Matlock Season 2 Episode 8 Review: A Perfect Mid-Season Finale Full of Shocking Cliffhangers

We have reached the mid-season finale for Matlock Season 2, and wow, I am speechless. This was a perfect Mid-Season Finale and I am already itching for the return in February. We have really pushed all of the current storylines forward and are left on major cliffhangers and wanting to see where our cast is heading when they come back to our screens. 

We open to an anxious Olympia and Matlock due to Senior acting strange when he was in the office that morning. This leads them to thinking that he might be onto them and their scheme to take him down, which is worrisome because we have seen the control that he carries within the company. Matty tries to soothe Olympia and calm her nerves, but in reality, she knows that this is a possibility, even with how safe they have played it. But as the episode progresses, we find out that Senior has suffered a stroke, which is why Olympia thought he was acting weird at the office. Julian is caught at a middle point because he has a very complicated relationship with his father, but, at the same time, that doesn’t mean that he wanted this to happen to him. Jason Ritter gives a phenomenal performance in the scene where he has a heart-to-heart with a coma-induced Senior.

It really tugged at my heartstrings because all we have seen of Senior and Julian’s relationship has been belittling and demanding, and that seems indicative of how their relationship has been for most, if not all, of Julian’s life. It was something different to see him pulled closer to the forefront after some moments earlier this season. I have personally have always enjoyed Jason Ritter’s acting style and his versatility, but, after the cliffhanger of this Mid-Season Finale, I am so curious to see how these writers play out Julian’s storyline and how they are going to bring him even further to the forefront of the major arc this season.

On the Matty and Olympia side of things, we are still seeing some minor tension on the trust front, but, it seems like we have finally reached a point in their relationship and in the story this season where they see each other for who they are and they know that they can’t do any of this without the other. It has been beautiful to see them evolve post-Season 1; I say it every week, but the range and banter that Skye and Kathy bounce off each other is truly something special. I have seen some comments on the speed of their friendship and the reconciliation, but I think it was handled perfectly. There is a lot of nuance to think about when you think of their personal and professional lives.

You have to see this person on a daily basis and you don’t know if you can trust them, but you also have built that strong relationship and shared things that are deeply personal to you, it is a lot and it can be very non-linear to either individual's progression. I have enjoyed seeing them get to the point they are at now, and I know that it won’t be easy or perfect because there are a lot of outside factors playing into it as well, but I think that is the beauty within the relationship as a core foundation of Matlock’s story as a whole. 

We also have finally reached a turning point for Sarah’s character as she continues to struggle with the lies she told and the subtle repercussions of that. She feels guilt for helping Senior and lying to not only Julian, but Olympia as well; and until this week, the only other person that knew the truth was Billy. Leah Lewis is exceptional as we see that weigh on her throughout everything she is doing in the course of the episode. I am glad that we are finally getting to see more of her evolution and personal moral dilemmas after the slow build that’s been happening since the end of Season 1. To tie into that, Billy is notably absent from this episode. As we have seen throughout the past seven episodes, he has not had much screentime and his storyline has been mostly focused on helping the team and his girlfriend's pregnancy. As Sarah needs someone to turn to, she leaves Billy a voicemail about her struggle to keep this secret, but ultimately, ends up deleting the message before it sends. Towards the end of the episode, Billy calls her back and lets her know that Claudia has suffered a miscarriage. Suddenly, Sarah’s problems seem much smaller and she ends up focusing on supporting them and does not share how her day has gone.

This seems to be the end of Billy’s character on-screen, although I expect them to spend some time during the remaining episodes to explain his absence. Personally, I am fine with Billy’s character exiting the show; as much as he played an interesting role in S1, in S2, he did not have much going for his character to tie him into the folds of the front burner storylines and all he really had going for him was his relationship with Claudia and the pregnancy. With that story now over, it is the perfect opportunity to send off his character. Earlier this week, it was announced that two new cast members are joining the show in the latter half of Season 2. I am curious to see how they are going to be brought into the fold and what Sarah’s storyline is going to look like after the end of this week’s episode. 

Overall, this was a beautiful and impactful Mid-Season Finale that highlighted every character on canvas, as well as closing up and advancing the major plots we have been covering in Season 2 thus far. I am excited to see where the show heads in the remainder of the season and I can’t wait to see how things will be at the end of Season 2, for better or worse. I would give this episode a 5/5 and I look forward to Matlock’s return on Thursday, February 26th.

What did you think?

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