Rome, in a Day

This promising series quickly settles into a pattern: Mattlock dealing with difficult current cases at the firm, getting to know and deal with the personalities of her co-workers, all the while plotting to get the goods on whichever of her bosses is guilty of covering up evidence back in the unfolding days of the Opioid crisis. A fun touch has her precocious young grandson helping her out, especially with computer matters.

Sharp dialog helps propel the fast-paced details of the case (and Matlock's cute tricks), concerning a young man charged with murder, who's mom is important to the law firm due to an ongoing big class action case.

The murder mystery unfolds in quirky fashion, with plenty of red herrings and plot twists, all the while permitting Matlock to display her ability to get information out of witnesses in unconventional ways. Significantly, we also get to see Kathy Bates' vulnerable side as she tortures herself, still feeling responsible for her daughter's death from drug addiction.

The case is fairly trivial, but with some interesting twists in the usual whodunit formula. Segment's ending is delightful, as it returns to Matlock's main objective in clever fashion.

Ep 2 of Matlock finds Madeline tackling a seemingly straightforward case with a suspiciously tidy resolution, and that's kind of the problem. Kathy Bates continues to own the courtroom, exuding quiet authority and dry humour that keeps things watchable, but the case-of-the-week plot feels a touch too neat and wrapped up without much dramatic tension.

There are a few nice character beats, particularly between Madeline and her young associates, but the script leans more procedural than personality this time. You sense the writers still finding their rhythm: not every supporting character quite lands yet, and the twists feel undercooked.

That said, it's still leagues above average legal fare, thanks largely to Bates' sheer presence and a directorial style that doesn't overplay its hand.

The episode ends with a small tease of a larger mystery, which might be exactly what this show needs: a stronger spine beneath the weekly cases.