Accountability becomes the main character in the effective and impactful fall finale of Matlock Season 2, Episode 8, “Call It a Christmas Gift.” This episode, written by Damani Johnson & Katie Wech and directed by Mike Listo, advances the plot with moves this season needs. It does so by doing more with Senior, who has had a hit-or-miss attendance record so far this season. Ironically, that occurs with Senior being in a hospital before for all but one scene.
Spotlighting the show’s antagonist’s fragility alongside his ruthlessness means Matlock gets into the light and shade of it all. Relatedly, this episode features some of Jason Ritter and Leah Lewis’s best work on the show yet. “Call It a Christmas Gift” and the last few episodes finally start to give Julian and Sarah as much Olympia and Matty. That momentum reaching new heights in this fall finale signals that Matlock is hitting another stride, not a sophomore slump.
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Sarah’s Place at Jacobson Moore
“Call It a Christmas Gift” quickly establishes the broader context of the harassment case, explaining the social and political structures and systems that support the corrupt men in power. In that, Matlock draws a natural comparison to Senior’s leadership at Jacobson Moore. One of the best beats is the emotion in Leah Lewis’s eyes as Sarah compliments Phil’s bravery in wanting to testify in support of Diego. It perfectly represents how true that is for her while bringing her guilt about giving the pictures of Julian’s datebook to Senior to the surface. Of course, the financial compensation for that in her holiday bonus only compounds Sarah’s feeling of complacency. It puts a hefty price on it.
Like removing Senior causes unsteadiness for Julian and the Wellbrexa arc, having Billy at home for a personal day does so for Sarah. That confidential friendship has become a staple of the show. Sometimes, it is so at the expense of Sarah’s (and Billy’s) individuality. Because Billy is no longer on the show, it’s an effective choice to have the phone call focus on Sarah. It shows how “Call It a Christmas Gift” leaves Sarah in a really vulnerable place – her workplace support system is gone. For a fall finale, that’s a heartbreaking and suspenseful place for a fantastic character who is really coming into her own this season.
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Matlock and Morality
This episode constantly reminds the character that morality is hard. In fact, that could be Matlock’s thesis statement with how frequently and thoroughly it examines the theme. The exploration of how accountability, justice, and morality overlap and conflict with the characters’ perspectives is interesting. For instance, Matty can be there for Olympia, but, understandably, for both women, she can’t have the same sympathy for Senior as Olympia. With their progress, it’s good to see Matty and Olympia try to meet each other where they’re at.
Matlock is often good at holding multiple truths at once. For Julian, that intention is best exercised when he talks to Senior. Jason Ritter’s performance in that scene (and, really, the entire episode) is honest. Senior and Julian’s father/son dynamic is a goldmine for the characters. That scene is a dynamic way for Julian to talk through his relationship with his dad. Ritter’s delivery of “Which turned out complicated, like all of it. All of us” (a personal favorite from the episode) and “I want to move on from the resentments, so I’m letting go of mine. Because you’re my dad” provides such insight into Julian’s headspace.
That’s critical ahead of the reveal, where Julian pieces (mostly) everything together. The power of that AirPod remains in doubt, though. Nevertheless, Julian’s involvement and knowledge are exactly what Matlock needs heading into the rest of the season. Even with more hurdles, there’s still a wish for justice with this Wellbrexa case. The Matlock characters say it best: “Please, hold these men accountable,” “because standing up in these moments is important.”
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What did you think of Matlock Season 2, Episode 8, “Call It a Christmas Gift?” Let us know in the comments below!
Matlock returns with new episodes on Thursday, February 26, at 9/8c on CBS.
