Matlock Season 2 Episode 10 Review: The Greater Good

Now that Julian knows, Matlock Season 2 Episode 10, “The Greater Good,” shifts the narrative ever so slightly. Instead of focusing on how to keep the secret, they are now working together to advance the plot against Senior.

When shows have big narrative shifts such as this, it doesn’t always work out in their favor. However, in this case that shift in narrative is desperately needed and so it works perfectly.

On top of all the Wellbrexa drama, Matty and Olympia have a new associate to deal with. His name is Hunter and he is quirky and very different from these two women, but somehow they make it work.

Julian and Matty Have to Work Together

Jason Ritter continues to hit every mark Julian is given throughout this episode. He perfectly shifts from somewhat sleezy Julian who can’t be completely trusted into kind, compassionate boss Julian as if he is simply breathing.

Because he is so good at being a chameleon, viewers have a hard time deciding exactly how we feel about him. He’s not completely evil and irredeemable. And honestly that sort of feels like the point.

Between his time with Sarah, where he gives her the attention and respect she deserves, and taking a moment to reassure his kids that he isn’t going to suddenly get sick like grandpa, Julian is revealed to be a somewhat okay guy. 

However, that shifts the moment he’s interacting with Matty and Olympia. Suddenly he is public enemy number one who has no remorse for his actions. It doesn’t surprise us all that much.

While he is right in saying that he didn’t directly kill Ellie his reluctance to apologize makes him look even worse than he already does. If he can’t in good conscience apologize for his actions then he should at least try to see the error of his ways.

He still did an illegal act by taking that study out of discovery and hiding it. It plays into his father’s shady dealings and that makes Julian just as guilty. Too bad Julian can’t seem to recognize that one thing led to another.

I’m sure Matty bought his tears and remorse act there toward the end, but I sure didn’t. He wasn’t even crying that convincingly. Julian Markston seems like the type to not even know how to cry.

Despite this the act does seem to put him on solid footing with Matty which is a big step forward in their united efforts against Senior. Too bad Matty didn’t give him more compassion and credit when he successfully fooled people into thinking he was a recovering drug addict.

Playing the Women in Senior’s Life

Matlock Season 2 Episode 10, “The Greater Good,” does a great job of balancing the case with the shenanigans that Matty and Julian get into now that they are both on the same team.

Most notably is when Julian starts to have a bit of a hissy fit with Matty because she’s coaching him to death. Instead of asking Julian if he has any experience with people and addiction, she assumes he knows nothing.

Fortunately for Julian, unfortunately for Matty, Julian has experience through his roommate in college. He’s so convincing as a raging drug addict that a woman they’ve been trying to get closer too falls for it and trusts them.

This allows Matty to come back later with an apology and get the woman to open up about her history with Wellbrexa. It’s vital information that the team needs and Matty couldn’t have gotten it without Julian’s help.

Those are some words I never thought I’d say.

This episode also brings Shae back into the fold as a jury consultant. While she’s mellowed out since her first introduction last season, she’s still a loose cannon.

We never know what she might be looking for or who she might uncover as lying. That said, this time around she does seem to genuinely want to be kind to everyone.

Julian uses that vulnerability and softness to get closer to her and ask about the name Milton at her old firm. She tells them that she didn’t know a Milton, but then also revealed that she cracked the code in the Wellbrexa emails.

All of this allows the trio to discover that some kind of lab in Milton, MA needed to be “bribed and buried.”

Hunter You Dear Summer Child

With the absence of Billy, I’ve been itching to get a less stern, serious lawyer in the fray. Don’t get me wrong, I love Sarah, but she’s always intense and never takes things easy.

Hunter is the total opposite of her and by extension Matty and Olympia. However, underneath his frat bro, puppy dog energy beats the heart of a really good lawyer.

He doesn’t let his written notes challenges get in the way of coming up with solutions to each problem that arises with the case. In fact, he has an aura about him that gets their witness to open up as well as the woman they are defending.

Hunter might be naive and a bit overeager, but he’s the exact energy this team needs to liven things up again. I can see him becoming a permanent fixture in the roster.

 

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Matlock airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.

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