Matty solves the death of daughter, Bustes Julian and Senior

Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for the final of season 1 of CBS ‘Matlock’, which is now streaming on Paramount+.

The case is closed in season 1 of CBS ‘Matlock’, which distinguishes itself from the pilot episode from the legal drama of 1986-95 Andy Griffith. Instead of a simple, targeted reboot with gender, widower lawyer Madeline “Matty” Matlock (Kathy Bates) joined Law Fim Jacobson Moore who squirts downhome Southern Wisdom, while showing sharp legal skills and rapidly with her colleagues. The great secret of the audience, however, was let in at the end of the pilot that Matty is really called Madeline Kingston. And instead of having to go back to work because her husband had gambled all their money before he died, she was in fact a rich lawyer on a personal mission to find out who had been responsible for burying vital opioid documents of the pharmaceutical company at the prestigious company could have rescued that the life of llydicdic. Nor was Matty a widow: her loyal husband Edwin (Sam Anderson) stands by her side to help, just like their fearless technically educated grandson Alfie (Aaron D. Harris).

As season 1 progressed, Matty tried to stay under the radar in her investigation, but on the way she was surprised that she had joined several of her colleagues, including fierce lawyer Olympia Lawrence (Skye P. Marshall), who was an early suspect, but was ultimately cleared by Matty. One of the many surprises in the two-hour final, ‘Tricks of the Trade’, however, was that the culprit party was buried in the burial of the Olympia’s ex-husband, fellow lawyer Julian Markston (Jason Ritter). This information was discovered by Olympia itself, whose world was already weak, given that she had revealed in the episode of April 3 that she knew that Matty’s name was not Matlock and had lied to her, and everyone else since he came to Jacobson Moore. The fact that Matty and Olympia had become closest to friends at the time, also hurt her deeply.

In addition to Olympia, discovering Julian was the culprit party with the missing Wellbrexa file (the Fallout of which will come in the second season), there were a few final shock. So Variety Handle time with executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman for our own research into all the surprises, and how they will all form season 2.

Instead of waiting for Matty’s identity in the final, Olympia confronted her at the end of episode 216. Was it always this timing to have the cat a few episodes from the bag before the final?

It was always the plan to do it early, and to see what happened next, and to push us further into the stories for the second season. We wanted to create an obstacle for these two women whose love story we have seen unfolding. When we first went the seasonal arch, that moment was in episode 13. But when we came to the episodes, we realized that as soon as that happens, everything changes between the two women. We wanted more time before that happened with those who really fell in love and have more time together and get drunk in a bar.

Because as soon as this happens, the balloon is deflated and we have to breathe air back in all different ways. So we pushed it further than we thought, and it eventually felt like the right time to do it. We had 18 episodes, but I still had more story. I called the studio and asked them if they wanted a two -part episode, because there was a way to do it economically, but that would also let the final breathe and all these characters we got to know, and that everyone would have his moment. And the studio said yes.

How much of season 2 is planned, so you knew when you had to strengthen the final of season 1 with things like Billy’s ex-girlfriend Claudia (Bella Ortiz) who tells him that she is pregnant at the end of the episode?

You have to think of the end, and you have to bind it. So you think enough of the second season to know that you want to go in those directions. So I had done that enough to know: “Ok, I want to explore these things and bind it to them.” Then you want to take a little free time for your brain. Then, for the writers’ room, I like to think of the big moments and turning points, such as: “This is when this is revealed, and this is the spine. Here we will start and end, and here we will eventually land.” Then we start ploting them, and it is a real detailed process.

I finally throw it to the studio and the network. It takes about an hour, and it really goes through every episode, and we stay pretty close. You do all the complicated plots when we build the structure, and then, of course, you still open every episode and you will find the bow and the mini-arcs, and all the dynamics. We take two solid weeks at the start of the season and we break the entire season.

Looking at the final, it really felt like the biggest story was about the Matty and Olympia relationship with any other story that fell behind it. Was that the plan?

I told the studio in the beginning – and by the start of Kathy and Skye – this is a love story between Olympia and Matty. That is what this is and it is epic. So they will be together, and then they are not. And they will long for each other, and they will have all the contours of an epic love story – but it’s about friendship. Friendships are rare and life -making, and we will give weight to it in the show.

While Matty brings her opioid case board down, Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver Springs” plays about it. How did you come to this number?

I am so happy that you asked that because Kyla [Plewes]Our editor of that episode was like: “I think this needs a needle drop.” I know that Kyla loves needle drops, but we don’t use them a ton in this show. We listened to a few and we had something like: “No, no, no.” And then she said, “I have one for you to listen to.” She played “Silver Springs” and it was just like: “Kyla, oh, bless you.” She was so right.

