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Matlock is an almost complete reimagining of the 1980s US legal series, though it pays homage to its origins in many ways. Those expecting another straightforward lawyer drama will find that those expectations were largely met during the first episode. But be warned: eventually he starts to defy expectations.
To say more would be to create unnecessary expectation—spoiler alert, Kathy Bates doesn’t turn out to be an alien—but as you wander through familiar territory, you actually wander into a more substantial, more intriguing proposition. It doesn’t reinvent the legal drama, but it has enough twists to ensure that it’s not all that it seems.
However, even in its early legal-lite incarnation, it’s pleasant enough. Bates plays Madeline “Mattie” Matlock, a 75-year-old woman who says she hasn’t worked as a lawyer since 1991. Family issues have forced her back into an industry that has changed a lot, and after 30 years away there’s a lot of new information to learn, despite her claims that she’s “remained pretty much up to date”. When she works her way into a job at a top law firm, she immediately proves herself to be much more of an asset than a burden. She is smart, quick, persistent and has a habit of noticing details that the younger lawyers around her miss.
Much of this is due to Matty’s age. As an older woman with gray hair and a deep southern accent, she is consistently underrated. “No one sees us coming,” she explains to her new employers. This means she can eavesdrop, work her way into buildings, and gain the trust of strangers who are unable to see her as a threat. Once again, it’s a more layered premise than Bates’ harmless old lady initially suggests it will be. She hands out boiled sweets, feigns emphysema, and generally uses a mixed bag of tricks to get her way, from a bare-faced lie to the odd spark of genuine compassion. As the episodes progress, we learn more about Mattie’s life outside of her recovery with the law and her reasons for returning to the business.
The show is the perfect vehicle for Bates, who is convincing in every iteration of her character’s complex personality. With the exception of regular appearances in American Horror StoryBates hasn’t been getting the roles that an actor of her caliber deserves in recent years. But that puts her front and center. She is supported by a capable cast including Jason Ritter and Skye P. Marshall as her divorcing bosses, Julian and Olympia, with Beau Bridges as the boss and owner of the law firm, who also happens to be Julian’s father. If in the pilot Bridges looks a little puffed up (looking like he walked in while everyone else was out for coffee), a quick search reveals that the part was recast. He loosens up considerably when he finally joins the crease.
Like Elsbethanother new legal drama with bite, this one follows a case-of-the-week format but has a softer overarching story arc in the background. The law firm Matty lands at is more interested in social justice issues, not because it makes their conscience feel clearer, but because they suspect it will improve the brand and thus allow them to win even more than the money everyone keeps drooling over. (Side note: watching Bates say, “I gotta make it rain” is a surprisingly moving experience.)
Maybe it’s cultural, or maybe it’s age-related, but watching this show makes me wonder if the original Matlock had more influence in the US than in the UK. This one relies on some knowledge of the parent series and uses it as a direct starting point. When Mattie introduces herself, she explains that her name is “like the old TV show” and explains what it is to new clients and colleagues. However, he has the grace to admit that some of his younger characters don’t have a clue; they haven’t even heard of Cheers.
Still, this doesn’t bridge the generation gap, other than allowing Mattie to use her invisibility as a superpower. Instead, it becomes a mystery that touches on corporate greed and human suffering. It’s not what you’d expect from the pilot, but it’s worth a closer look.
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