Matlock Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Rome, In a Day

Building off the story established at the end of the premiere, Matlock Season 1 Episode 2, “Rome, In a Day,” does a great job of setting the stage for more quick-handed trickery. 

The best part about this subplot in Madeline Matlock’s personal life is that she’s able to play people for fools almost as easily as breathing, which isn’t expected from someone of her advanced age. This further proves her point about women in the workforce after a certain age.

As viewers, we find ourselves falling into the same trap as her colleagues and clients. It’s not anyone’s fault, though; we are simply thinking about what society has programmed us to perceive our whole lives.

The Case at Hand and The Players

Much like the show’s predecessor and influence, Matlock is pushing the narrative that we will have a case of the week to contend with. Even more so, we will also have big courtroom moments in each one.

It’s been a tried-and-true method on television since the dawn of courtroom dramas. While the original Matlock is famous for such theatrics, it isn’t the only show known for them. 

So, it stands to reason that this show will do much of the same. Especially if it serves to push Matty’s real goals even further. 

At first glance, this case of a young man falsely accused of murder seems pretty cut and dry, with no connection to Matty’s deceptions. However, as Olympia manipulates the emotions of her underlings, whether it’s ignoring Sarah’s fantastic research skills, almost completely ignoring Billy, or being downright vile to Matty without just cause, it becomes more clear that it is Matty who is actually holding the reins.

The writers’ mastery of each twist and turn in this narrative is awe-inspiring. In fact, at one point, I was about to throw my hands up at Olympia for pulling the white privilege card when it wasn’t warranted. 

But then Matty bats her eyes and sheds a few tears, and it becomes completely clear that she might be struggling to stay focused on the goal, but she’s not a slouch. The way she works the room into feeling sympathy for her because of Olympia’s manipulation is a master class in manipulation herself.

Honestly, it wouldn’t have been nearly as successful in the hands of anyone else. Kathy Bates takes the scene and makes sure audiences know we are in for a fun ride as we watch Matty make everyone eat from her hand.

Don’t Count Matty Out Until She’s Out

While I still feel Matty’s grandson is a bit annoying, he’s not lacking in the computer smarts department. After all, he’s a pre-teen who managed to not only find a mugging story from Queens but also doctor the article and images to make them appear to be about his grandma.

Every time we think Matty might be in trouble because she slips up on a detail or makes up a story that can’t possibly be backed up, we’re proven wrong. Alfie is a big proponent of that, considering what he’s able to do in the doctoring department.

Which then plays into the outcome of the case Matty and her colleagues are working on. Alfie doctoring images as the team realizes the surveillance footage is doctored is one of the many ways Matlock ensures the plots are always intertwined.

Another big moment for Matty is when it appears she mistakenly left her dinner behind in Olympia’s office. In fact, she planted it to force Olympia to come to her “address” in Queens. 

It’s a small twist we should’ve expected, considering how good Matty has been at keeping her cover thus far, but we still have a moment of fear. And that moment of doubt is what makes the writing so brilliant. 

We’ve gotten to know Matty so intimately in such a short time that we are already rooting for her to succeed in her plan. Therefore, when it seems she’s about to be found out, we hold our breath.

I’m not going to lie; the camera in the smoke detector is a genius idea to get what they need from Olympia without making her suspicious. It’s not an expected tactic that makes the reveal exciting.

Having small twists at the end of each episode so far has been a fun way to keep us engaged in the plot and excited for more. Moving forward, it’s going to be really hard to have any doubts about Matty.

The Julian and Olympia Problem

One of the things that still doesn’t quite work as smoothly as the rest of the episode is the Julian and Olympia of it all. I stated in my review of Matlock Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot,” that I felt the focus on them was a bit too heavy-handed. 

I stand by that with this episode as well. Their constant fighting and one-upping take away from the seriousness of their professionalism and the cases being tried.

Julian is a likable enough character when compared to Olympia’s manipulative and cold demeanor. However, that in itself can be a red herring to force us to trust him when we probably shouldn’t. 

As crucial as these divorce-centered moments are to build their characters and aid us in determining who hid the documents, they don’t fit well into the episode.

Olympia’s presence at the crime scene, talking about ice cream and muttering under her breath about Julian, distracts us from what we should be concerned with. Unfortunately, as frustrating as these petty comments sprinkled throughout the episode are there doesn’t seem to be a better solution because they do build up the characters.

Who knows, maybe after these first few episodes, the jealousies and pettiness will die down. Especially now that they seem to be on the same page about putting the kids first over their feelings toward each other.

Stray Thoughts

• I loved the visuals of the scene with Billy, Sarah, and Matty in their shared office, where their desks were lined up one behind the other. The order of their desks was very indicative of how Olympia possibly perceives them but also how they perceive themselves. Sarah is the most trusted, and she wants to be number one. Matty has made big strides but still falls a bit short of Sarah. Billy is perfectly content being in the background.
• Previously, I had few feelings about Edwin, but this time around, I’m starting to warm up to him. The way he handles Matty’s emotions throughout this case shows just how dedicated he is to her.
• Senior’s comment to Julian about how not many kids do what he’s done has me curious about what exactly the issue between father and son is.

 

What did you think of this episode of Matlock? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Matlock airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.

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