Matlock

If you are thinking you are going to watch a retread of the old Matlock series, you are in for a big surprise. My The writing is on point and you will not see the twist that happens at the end of the first episode coming; as always, it is hard to take your eyes off Kathy Bates- she commands the screen as few actresses have ever been able. Give it an hour, just one hour. I have to imagine that the second episode takes a hard right in have a very different direction. I was skeptical when I first heard about the show. I was so glad I was bored on a Saturday night and decided to watch the the premier of the show. And come on now, it's got Beau Bridges. We can go home when he's part of the cast.

Well, I did enjoy the first episode of Matlock. Of course, any material Kathy Bates touches is going to get a lift. I think she had good chemistry with the rest of the cast. Again, maybe thats what you get with an acting legend. And we love Beau Bridges who made a cameo like appearance. What an ACE in the hole CBS has there. Then, along comes Sam Anderson whos talent and charisma brings something special to every character he plays. If the stories and writing can keep up with the talent pool this series has, and the director can give a little guidance to the younger cast, I think CBS is going to have a hit on its hands.

I really want to like this show but it really needs more meat to it. I would say first problem is the writing. The weekly episode is glossed over and not very deep just so they can spend the final moments reminding the audience the reason for the whole deception to begin with. Second is the direction of the other two females. Their characters come off as cartoonish. Always loud and high strung and lacking any real emotion. This isn't against the actress themselves but I am assuming this is the direction they are given. Some of the sets seem exactly that ..sets. The lighting is flat. Overall not a very rich feel to it. I tune in each week for one reason and one reason only but I don't know if I can keep it up. I think Kathy Bates deserves better than this.

Finally can say what I thought of the entire first season for this reboot of the original classic with the amazing Kathy Bates. This is one of the few shows I was watching as episodes aired instead of binge watching the entire season. I really enjoyed this show, despite the typical shenanigans of a network show, mostly because of Bates who is simply amazing. Not much else sets this apart, as it does come off as a typical lawyer show. What I did enjoy about the series overall and what does make it interesting is the fact that Matlock is actually "undercover" and thinks what she's doing is the right thing when as she stays at the longer than anticipated she realizes that not everything is as B&W as she thought and that she has had good and bad effects on the people around her. This makes for more captivating character development and moments where all the characters can shine.

As soon as I saw Kathy Bates was going to star in a reboot of Matlock, I texted my mother asking her if this was something we would be watching together. We live in different states, but occasionally watch shows together. And I thought this would be an excellent choice. I love the idea of an older woman returning to the world of work. Especially a woman in her 70s!

Let me be clear. I am not a fan of legal shows, and while I'm sure at 54 years old before DVRS when we were at times captive audiences of shows we'd rather not watch, I've unintentionally, accidentally watched an episode or two of the original Matlock. But I definitely was not a fan of the show. That being said, I jumped right in--because everything I've watched with Kathy Bates, *Misery*, *Primary Colors*, *Dolores Claiborne*, etc., etc., etc., has been excellent. So I trusted that *Matlock* would be stellar as well-or Kathy Bates would not be involved.

I watched the pilot and loved the whole thing. Since I did not watch the original *Matlock*, I had nothing to compare it to. I have watched law shows and police procedurals that went so fast and were so complicated I got lost. But *Matlock* is easy breezy, and I was right with all of the twists and turns. Thankfully, none of the characters are annoying or extremely unlikable. As other reviewers said, there is a surprise at the end that we can't talk about, but clues were dropped all along.

If I had to compare the show to another show, I'd say it's like *Columbo*. There are times when "Mattie" struggles with the changing times, she has not practiced law in many years, and then there are times when she seems to be bumbling-so the person can walk right into a trap. It's like Mattie said, "Nobody sees us coming..." YASS the super power of the older woman!