as Marshall told TVLine:
No matter what Julian and I go through, we have processed all the different obstacles of working together, and we’re able to put those challenges, whether they’re personal or professional, to the side for the sake of the firm and the sake of the client. So you will still see Julian or Madeline needing my assistance, or me needing theirs. That connection won’t end just because Madeline shifts to big pharma.
Skye P. Marshall, TV Line
At the end of Episode 6, “Sixteen Steps,” Madeline Kingston (Kathy Bates) saw her hard work pay off with a reassignment to work with one of Matlock’s potential big bads – senior partner Julian Markston (Jason Ritter). So now, on top of the enduring question about whether Julian's image is really as squeaky clean as it seems, how will this change affect Matty's relationship with her work family?
Apparently, it won’t change things all that much, and part of that is due to the natural path of Matty's development. Director Kat Coiro’s Episode 6 comments to CinemaBlend confirmed as much, as she enlightened our own Laura Hurley about the discussions that saw this change introduced into Matty’s life.
Which is good news, as I'm still invested in how the respective romantic quests of Sarah (Leah Lewis) and Billy (David Del Rio) continue to play out. As those threads have also helped build out the world of Matlock's narrative environment, deeper investment in such characters make the potential day where Matty reveals her truth even more tense to follow.
With Skye P. Marshall's insistence that the Jacobson Moore family will still feel connected, this big shift has taken Matlock’s “weird” reboot status and redefined it in a way that keeps things interesting. Whether you’re waiting for the next chapter to debut, or if you’re looking to get into the Welbrexa mystery with a quick catch up, there a way you can catch Kathy Bates’ record breaking CBS hit.
At the moment, you can stream the first six episodes through a Paramount+ subscription, and keep in mind that new episodes will be on the platform the day after they air. Matlock will return to CBS on Thursday, December 5 at 9 p.m. ET with Episode 7 - “The Belly of the Beast,” a title that takes on a whole new meaning in light of Matty’s recent professional developments.
