How Long Will Matty Be Able To Stay on Top of Her Lies in 'Matlock'?

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Matlock.

When we're first introduced to Madeline "Matty" Matlock (Kathy Bates) on CBS's new hit series, Matlock, she seems like a sweet, yet doddering older lady. She relies on the kindness of others to help in moments when she seems confused or helpless. She is also a grandmother who's down on her luck enough that she has to head back into the workforce at age 75. But by the end of the premiere episode (which aired on September 22), it is revealed that Matty is actually a powerhouse who is hiding her true sharp intelligence in order to manipulate people and conduct a secretive investigation. But the underlying question of the series is whether Matty will be able to keep up her ruse for very long.

Matty Is Hiding Many Things From Her Co-Workers on 'Matlock'

Matty has a hidden agenda for getting her job as a lawyer at Jacobson Moore, and has created a whole persona in order to get people to trust her. First, she claims her last name is Matlock (like the old television show), that she hasn't practiced law in over 30 years, and that she has a dead husband and is taking this new position because she desperately needs the money. Well, her name isn't really Matlock, she stopped practicing law only 10 years ago, and her husband is very much alive. Plus, she's actually loaded (complete with a big mansion and a chauffeur). Her real motivation behind everything has been to investigate the three partners at the firm that she believes hid evidence about the dangers of opioids, which indirectly led to her daughter's death. She sprinkles in a few truths here and there, like the fact that she is really raising her grandson, but Matty has so far been able to craft a persona that is very far from the shark she truly is.

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There Are Several Ways Matty's Lies Could Be Uncovered on 'Matlock'

Every minute Matty spends at Jacobson Moore puts her in danger of being discovered. Even simple conversations could result in Matty struggling to maintain her Matlock identity. She's constantly running the risk of misspeaking or offering a detail that actually pertains to her real life. Episode 3 displays just one way that Matty could be setting herself up to fail when she tells Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) that her daughter was killed in a car accident. However, in Episode 1, she confesses to a client that her daughter died from her addiction. Although Olympia wasn't in the room for that conversation, now that there are differing stories out in the world, there's always a chance that someone will put together the discrepancy down the line. Not sticking to the same version of her life in every situation could mean Matty's mask is going to slip very soon.

Another huge obstacle to Matty's plan is introduced in Episode 3: Shae (Yael Grobglas), a jury consultant who works at the firm. She is basically a human lie detector, whose ability to carefully observe everyone around her leads her to discover what people are thinking or feeling. Immediately upon meeting Matty, she finds her suspicious and relays that it seems like she's nervous (and therefore, possibly hiding something). Having someone around who knows how to sniff out the truth could be a very dangerous thing for Matty. She already has to keep everyone else at the firm off her scent, but being around someone who is trained to detect deception could be even more of a problem for her.

The most fun part of the series is that there's a whole different side to Matty than what she's presenting to people. But at some point, she won't be able to keep all the plates spinning. At least one person is going to learn the truth eventually. Perhaps someone will put together a lie that Matty let slip, or someone from her past will recognize the real Madeline. Or maybe Shae will finally deduce what Matty's true goal is for being at the firm. The question now remains of who will find out first, and exactly when that bombshell is going to drop.

New episodes of Matlock air Thursday nights on CBS and are available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Matlock

Release Date September 22, 2024

Cast Kathy Bates , Jason Ritter , Skye P. Marshall , David Del Rio , Leah Lewis , Aaron Harris , Eme Ikwuakor , Beau Bridges , Sam Anderson , Jordyn Weitz , Henry Allen , Colleen Camp

Seasons 1

Writers Jennie Snyder Urman

Network CBS

Watch on Paramount+