As soon as I started watching CBS’ Matlock, I fell in love with Madeline “Matty” Matlock (Kathy Bates). She’s whipsmart and extremely driven when it comes to her work. But Matty isn’t your average lawyer; she’s also hellbent on discovering who carried out a cover-up that would have taken opioids off the market. Matty and her husband, Edwin (Sam Anderson), believe that their daughter, Ellie, would never have overdosed if more people had been aware of the dangers of the Wellbrexa drug. Because Matty has this extensive goal of figuring out the responsible party, she has crossed some lines throughout the first season. I worry that in some ways Matty’s character has become a tad unlikable, but I’ve come up with one way the writers can dig more into Matty’s heart. I think that if the series dives more into her relationship with her grandson, Alfie (Aaron D. Harris), we’d see a softer side to Matty (and discover so much more about who she is at her core).
We Don’t Know a Lot About Matty’s Relationship With Alfie in ‘Matlock’
In Season 1, we do get some basics about this grandmother/grandson bond. We know that Matty adopted Alfie when he was a small child, due to Ellie’s addiction problems. Matty later admits to feeling guilty about this action, because she believes it led indirectly to Ellie’s death from an overdose. Matty and Edwin have been raising Alfie, and the pre-teen has been essential in their investigation at Jacobson Moore. The problem I have with Matty’s home life is that we haven’t gotten to see many scenes between Matty and Alfie. She appeals to him for help (especially for things like hacking), but because of Matty’s dedication to the law firm and her hunt for Wellbrexa information, she doesn’t really interact with Alfie in any other meaningful ways. When Alfie has a typical adolescent crisis revolving around asking a girl out to a school dance, he ends up leaning on Matty’s sister, Bitsy (Julie Hagerty), for advice, rather than his grandmother.
Later in the season, we learn that Matty feels guilty about taking custody away from her daughter, and possibly, this guilt has influenced how she interacts with Alfie. Perhaps subconsciously, Matty puts a wall up between her and Alfie because he reminds her of Ellie (and her tragic death). Maybe the guilt prevents her from becoming truly attuned to Alfie and his needs. In the season finale, we learn that Alfie has become increasingly worried about what would happen to him if Matty and Edwin weren’t around, which inspires him to locate his biological father and reach out to him. The shocking last moments of the season reveal Alfie’s dad arrived unexpectedly at their home. It’s a huge possibility that this stranger’s entrance into the family will create even more tension in Matty’s relationship with her grandson.
I Think ‘Matlock’ Should Explore Matty’s Maternal Side
The inclusion of Alfie’s biological father could bring out Matty’s protective, mama-bear side. It’s likely that Matty will want to make sure this man truly is who he says he is (I suspect a DNA test is coming in the future). This type of behavior could help strengthen the connection she has with Alfie, because he would be able to see that Matty is every bit as willing to fight for him as she is for one of her clients. We’ve already seen Matty’s maternal side come out (even if it’s not on Alfie’s behalf). She has showcased her caring, nurturing side during her work with Sarah (Leah Lewis) and Billy (David Del Rio), and even with Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), proving that Matty is capable of being a mentor and guide. She’s done her best to not hurt anyone (even if this hasn’t always worked out). I would love to see Matlock dive more into Matty’s maternal side by letting her prove her love to Alfie in a heartwarming way.
I Can’t Wait To See How ‘Matlock’ Digs Into Matty’s Character in Season 2
I think the best way to delve into Matty’s character even further in Season 2 would be to see how she moves forward with her life. It’s unlikely that she’ll stop being a lawyer and leave Jacobson Moore (since there probably wouldn’t be much of a show otherwise), but how will Matty reconcile raising her grandson with her continued quest to take down Julian (Jason Ritter) and Senior (Beau Bridges)? She has been so laser-focused on this Wellbrexa investigation that her family and friends have often paid the price. Also, with Alfie’s biological father entering the picture, Alfie will probably need the support of his grandmother more than ever. It would be a compelling storyline to see Matty realize that she’ll need to make a choice of where to pour her energy. In order to make her a true protagonist (with the potential to have the show run for many more seasons), I’m hoping that we’ll get to see Matty err on the side of taking care of Alfie’s needs over her quest for revenge.
I feel like Matty is a hero in a lot of ways — she’s a woman in her 70s who is not letting her age stop her from achieving her goals. She’s also fearless, which makes her daring and bold. But because we haven’t gotten a chance to see a whole lot of Matty’s home life and her relationship with Alfie, it seems like the majority of what I know about her is based on her fake Matlock persona. Getting more information about raising Alfie and what she’s going to do now that Alfie’s father is back would allow me to see more of who Matty truly is. With all of the heartbreak and struggles Matty has had in her life, she has so much more depth than what has been revealed so far in the first season of the series.
Season 2 will debut in the fall, and the show’s creator Jennie Snyder Urman has already promised a lot of drama, saying that “everyone’s futures are in flux.” The addition of Alfie’s father will result in Matty suddenly finding herself completely out of control. What better way for Matty to center herself and remember what’s truly important than going back to basics and connecting in a more grounded way with Alfie? I’ll definitely be hoping the writers continue to explore all sides of Matty’s character, but her role as a matriarch is what fascinates me most, so hopefully, Matlock will scratch that itch for me when it returns for Season 2.
