CBS’s Matlock – Initial Thoughts

What is Matlock about?

The series is inspired by the TV show of the same name starring Andy Griffith and created by Dean Hargrove. Always in his light grey suit, Matlock, a successful lawyer, did what he could including visiting crime scenes to prove his client innocent. In the new series, Matlock (Kathy Bates) is a woman and hasn’t practiced law in years. Now widowed, she rejoins the workforce at a prestigious law firm. Just as with the original, she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases.

The Matlock Thoughts

When I was younger, I loved Matlock. He always reminds me of Scooby Doo is Scooby was an old cranky man that only like to wear light grey suits. So, when I heard about the reboot I was excited. Even though they changed the character’s gender, I didn’t mind although I was curious how they would do it. Kathy Bates is an amazing actor and could easily fill Andy Griffith’s shoes. As stated above, the character traits of both are similar. However, the premise of the show is quite different.

It’s an interesting take on legal series. Normally, the lawyers are always young and the shows are always series. Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock brings some much needed humor to show as well as a different aspect. She is much older than the lawyers around her which she uses to her advantage. In fact, these antics allows her to sneak into a law firm and into a partner’s meeting to get an impromptu interview. Throughout the show, she upstages those around her because she has a different way of thinking, similar to the original series.

But the highlight of the episode was something I wasn’t expecting. The twist at the end came out of left field. Given that, it makes the series more interesting. If the showrunners followed the formula from the original series, it would get old quick. As a result, the twist provides added depth to keep viewers wanting to tune in to see how it ends.

All in all, Bates gives an outstanding performance. Her character is a breath of fresh air and different from characters of her age on television right now. She’s witty, fun to watch and her character breaks through the stuffiness of the other characters. The added twist at the end makes me want to watch until the end to unravel what exactly is going on. I know this is off topic, but man, Jason Ritter is the spitting image of his dad, John Ritter.

Currently, you can stream the first episode on Paramount+. You can also stream the first episode on Prime Video free with a Prime membership. Unfortunately, the official premiere is in October. CBS will air an encore of the premiere on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Following that, new episodes will air each week beginning on Thursday, October 17. If you have Paramount+ with Showtime you can watch it live and on demand. Otherwise, if you subscribe to Paramount+ only, you can stream each episode the following day.

What is Matlock rated?

Matlock Trailer