This is That Moment

Ep 12 finds Matlock firing on multiple cylinders, merging a heated custody case with simmering office rivalries.

Olympia and Julian land on opposite sides, turning professional debate into personal strain, and that clash gives the legal drama sharper edges than we've seen in weeks. The courtroom material is taut, layered with strong ethical questions, while the undercurrent of workplace manoeuvring keeps the tension alive beyond the bench.

Kathy Bates continues to anchor the show with subtle power, but this hour also deepens Matty's home life, particularly shining a light on her relationship with her daughter. The personal arc brings a fresh vulnerability, reminding us that her resilience in court is often fuelled by private battles at home. It's a thread that grounds the legal theatrics in something more intimate and affecting.

By blending professional stakes, personal fallout, and family truths, this episode proves how good Matlock can be when it embraces complexity on all fronts.

We have loved this show-- until the last episode and this one. WHY is the director allowing the character Sarah to have become such a loud, rude, obnoxious person?? A bit of tension is always good, but her role has become so obnoxious that she is ruining everything. She is an over-acting scene stealer! The director must think that's cool since her scenes are generally accompanied by kind of odd music that is apparently supposed to be humorous. I hope things improve because we love Kathy Bates and the show in general. But this non-sensical over-acting has gotten so annoying that we groan at times. Kathy Bates is just a treasure, and she deserves an outstanding supporting cast. I hope Sarah's role will with be eliminated or seriously toned down.

With a dozen episodes released, "Matlock" has built up an audience and with #12 it moves into serious territory: exploring Matty's guilt feelings regarding her daughter's death. With a fine cliffhanger ending, this episode takes the viewer into previously secret territory, close to the bone.

Flashbacks feature the character of Matty's deceased daughter (played by Marnee Carpenter, in her second appearance in the series), and paint Matty in a bad light for dramatic purposes. With her husband, Matty wins custody of their grandson in court but she may live to regret it.

That is paralleled with a complicated custody battle in the present where exes Olympia and Julian end up as opposing counsels. David Aguilar and Hennah Sekander's script stretches credibility in order to emphasize the past and present circumstances' similarities, leading to strong reactions by Matty and setting up family issues for her in future.

Meanwhile, co-worker Sarah (Leah Lewis) commands the show's center of attention (apart from Matty, of course) and even must deal with an old female rival from college who shows up on the opposing counsel's staff. With various rivalries and entanglements all vying for the viewer's attention, it is ultimately Matty's issues that carry the most emotional impact.