Matlock (2024)

It helps me to keep track of what’s going on with the show and aids in my writing skills. It does spark the occasional discussion but that’s not why I do it. No one is forcing you to read it.

Thanks Gideon. How are you feeling about this show overall now? We are near the end of the season. Have you felt like it's improved from your initial impression earlier in the season? I think that overall I'm enjoying the show, but I still feel like Kathy Bates is the best thing about it and that the other aspects of the show are not as impressive as her performance.

Oh Bates owns this show but there are other elements that I’m warming up to and getting uncomfortable with.

That's interesting. What elements are you warming up to, and what is making you uncomfortable?

I am really beginning to like the chemistry between secondary characters Billy and Sarah. The slow burn there is totally working for me. And I have to admit that I am troubled with the complexity of the writing. Sometimes I find it a little hard to keep up with what's going on plot wise with each episode.

Season One, Ep 14. Julien and Shea working together? No good can come of that. Shea knows everything about these documents that Maddie is looking for. "Enough with the parking garage...this isn't All the President's Men." I like Julie Hagerty, but I'm not really buying her and Bates as sisters, they're so different. What did Maddie's husband mean by Maddie wouldn't be anything without Bitsy? Sarah really needs to go on decaf. I love that Olympia chose to look for a new jury consultant. I can't stand Shea. This is the first case where we've seen jury selection, I wonder why that is. Sarah's like a bulldog on Shea. The presentation of the opening statements was excellent. I don't believe a word that came out of Juror 32's mouth. Sarah is counting Billy's texts? Seriously? So far the Bitsy character is a waste of screen time. Billy and Simone in the closet...loving it. Does Billy think that Sarah would not tank him and Simone if given the opportunity. Well, if the documents are shredded, isn't that the end of Maddie's mission? OK, I think I'm understanding Bitsy's position here. Maddie thinks Bitsy tried to steal her daughter from her. There's some serious sexual tension between Olympia and that ADA. That actress playing Mrs. Reed looks familiar? Wow, Maddie and Mrs. Reed seem to have a lot in common. Billy being with Simone is driving Sarah crazy. How did that attorney get that tape from a football game six years ago? "Hiding evidence is the epitome of evil." Like the reveal that Maddie's mother was an alcoholic. That explains a lot. Does Bitsy not understand the pain that Maddie is in regarding her daughter? "I'm not saying don't blame anybody, I'm saying blame the right people." If the document still exists, what exactly were Julien and Shea shredding? Why would Tucker settle for $100,000? He'll never walk again! "when you hit 76, every liquid hits for the exit." I cannot believe how much denial Billy and Sarah are in about each other. I knew Maddie shouldn't have been so quick to eliminate Olympia as a suspect.

Season One, Ep 15. Loved those pj's Kathy had on during the opening scene. I'm glad that Maddie has put Olympia back on the suspect list I just hope she's right. Maddie really needs to work on her poker face. Not sure how important it is that Elijah has been taken off the case. Bitsy thought handing out biscuits to the jury was appropriate? Sr (Beau Bridges) doesn't dress for court? Loved Olympia comparing the tiger to Joe Camel. I didn't get what Bitsy saw in the courtroom. OK, the story seems to be backtracking...it's not Olympia but it's someone employed at the firm. Why is Sr so eager to settle with Slammed? I think he knows something we don't know. Watching Billy getting his ass slapped by Simone made Sarah nuts. Loved when Olympia sent Maddie home. "You're just a big ol' squish when you let yourself feel things." I didn't realize how sincere Maddie's feelings were about Olympia until that scene with Bitsy. Liked Olympia and Shea clearing the air between them. That white suit Olympia wore in the later court scene was gorgeous. So this Slammed company was marketing an alcoholic drink to 14 year olds? Skye P Marshall and Jason Ritter as Olympia and Julien finalized their divorce, though it seems like there are still feelings there.

