Matlock Season 1, Episode 17, “I Was That, Too,” proves it’s worth the wait to finally see the tables turn on Matty and Olympia’s dynamic. This episode, written by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro and directed by Hanelle Culpepper, lives up to expectations with that narrative twist. “I Was That, Too” makes it clear that it will from the moment that Olympia says, “I’m your judge. I’m your jury.”
There’s no denying that Kathy Bates maintains a quiet edge to Madeline “Matty” Matlock throughout the season’s penultimate episode. As is often the case in this season, her performance is matched by an absolute tour de force from Skye P. Marshall. There’s no undercutting the excellence that is Olympia and Matty’s dynamic in “I Was That, Too.” If anything, this episode encourages more from the other characters in the season finale and beyond.
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Sarah and Billy Make Moves
For instance, “I Was That, Too” doesn’t give Billy and Sarah’s personal lives a chance to spark or maintain interest. Like most of the season, most progress, including dates and conversations with their respective romantic interests, happens off-screen. Each love interest is in only four episodes so far – Kira is last in “Pregame,” and Simone is last in “Game Day.” Matlock mostly provides updates through expository dialogue between Billy and Sarah. Much of the relevance of their respective relationships is lost in translation.
So, Billy and Sarah’s conclusions about Simone and Kira, respectively, don’t carry that much weight in “I Was That, Too.” It doesn’t help that they tread water around their decisions – Sarah not wanting an open relationship and Billy not wanting a serious relationship – for episodes. Sarah penning a cease and desist letter – after multiple episodes of Olympia being her mentor – suggests the opposite could be true with more on-screen consistency and development. Since Matlock is barreling towards its season’s final two episodes, here’s to hoping for more for Billy and Sarah in the already-renewed Season 2.
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Olympia Questions Everything
It’s somewhat understandable that Matlock doesn’t spend too much time with Sarah, Billy, or anyone else after the cliffhanger from “The Johnson Case.” It’s a relief that this episode doesn’t waste any time after that narrative twist; it never races to the same conclusions as it does with Sarah and Billy. Instead, the episode’s pacing gives Olympia the space to process every new bit of information. All the while, the episode’s placement in the season and its important case create a pressure-cooker tension that drives everything and everyone forward.
Until now, Matlock does a great job of showing how this information changes in real-time with Matty – from her perspective. “I Was That, Too” has a noticeable shift to Olympia. Her experiences and her experiences with betrayal, heartbreak, manipulation, and paranoia are at the center of the show’s present and flashbacks. Matlock also represents this in Olympia being the one who does the voiceover of Matty’s letter – there’s a prioritization of Olympia and a distance from Matty. That only collapses when Olympia reads Ellie’s obituary – an indisputable truth that is all too personal.
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Matty Learns What’s Next
These shifts that occur in “I Was That, Too” are riveting. Matty is in control of so much of this season. There are very few moments when things spin out of her control, and, more often than not, those instances involve Olympia. Matlock proves that point again with the events of the season’s penultimate episode. Even when Matty finally divulges so many truths, she finds herself on unsteady ground because of the magnitude of her dynamic with Olympia.
It’s like Matty is almost on her back foot. That’s such an interesting place to find any character, especially the lead of a show whose entire plan relies on him being on her front foot. The episode essentially sees her rock back and forth from instability to stability. “I Was That, Too” encourages Matlock fans to lean forward when the latter occurs because Olympia plays along. When the duo sells the holding room as a private office to Billy and Sarah, there’s a glimpse of what Matty and Olympia could do with the Wellbrexa case together. It’s an excellent tease of the episode’s cliffhanger – Matty’s worlds colliding.
MORE: Matlock Season 1, Episode 13 Review: ‘Pregame’
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What did you think of Matock Season 1, Episode 17, “I Was That, Too?” Let us know in the comments below!
New episodes of Matlock air on Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.
