This 'Jane the Virgin' Star Has Already Made Her Mark on 'Matlock'

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Matlock Episode 3.

There are many heavy hitters in the cast of CBS' new hit drama, Matlock. Of course, there's the inimitable Kathy Bates, but the supporting cast is also rounded out with famous faces such as Beau Bridges and Jason Ritter. However, now a new castmate is becoming every bit as essential to the series. Yael Grobglas has already earned many fans as Petra Solano and her twin sister, Anezka, in the beloved CW series Jane the Virgin. Now, she's been reunited with showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman (who also created Jane the Virgin) on Matlock, delivering another captivating performance.

Who Does Yael Grobglas Play on 'Matlock'?

In Episode 3 of Matlock, Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) brings in a jury consultant nicknamed "The Meerkat." Also known as Shae Banfield (Grobglas), the Meerkat is billed as a human lie detector. She's incredibly perceptive and makes insightful observations (which generally leads her to accurately predict what people are thinking or feeling). This is an invaluable skill when the lawyers are trying to determine what way the jurors are leaning (and what they need to do to win a case). Shae has a somewhat tense relationship with Olympia, and they seem to be extremely competitive with each other. But Shae is very good at her job, and this makes her indispensable to Olympia (as well as to the firm). The two reach a sort of truce at the end of the episode, and Shae even offers her a friendly warning to be careful about how her love connection with Elijah (Eme Ikwuakor) will play out. But there's another reason why Shae popping up in this episode is so significant.

Upon meeting Matty, Shae immediately clocks her nervousness (noting her "dilated pupils, tightened voice" and the fact that she's "perspiring ever so slightly.") She pushes Matty, wanting to know why she's so jittery, and Matty is able to come up with an excuse that gets Shae to back off slightly. But that doesn't mean that Shae isn't still very suspicious of Matty. Having someone like Shae on her heels could be a big danger to Matty, who is working very hard to hide her true identity and motivations for working at Jacobson Moore. Shae is now set up as a nice adversary for Matty. It's not that Shae is a real villain, but her gift of detecting deception could lead to Matty's undoing. Up until this point, everyone has just accepted Matty's sweet grandma persona, so it's a nice twist in the series to introduce someone who isn't falling for surface perceptions.

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Yael Grobglas Steals Scenes on 'Matlock'

Grobglas is instantly a welcome addition to the Matlock cast. Even in just one episode so far, she's portrayed Shae with a profound focus and fierce confidence that's intriguing to watch. She's steely (like Olympia), but because she's so good at reading people, she also has a quality that is reminiscent of Matty (who often seems to know exactly what people need to hear in order to open up). Matty knows how to get what she wants, and it's pretty clear that Shae does too. Grobglas plays her scenes in a straight-laced way, but it is her intensity that brings a little bit of humor to her character. Grobglas is a fantastic scene partner with Bates; they each fall into the cat-and-mouse game with ease. Her back-and-forth banter with Marshall is also a delight to watch; it's always fun to see a prickly character dish it out with someone who can take it. Only an accomplished actor like Grobglas (who has also appeared in Reign, Supergirl, and Undone) would be able to spar with the likes of Bates and Marshall.

Hopefully, there will be much more for Grobglas to do in the series. It would be interesting to see her interact with other characters, especially Julian (Ritter) and Senior (Bridges). But it will be even more fascinating to see how her relationship with Matty plays out. Shae is obviously a vital part of the team when it comes to clinching those successful verdicts, but Matty will likely try to steer clear of her as much as possible. The last thing Matty needs is Shae sniffing out her lies (even if it is so much fun to see Grobglas sink her teeth into this part).

New episodes of Matlock air Thursday nights on CBS. Episodes 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+