Matlock Season 1, Episode 9, “Friends,” acts as a reminder that friendships are just as complicated and critical as familial and romantic relationships. An episode hinging on this assertion is expected because the legal drama works from its core – Matty and Olympia’s dynamic. “Friends,” written by John Lowe and directed by Dan Willis, explores the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship while expanding the significance of Billy and Sarah’s friendship. The episode bakes it all into a case that brings personal tensions to a professional boiling point that tests trust. Matlock is a procedural drama in its element.
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Billy and Sarah Are a Team
Matlock always presents Billy and Sarah as secondary characters, but the show’s self-awareness of their placement in the broader ensemble has become a motivator. “Friends” picks up that baton from Matlock Season 1, Episode 7, “Belly of the Beast,” where Billy and Sarah’s pivot to prioritize their professional development coincides with more scenes binding them closer as friends. Casual exchanges like sharing Billy’s lunch compliment “yes, and” bits while working in the field. Those smaller beats make the bigger ones – Sarah taking Billy’s advice to be honest with Kira – land. They come together to create one of the most solid dynamics in Matlock, and it’s based on the foundation of trustworthy friendship. Though they are still secondary characters vying for that primary light, Billy and Sarah’s friendship should be an example for the main characters.
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Something More Than a Love Square
While the legal drama knows where Billy and Sarah stand (and where they can go) from Matlock Season 1, Episode 1, “Pilot,” it feels more uncertain regarding Elijah’s role. His romance with Olympia fizzles out without definition, and then he leaves for an episode. “Friends” welcomes him back into the folds more than “Belly of the Beast” by using Matlock’s case-of-the-week format to outline more than the previous episodes do. The script sprinkles in meaningful exposition – Sam being the only other member of their family who lives in the city – while giving Elijah and Olympia the space they need to make a handhold matter. “Friends” feels like the first time Matlock tries to know Elijah, which is why Olympia’s comment about “a theoretical nothing” stings.
Frankly, the scene with Olympia, Julian, and Elijah wouldn’t have the momentum it does – Skye P. Marshall, Jason Ritter, and Eme Ikwuakor are utterly compelling – without this intentional character work through the procedural drama’s skeleton. The case’s stakes compound with Elijah and Shae’s respective involvements, resulting in this revealing exchange that underscores the depth of Matlock’s ensemble. “Friends” could have revealed anyone as the person Julian had an affair with, but it chooses Shae because there is a built-in history that makes it all more complicated. Storytelling thrives on conflict, and Matlock has heaps of it in this scene. Moreover, while “Friends,” thankfully, gives Elijah more depth, it does the same for Shae. The human lie detector holding a secret of that magnitude is an interesting internal conflict for a tertiary character.
Meanwhile, Matlock continues to excel in the intricacies of Julian and Olympia’s relationship. It is a privilege to watch Marshall and Ritter play out every aspect of their characters’ dynamic. That truth stands from their not-so-subtle exchanges during the job interview to their final scene when Julian assumes Olympia will be the one to step down. Every scene contains layers of nuance around accountability, nepotism, privilege, heartbreak, and fractured trust. All of that culminates in a bet that adds extra momentum to the season’s second half, proving that Matlock can push its characters and plot in tandem.
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Olympia and Matty’s Friendship
Sometimes, one can fall to the wayside in procedural dramas – not this one. Matlock weaves the two to create elevated tension at nearly every turn. Olympia telling Matty about her father teaching her to be a crocodile is one example in “Friends” that may be considered underrated in the long run. However, it comes after Matty tells Edwin that she finds a silver lining in her facade because she helps real people in real cases. Interestingly, with every personal detail Olympia shares with Matty (or Matty uncovers through unlabeled folders or hidden pens), Olympia becomes a real person in Matty’s case. Likewise, Matty becomes less of an employee and more of a friend Olympia leans on and takes care of – even to the effect of writing up as much in her divorce if needed.
It’s no coincidence that “Friends” highlights Matty’s hesitation to manipulate Olympia’s personal information. To some degree, Matty’s not using Shae as a tactic parallels Sam’s refusal to throw her friend under the legal bus. A genuine friendship is developing between them, much to both of their initial resistance. Therefore, Matty doesn’t need to dig for clues to add to her board – Olympia volunteers them out of trust. That trust has complex yet fragile building blocks. It’s built on a Madeline “Matty” Matlock-shaped lie. Even so, Matty and Olympia’s friendship’s sincerity translates well on-screen because of Kathy Bates and Skye P. Marshall’s chemistry. They look like they had the best time filming Matty and Olympia’s bonding session over a few drinks and a quest for answers.
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Matty’s Gut Has Other Plans
Those sequences are fun, further the plot, and poke a few holes in the growing tension. However, Matlock’s coda illustrates that they don’t alleviate the latter. Matty says, “Sometimes we only see what we want to see,” but Edwin is the one with the clarity that distance provides. From the beginning of Matlock, he warns Matty that the longer she spends at Jacobson Moore, the more dangerous it becomes. That danger manifests in very real health concerns for most of the season. It evolves into fears of legal retaliation during “Friends.” A third force becomes equally unavoidable – Matty’s friendship with Olympia. It’s powerful enough to convince Matty’s gut that Olympia is innocent. Refreshingly, a friendship is important enough to turn Matlock’s season on its head.
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What did you think of Matlock Season 1, Episode 9, “Friends?” Let us know in the comments below!
New episodes of Matlock air on Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.
As much as it pains me, based on the growing friendship between Matlock and Olympia, I suspected weeks ago that the reveal will be that Olympia will be the guilty party, thereby further decimating Maddie. Naturally, the show could pull a swerve and do something that ultimately absolves her, once the initial damage has been done.