Warning: spoilers for Matlock episode 3, “A Guy Named Greg” are in play. If you haven’t caught up with this week’s episode, you’ve been warned.
I know we’re still celebrating how Kathy Bates’ new Matlock reimagining has become a huge success on the 2024 TV schedule, but there’s even more news for celebration. Madeline Kingston’s long game has now been assured to go on a little longer, thanks to the announcement of Matlock’s early Season 2 renewal.
And in light of that news, as well as the fact we’re only in the third episode of Season 1, the events of this week’s installment hit a bit differently than they would have without that knowledge. That’s thanks to two unexpected turns that came to light, which we’re about to discuss in our examination of Episode 3, “A Guy Named Greg.” So consider this your last warning, as we’re about to learn more about this guy, what he did, and how it might affect Madeline’s quest for justice.
Olympia Has Become A Sympathetic Character Way Earlier Than Expected
Normally when you have an adversarial relationship like the one between Madeline (Kathy Bates) and Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), it’s something that tends to get played out over the long run. Tradition would see us watch this boss determined to win clashing with the lawyer eager to do right by the client, until eventually softening her in our eyes.
Then again, Matlock’s reimagining is far from traditional, and it only took three episodes for us to see the more human side of Olympia. Admitting she needs to lean on Madeline as an ace in the hole to win the wrongful termination suit on behalf of client Alejandra 'Alex' Ramos (Danielle Larracuente), we saw Olympia celebrate eventual victory with Matty after the case was won.
But that wasn’t the only human moment that Matlock gave her this week, as we actually saw her making some pretty huge personal moves at the end of “A Guy Named Greg.” As she seemingly broke off her relationship with Elijah Walker (Eme Ikwuakor), as well as addressing some outstanding issues with Sarah (Leah Lewis) and jury consultant/frenemy Shae (Yael Grobglas), Olympia has grown from the icy authority figure we’ve seen in the past.
It may not be enough to convince Madeline to try to find out whether she’s the cause of Matlock’s central twist, but it’s enough to make for compelling TV. Also, a quick aside before we continue: Shae needs to become a recurring character on the show. Not only does Yael Grobglas give Skye P. Marshall another formidable scene partner to bounce off of, but her "will she or won't she" scenes as a human lie detector against Kathy Bates would be a fine comedic punctuation that would add only more character to the show.
That Greg Story Madeline Shared Seems To Come From Actual Trauma
Madeline Kingston got her fair share of vulnerability this week as well, thanks to Matlock’s central character getting to try her first case in 30 years. What’s more, it seems that “A Guy Named Greg’s” legal battlefield hit close to home for Matty, which is where the name of this week’s episode came from.
In her closing argument defending Alex’s wrongful termination, which was seen as retaliation for her reaction to an instance of sexual harassment, Madeline told a story about her own personal experience with the subject. It’s in this moment of Matlock’s third episode that we see Kathy Bates’ character let down her guard, and make a case for why she felt this judgment was so important.
And it’s less likely to be a fraud, as during her prep for the trial at home we see her make an off-handed remark about Greg to her husband Edwin (Sam Anderson).
Matlock is a series that has been walking the tightrope of comedy and drama rather well so far, and these revelations helped ground “A Guy Named Greg” in some pretty serious territory.
How This Week’s Turns Could Complicate Things In The Future
Just as Olympia has been shown as more human than we thought, Madeline has a moment at the end of this week’s Matlock that shows she can be cold-blooded too. Even after discovering an inspirational voicemail from Olympia’s father stored on her laptop, obtained during the latest “Matlock twist of the week,” Matty reminds herself of something that her boss told her in a much lighter tone after winning this latest case: “We’re not friends.”
That statement could very well prove false by the time we get further into Season 1, if not into the newly announced Season 2. As Ms. Kingston continues to dig deeper into the mystery of who among Jacobson & Moore’s top three lawyers could be responsible for her daughter’s death; she does run the risk of becoming friendlier in her double life.
With that threat will ultimately come a choice over what’s more important: making friends, or seeking justice? Considering we’re even asking these questions of what seemed to be a garden variety reboot upon Matlock’s initial announcement, this feels like yet another reason why this legal drama has become an addictive smash hit.
That's even if the answer to that Matlock theme song question that's plagued my mind seems to be a pleasant "no." Unless the end of Season 1 revives it in full regalia, akin to how Casino Royale saved the James Bond theme until the very end of Daniel Craig's origin story. If that's what's being done here, I'll allow it. But I continue to implore CBS and the Matlock powers that be to, at the very least, give us a promo video that mimics the OG opening from the Andy Griffith days. And if you won't consider it for me, consider it for Jason Ritter's TikTok followers.
Matlock will return in “The Rabbit and the Hawk,” which will air next Thursday at 9 pm ET on CBS. Or if you happen to miss the episode when it runs, don’t forget you can jump over to your Paramount+ subscription and catch what you missed the day after! Until then, cue that OG theme music slide whistle, as court is adjourned!
