Move over Matlock because this is starting to look like the Olympia Lawrence show. After having a relatively short appearance in “Belly of the Beast,” the chicest lawyer at Jacobson Moore came back in a big way.
There was no shortage of baby mama drama in “No, No Monsters,” with the gaggle of gossiping moms driving Olympia over the edge. To be fair, some viewers shared in that outrage.
So much went down in this one episode; you would be forgiven if one or two things slipped through the cracks. Luckily, most Matlock fans know the show can be very “blink and you miss it” sometimes.
However, there were so many intense and incredible moments that we have to at least get to the juiciest of meats from Matlock Season 1 Episode 8. Most of them revolve unsurprisingly around Olympia.
Did You Think Olympia Was Overly Paranoid In “No, No Monsters?”
Matlock Proves Through Olympia That Knowing The Truth Can Be A Double-Edged Sword
Poor Olympia Lawrence just can’t catch a break. First, there was the, as Matty put it, “philandering dumb dumb,” Julian. It just goes to show you that even the nice guys can mess up occasionally.
If you read the Matlock Season 1 Episode 8 Spoilers, you know I asked, “Should Olympia realistically be upset about Julian’s affair from years ago?”
After watching “No, No Monsters,” I’ve concluded that if it matters to her, then it matters. Emotions are complicated, and we can’t always control how we feel, no matter how much we want to.
As Olympia said herself, she was struggling with what to do because while she wanted to know who the woman was, she was self-aware enough to know she wouldn’t be able to get through her day without seeing the woman’s face.
So, while Julian may be in the dog house for a minute, at least it’s not like Olympia called everything off. It could be so much worse. Just ask Billy.
Billy’s Quick Emotional Recovery Is Worth Suspending Belief For
Some characters are incredibly sweet and caring, so you only want good things for them. However, this is CBS, not Disney+.
Even though it was painful to see Billy and Claudia break up in Matlock Season 1 Episode 7, he seems to be doing fine for the most part.
Sure, Sarah was acting like she was trying to convince herself of Billy’s emotional state, but she wasn’t too far from the mark. By the end of the episode, Billy was ready to move on and take his life back.
I’m willing to suspend my belief for the story’s sake because no one gets over a relationship that almost lasted a decade that fast.
I mean, Billy was listening to the first two albums from Adele. Everyone knows Adele’s saddest albums are her last two, but that could just be me.
Either way, Billy made monumental strides in processing his emotions and finding a healthy state of mind. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Madeline Matlock.
Matlock Makes Good Use Of Matty’s Vulnerable Moments And The Sad State Of What It Meant To Be A Career Woman In Her Day
Matty is far past the point of no return. Every step she takes towards her goal is another piece of her life she has to sacrifice. That sounds heavy, but it’s the truth of the situation.
What became evident in “No, No Monsters” is that justice is not driving Matty’s (Kathy Bates) revenge. It’s her guilt. It’s every moment she missed while raising Ellie.
While I still believe her mission is about getting justice for her daughter, it’s also to put to rest all the pain and guilt she puts on herself as a form of penance.
At this point, I’m hoping we never have an episode of Matlock that doesn’t show how vulnerable Matty is and everything she is willing to do in the memory of her daughter.
However, possibly the most unexpected best part of Matlock is the continued references to what the workplace was like in Matty’s day.
Each time she describes what the world was like back in the day, it’s a window into everything that helped shape Matty into the brassy broad that she is.
What’s sad is that while it is very much illegal to deny employment because the candidate has a child or children, that doesn’t mean employers don’t still find other ways around it.
The world is not very kind to mothers, and what’s worse is that it’s all too common for other mothers to judge one another.
The Goal Of Any Scripted Show Is To Inspire Emotions, Even If Those Emotions Are Just A Bit Hostile
“No, No Monsters” was filled to the brim with “Mama Bear” energy. From Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) to Nadira and especially Matty, the mothers were not having it in this episode, and many of us were right there with them.
If you’re anything like this TV Fanatic, you cuss out the screen when a truly awful character gets too much speaking time. And, boy, were there a lot of cuss-worthy moments in Matlock Season 1 Episode 8. For one thing, that judge was a colossal (fill in the blank.)
Is it “mean judge week” or something? Elsbeth is dealing with an equally, if not more, infuriating judge getting in the way of righting a wrong.
And then there was the opposing counsel, who was apparently in Matlock Season 1 Episode 3, but honestly, I did not remember or recognize her.
If she’s going to keep popping up, we should at least know who we are dealing with. Natalie Ceballos plays the very annoying Veronica Cabrera.
Did anyone else want Matty to throw a stapler at her just to shut her up so Matty could get one complete sentence out? I had mine already in hand.
That said, the level of emotion the actress evokes proves that she knows what she’s doing. So, while the character is not great, the actor can be seen flexing her acting chops in Law & Order: Organized Crime, 9-1-1, and NCIS: Los Angeles.
While Madeline Matlock Focuses On Olympia And Julian, The Culprit Could Be Right Under Her Nose
Now let’s get to the most crucial part of “No, No Monster,” the fact that after all that work to get into Senior’s email, it was a damn photo of him on vacation.
Luckily, CBS was kind enough to give viewers a heads-up with the promo because that would have been the letdown of letdowns.
Still, knowing about it and seeing it in action are two different things. It was painful watching Matty break down on the phone with Edwin.
As for the plan, I think the viewer who said the culprit is likely someone we’ve only seen once or twice is more accurate than ever. It’s Stuart, right? Or is that too obvious?
The show has slowly but surely been making Stuart’s presence more known with each passing episode. In fact, it seems to focus solely on how closely involved Stuart is with Senior.
While that wouldn’t make the biggest splash at Jacobson Moore, it would at least allow all the main characters to continue into the next season without being seen behind bars.
More than anything, it would be great if Olympia had not been involved, but considering her more apathetic lawyer past, it is a strong possibility.
If it isn’t her, she’s still in for some bad news because she and Matty keep getting closer, but what will happen when the truth comes out?
There’s no going back now. Matty is in too deep. She is so deep, in fact, that she continually finds herself smack dab in the middle of Olympia and Julian’s (Jason Ritter) drama, no matter how hard she tries to stay out of it.
That said, it’s still hilarious to see Matty’s facial expression whenever she finds herself literally standing in the middle of another Olympia and Julian argument.
Matlock has undoubtedly left an impression on viewers that will last them through the holidays. The series will now take a little pause through the New Year until January 30.
Until then, fans of the show can relive the incredible first half of Matlock Season 1 on Paramount+. And if you notice a clue or something we might have missed, feel free to share it with the class.
Do you agree that the Wellbrexa culprit could be a minor character we’ve only seen a few times?
Do you think Julian had an affair with someone from Jacobson Moore?
Please drop a comment below to let me know what you liked about this episode, and join me again when I review another episode of Matlock!
And keep an eye out for Matlock Spoilers, posted before each new episode!
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The post Matlock Season 1 Episode 8 Shows The True Driving Force Behind Matty’s Revenge, And It Is As Heartbreaking As You Might Think appeared first on TV Fanatic.
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