Matlock Season 1, Episode 8, “No, No Monsters,” thoughtfully spotlights working mothers’ nuanced influence, power, and sacrifice. Written by Sheridan Watson and directed by Yangzom Brauen, this episode is a pressure point for deep-seated betrayal. So even though “Belly of the Beast” is a more narratively overt place to leave Matlock before hiatus, “No, No Monsters” takes more subtle, character-driven turns to earn its spot as the fall finale. By its end, it leaves far less in distress or question. Nevertheless, this episode hits relevant beats and tugs on heartstrings as Matlock’s plot becomes stickier than ever.
MORE: Have you read our Matlock Season 1, Episode 7, “Belly of the Beast,” review? Here it is!
Billy and Sarah Are Over Being Sidelined
“No, No Monsters” continues the legal drama’s trend of using Sarah and Billy to fill out the episode’s C story while Matty, Olympia, and Julian fill out the A-B ones. However, Matlock’s scripts are so tightly written that their arcs never feel like second thoughts or watered down to accommodate Matty or Olympia’s arc. This episode puts that into perspective after the milestones – Sarah & Kira’s first kiss and Billy & Claudia’s break-up – during “Belly of the Beast.”
Those propulsions encourage further investment in Sarah and Billy, and Matlock uses that momentum to its advantage. Instead of bumping them up to a more prominent story, “No, No Monsters” makes them aware of the space they fill at Jacobson Moore. Consequently, Matlock takes an engaging and meta approach to breaking Sarah and Billy out of “YouThree.” Sarah helping Billy realize that his personal change can inspire a professional one is a believable response to the story in action and on the page, especially at this point in the season.
After all, “No, No Monsters” is one of many episodes where Olympia separates Matty from Sarah and Billy while relying on all of their help. That rift within the team can only go on for so long before it becomes repetitive or risks preventing the character from breaking new ground. Therefore, it works for Matlock’s fall finale to set Billy and Sarah on a new, self-defining path within Jacobson Moore. Hopefully, this shift will allow the legal drama to invest more time in Olympia’s dynamics with Billy and Sarah. Their quick scene – Olympia noting how Sarah says “friend in tech” and telling Billy it’s okay that he’s not 100% – leaves plenty of room for more exchanges and depth between Olympia, Billy, and Sarah.
MORE: Don’t miss our review of Matlock Season 1, Episode 6, “Sixteen Steps.” Here it is!
Matty, Olympia, and Julian Are the Triangle
There’s no doubt that Matlock knows it has something special with Olympia and Matty. Even at the risk of sounding like a broken record, it must be restated that Syke P. Marshall and Kathy Bates are one of the best duos on TV right now. “No, No Monsters” uses its procedural arc to take Marshall and Bates’s characters to a place that makes its serialized arc all the more complicated. Matlock continues to compound its stories like that, but it’s only gaining steam with each episode.
Whenever the pressure gets too high, Matlock opens a valve to give itself more leeway. “No, No Monsters” puts that into action by spotlighting the show’s true (and strongest) triangle. The earlier episodes tease a love triangle between Julian, Olympia, and Elijah, but it never truly gets its footing. From the beginning, Matlock creates a professional triangle among Matty, Sarah, and Billy, but it’s never balanced as a great triangle should be. “No, No Monsters” serves as a reminder that the most well-defined triangle is among Olympia, Matty, and Julian. It’s the perfect combination of interpersonal and professional drama.
Matty’s stint working with Julian during “Belly of the Beast” boldens the lines that need it, so this fall finale (and the rest of the season) can test them. “No, No Monsters” does so by unpacking the betrayal Olympia feels from Julian and Matty – and her friend, Lacy. Though the latter has less resonance because of the character’s recent introduction, Marshall’s performance brings relevance to losing that friendship. While there is much more to unpack between Olympia and Julian, Olympia’s leaning on Matty becomes all the more conflicting as Olympia and Matty grow closer. Marshall plays that tension well when Olympia opens up to Matty about Julian’s affair. Bates does so when Matty’s voice cracks when realizing that Olympia could have forged Senior’s signature.
MORE: Revisit Matlock Season 1, Episode 5, “Claws,” with our review. Here it is!
Matty Confronts the Truth
These people, specifically Olympia, are starting to mean something to Matty. Olympia tells Matty she has “no fear, only trust” in her, and they later refer to themselves as “Thelma and Louise.” Though Madeline Kingston uses Matty Matlock as a cover, the truths she molds into a story connect her with the people around her. “No, No Monsters” makes that abundantly clear between Matty and Olympia. Not only does Olympia express her hurt at Matty’s betrayal, but she also reflects her desire to maintain their friendship. Matty knows a genuine bond is developing between them, so that hug comes exactly when Matty needs to hide the truth – the look on her face.
Additionally, this job, though a complicated means to a hopeful end, impacts Matty. Matlock explicitly explores how the job’s stressors strain Matty’s health, but it also delves into how the job challenges Matty’s perspective – for better and worse. Jacobson Moore is involved in a deadly and shameful cover-up for Wellbrexa. The cases Matty works on, like in Matlock Season 1, Episode 3, “A Guy Named Greg,” help her confront certain parts of her life with a new perspective. “No, No Monsters” exemplifies this with Matty’s reflections on working mothers – herself, Olympia, Lacy, the Nanny Cams, and Nadira.
It’s moving to watch Matty, using Alfie’s memory of Ellie, assure Nadira that her children have not forgotten her. It’s influential to see Olympia refuse to belittle her capabilities as a mother and a lawyer to fit the Nanny Cams’ rigid mold of both. It’s powerful to follow Matty telling Edwin that she won’t feel guilty about her career. It’s empowering to see women refuse to be pigeonholed by society or each other and instead embrace their complexities and all of their roles.
MORE: Do you want more Matlock? The series has already been renewed for a second season. Read all the latest here!
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What did you think of Matlock Season 1, Episode 8, “No, No Monsters?” Let us know in the comments below!
New episodes of Matlock return on Thursday, January 30, at 10/9c on CBS.