Season One, Ep 16. Loved that Maddie was using one of those voice disguising devices on her phone in that opening scene. I can't believe this is all coming down to Evelyn Belvin. "The carrot didn't work, so now it's time for the stick. So is someone with the firm have sme sort of financial stake in Slam? Maddie's question to the juror was legitimate...why did this woman wait 21 year to come forward? HGene remidns me of the late Dennis Hopper. Gene reminmded me of James Whitmore's character in The Shawshank Redemption...after 21 years, he's more comfortable on the inside than the outside. Loved when he asked Olympia what doordash was. I knew that package elivered to Evelyn had something to do with her dog. Sarah really learns how to stay in her lane. I don't think I've seen Maddie's heart go out to a client the way it has gone out to Gene. I loved Maddie talking to Edwin when she still had that thing on her phone. Loved when Edwin called Maddie Cruella. "If she's ;leaving, there's lke three people I need to suck up to." "You don't eat on antiuities, you eat on old junkl." "We're just dtting our I's and crossing our cellectable spoons." Bates was so brilliant in that scene with Belvin on the phone about Adam. I cannot believe this is all coming down to Belvin. I'm glad senior has been eliminated as a suspect. Good to see this ADA again, I like him. I didn't get thatg little exchange with Olympia and Julian. Can't believe the ADA came to the rescue, did not see that coming. OMG, Olympia is starting to put things thogether.

According to the commercials I've been seeing all week, this is the season one finale. Olympia was scary as hell in that opening scene. Why is Sarah's taking a case on her own going to blow back on Billy as well. Wow, she locked Maddie in the office. This woman's husband is related to someone in the firm? How does she expect to get a divorce i one night? It's even scarier that Olympia is not looping anyone in on Maddie that she's planning to deal with her by herself. Why doesn't Olympia want to hear about Maddie's daughter? Loved Olympia listening to Maddie's call to Edwin. Olymnpia seems genuinely hurt by what Maddie has told her. Mr Buckley was pretty intimidating. I have to admit I expected someone more physiocally imposing to play the role. "And at the end of the night, remind me how much I hate working with you." Why would Mrs Buckley sign such a pre-nup? Loved when Maddie dropped Andy Griffith's name. "I came here expecting to be invisible." Hpw can she get an annullmetn if she's pregnant? I knew Mrs.Buckley was going to have that baby in the office. Good thing Sarah and Billy didn't touch Maddie's phone in that purse. Billy and Sarah are toast if Olympia catches them. Exactly how much did Billy and Sarah learn before they were caught by Olympia? Is that priest in Grant Buckley's pocket? How convenient that Billy and Sarah are both ending their current rlelationships. Julien is a terrible liar. Maddie and Olympia as a united front should make for a very interesting second season.

Just saw Sam Anderson, who plays Maddie’s husband, on an old episode of Friends where he played the doctor delivering Phoebe’s triplets, who was oddly obsessed with Fonzie.

Ok, just learned that this Thursday is the season finale

Okay, this is the real first season finale. Maddie's bulletin board reminds me of the bulletin board at SVU. Does Sarah have more involvement in this than I thought? Didn't really understand Maddie taking her board apart. I'm still not sure that Maddie's trust of Olympia is right. "Go home, get anough sleep for the both of us." Edwin (Sam Anderson) doesn't trust Olympia as much as Maddie does. Edwin doesn't realize that asking Maddie to retire again is a losing battle? Loved Billy's rant at Sarah. "One tooth is not stopping us I've got a lot more." Loved Sarah trying to conceal her tooth loss from Olympia and Maddie. Loved Olympia admitting that she has a huge ego, never thought I thought she would say that out loud. Olympia's reaction to Sarah's mouth was hysterical. I wonder how old that message from her father was that Olympia was caught listening to by Julien? Loved Sarah's white suit. I remember David Fumero, who played Dino, from One Life to Live. Sarah's opening statement was really well-written. No matter where all of this is ging, that scene after the phone call with Denise proved that these two women really want to trust one another. Finding out that Julien is actually guilty could really break Olympia. I liked that actress playing Denise. I was more than halfway through the show before I noticed that Olympia's lipstick matched her suit perfectly. How did Edwin know the security questions? I thought Sr (Beau Bridges) had been cleared, I hate to think that Sr was behind all this. Olympia didn't know about the safety deposit box. Was that Billy's girlfriend flirting with Dino? Is it me, or was it kind of stupid of Julien to keep those docments in the safety deposit box? Why would he do that? Not sure if I buy Julien's explanation offered to Olympia. I knew Edwin doesn't trust Olympia. Does Julien think the fact that this happened 14 yars ago makes it right? jason Ritter did the best work of his season in that scene with Skye P Marshall. Alfie is a freakng genius. Nice bombshell on which to end the season.