Rather than holiday cheer, Matlock Season 1, Episode 7, “Belly of the Beast,” brings more of a chill to Jacobson Moore. Written by Hennah Sekander and directed by Tessa Blake, this episode puts Matty on her first pharmaceutical case, and it causes shock waves throughout the law firm and the characters’ personal lives. That procedural frame gives Matlock the parameters to play with wish-granting’s light and shades in its serialized arcs. The show is successful because “Belly of the Beast” builds confidence in Jacobson Moore’s expanding ecosystem. It’s also worth mentioning that Matlock pulls it all off with the defining backdrop of holiday tunes and charmingly ugly sweaters.
MORE: Did you catch our review of Matlock Season 1, Episode 6, “Sixteen Steps,” last month? Here it is!
Billy, Sarah, and Relationship Milestones
Considering this is where the characters spend most of their time, Jacobson Moore’s walls mustn’t feel paper thin. Matlock avoids this by bolstering even the minor roles around the building. A quick exchange about holiday sweaters between Mrs. Belvin and Senior’s assistant Stuart does wonders. It posits a workplace where the employees, including Shae, interact regularly. It also establishes office dynamics that predate Matty’s arrival, giving Jacobson Moore a tangible history for Matlock to utilize.
With Shae’s helpful (albeit selfish) push, sweaters and acapella performance become a source of development for Sarah and Billy, who hesitate to take the next steps in their respective relationships. The festive and fun singing becomes a vulnerable expression for Sarah and Kira. It becomes a sweet diffusion of the pressure that eventually leads to their first kiss. Matlock could spend more time showing Sarah and Kira getting to know each other before this milestone. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel unrealistic despite Kira only appearing on “Claws.”
In reality, “Belly of the Beast” contrasts Sarah and Kira’s first kiss with Billy and Claudia’s break-up. Sarah and Kira’s mutual interest is palpable on the page in their few scenes, as it is in Leah Lewis and Piper Curda’s chemistry. Alternatively and critically, Matlock only sees Claudia through Billy’s eyes. She only becomes an entire person in the heartbreaking moment when she tells Billy they’ve grown comfortable with one another. Their relationship spans nearly a decade, and “Belly of the Beast” snowballs the highs and lows into this efficient scene. Both milestones emphasize that time doesn’t always make a good romance. Conversely, Matlock’s time developing Sarah and Billy’s friendship makes their final scene sing. Lewis and David Del Rio are excellent scene partners.
MORE: Have you read our review of Matlock Season 1, Episode 5, “Claws?” Here it is!
Matty Discovers the Belly of the Beast
This show knows it has fantastic (platonic and professional) pairings at its whim. Therefore, it’s also exciting for “Belly of the Beast” to shake that formula up when Matty takes on her first Wellbrexa case with Julian. Kathy Bates and Jason Ritter have a recognizably different rhythm to their scenes than those with Bates and Skye P. Marshall. It’s not a discount to the pairing; it’s an advantage that proves Matlock can find renewed energy throughout its ensemble.
Moreover, shuffling the characters creates growth opportunities in new cases while showing a broader perception of Jacobson Moore’s daily workings. Until “Belly of the Beast,” Matty – and, in turn, Matlock – sees cases through the point of view of defending the person from the company. The legal drama turns those tables with Matty on the side of Wellbrexa. Of course, the episode expresses the moral conflicts of Matty professionally siding with the company. That priority results in one of the episode’s best and quietest scenes – Matty listening to Ellie’s voicemail to center herself and remember who she is fighting for.
That alone stirs up complex conflict for the titular character – seeking justice for Ellie means taking that chance from Jessie. “Belly of the Beast” compounds that with the lawyers on Wellbrexa’s team’s ghoulish behavior. Trent becomes the face of the previously faceless villain – until it introduces Wellbrexa’s CEO. Don’s introduction is a prologue for a much larger story down Matlock’s timeline. “Belly of the Beast” exercises its apt title just fine through Trent, Senior, and the other lawyers laughing at the literal expense of others’ pain. That (and the other) insensitive interaction is an understandable trigger for Matty’s anxiety.
MORE: Revisit Matlock Season 1, Episode 4, “The Rabbit and the Hawk,” with our review. Here it is!
Julian and Olympia Face the Truth
Ultimately, Matty takes another step in uncovering the truth, but “Belly of the Beast” forces her to reckon with the cost. On a very different scale, this case also puts Julian against a painful truth – how much he is like his father. Before Matlock reveals Julian’s affair, this episode defines that dynamic excellently. So far, the show spends more time with Olympia and Senior. The impact of Senior’s divorce(s) greatly influences Julian’s life – his relationship with Olympia and his parenting style. However, “Belly of the Beast” is one of the first times that Julian and Senior substantially interact, and it has riveting impacts on the perception of both characters – for themselves, the audience, and Olympia.
“The Rabbit and the Hawk” makes it starkly clear that Senior will do anything to please clients, so it’s not shocking that “Belly of the Beast” sees him undercut his employees to gain favor. Instead, Matlock finds an emotional pressure point in the father/son dynamic that becomes fodder for that legal play, as it does with Olympia and Senior. That intersection underscores that Matlock knows procedural elements don’t have as much significance without the character-driven, serialized aspects of story. “Belly of the Beast” properly intersects them to deliver one of Ritter’s best performances on the show so far. Ritter bakes so much subtlety into Julian’s reaction to his father telling him they’re similar.
Ritter’s performance reveals so much before Julian ever tells Olympia about the affair. Matlock almost shows its hand that the truth will come between Julian and Olympia when Elijah conveniently returns for the holiday party. Still, hearing this information on the heels of the couple rekindling their relationship and Olympia going toe-to-toe with Senior, in Julian’s defense, is brutal. It’s one of many gut punches in the “Belly of the Beast,” as Matlock returns from hiatus to remind audiences that its must-watch TV this holiday season.
MORE: Good news! Matlock has already been renewed for a second season. Read about it here!
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What did you think of Matlock Season 1, Episode 7, “Belly of the Beast?” Let us know in the comments below!
Matlock airs on CBS on Wednesdays at 9/8c.