Olympia also has to go to the bank and lie to gain access to the account she once shared with Julian, but she first gets instructions from Matty about misleading. Have they been cut out of the same cloth more than one of them thought?

At the start of the episode, Olympia is so angry and betrayed and hurt. And Matty says to her: “Two things can be true, I lied to you and I loved you too.” That is so important to her. They are really true. But for Olympia, in mind, Matty is dead for her, but in the course of the episode Matty gives her some tricks of the trade, right? It lived in Matty’s shoes. And that is why Matty is hopeful that Olympia will see that it is difficult. You can love someone and you can have to manipulate them if the need is big enough.

Matty also tells Olympia to focus where her hurts, and Olympia does that with Julian. And then also with Matty, when Olympia says: “Let me go to the couch alone. Think of your daughter. If our friendship meant something for you, you will let me go.” It is exactly what Matty wants to hear. But is Olympia truthful to her? Are Matty’s own tricks restored? And that is the question, but Matty doesn’t know. Is there a chance back for their friendship? Or does Olympia manipulate her there? And does Matty earn that?

The murder case of the gym in the episode is very separate from everything else with Olympia and Matty’s story. Was that the intention?

Yes, we wanted every character to have a big moment. And for Sarah [Leah Lewis]She wants to have a business. We saw the way Matty’s plan influenced Sarah’s career in episode 10 when Sarah was chosen for this case – Matty was about to be discovered, so she turned to Billy [taking the case]. Matty sees her aim and begin to become insecure, and part of the additional damage has been Sarah. So it was a way to give a big moment for the character and a moment when she waited the entire season. Matty wants Sarah to win because she knows she took this other chance for her.

We also find out that Julian is guilty at the end, and that on behalf of Senior (Beau Bridges), his father, he acted in taking the missing Wellbrexa documents years ago. Was it always the plan that it would come back to Julian?

Yes, we discussed it in the writer’s room. Would it be senior? Would it be Julian? We knew it would look like Olympia at the worst moment – and then it would not be Olympia. We knew that Matty would be relieved, and then Olympia would expose her. We thought it would be senior, but it kept feeling like what in terms of our characters, what would most people bring in the maximum amount of pain and conflicts, and actually bring real unrest and moral dilemmas? That ensures great TV.

Moreover, we love Julian, even when he tries to get Olympia to get to his side in this deception – which is also heartbreaking.

The way Jason delivered that scene, he let us understand that Julian made this big mistake. He felt so bad about it. That is why he held [the documents]. It is his meaningful heart and he tries to be a better one. I felt so much for him because of who Jason is, and how he really has had this character that was really privileged and had many mistakes, including cheating his wife, [Olympia]. He has all these mistakes, and yet we still like him. Julian is a character who wants to get better, and when he is under a lot of pressure, he goes for it easier.

How long do you want to bring in Alfie’s potential father? Did you always know that that would be in the final?

Kathy and I talked about Alfie’s father in the pilot, and when he was brought in. I said in the final and she says, “Okay, because I have the perfect actor for him”, that’s who we cast. His name is Niko Nicotero. He and Kathy had worked together on ‘Richard Jewell’, and she had these great scenes with him. She said, “He is fantastic and is deep and interesting and layered.” Say no more, Kathy Bates.

That character is also a way to keep the pain of Ellie’s addiction and death in the photo, because it is easy to assume that he may be part of it.

With the father, if he is or not, the question is. But it could also come with memories of Ellie that they had no access to, and also moments of joy. I want to explore part of the joy of whoever she was. But it destabilizes the entire home environment, which is Matty’s safe haven.

Speaking of at home, how many will Matty and Edwin bump heads next season, because he hopes that they can lead a well -retired life, but she is not ready to give up her legal career? How much of these will a conflict be for season 2?

They solve it, or they come to an agreement. I’m not going to say how and why, but it’s fun. They come to a kind of insight into episode 4 [of Season 2]. And that agreement and the concept start to lead to new ways of comedy and drama. I am so excited for their storyline. I can’t say anymore. There are so many spoilers, but you know, once you answer a problem, it opens the new problems, so it will not be the same problem all the time.

Now that Olympia knows who Matty is real and all her lies, where does the show go from? The show is called “Matlock”, which is also this fake persona that has now been blown up. Can you even answer that?

I can answer it. You don’t have to worry. It works. We know what the plan is for the next season, and we don’t lose Matlock and her Folksy Persona. Whoever is that character is important and the way the plot takes place in the second season enables us to do all things. It’s exciting! I am enthusiastic about it.

This interview has been edited and condensed.