Matlock (2025 Remix): Old Charm, New Fire

TV Review | Byrne Alive Culture Club

When I first heard about the Matlock reboot, I was pleasantly intrigued. I figured we were in for a chill, character-driven legal drama—maybe something where Kathy Bates channels Andy Griffith with a twinkle in her eye and a slow Southern drawl. I was ready to settle in with a cup of tea and let it wash over me.

What I didn’t expect was a show this smart. This layered. This subversive. And I definitely didn’t expect it to make me feel seen—in the best and worst ways.

Dangerous Women, Subversive TV

The verdict is in, and Kathy Bates is a national treasure.

Kathy Bates’ Maddie Matlock is a revelation: cunning, maternal, morally flexible, and deeply strategic. This woman passes lie detector tests while manipulating everyone in the room. The show doesn’t ask us to ignore that. It asks us to reckon with it.

The character's true identity is Madeline Kingston, but she changes her surname to Matlock in a nod to the old show. Why? To infiltrate a law firm she suspects hid evidence that might have spared her daughter from becoming an opioid statistic and her grandson from losing his mother.

And then there’s Olympia, Maddie's high-power boss at the firm and a potential suspect in her clandestine investigation. The friendship that grows between them is no breezy meet-cute. It’s a delicate, high-stakes negotiation between two women who are constantly weighing risk, safety, loyalty, and truth in a world where those things are weaponized.

What I love about the tension between Maddie and Olympia is that the slow burn is not about romance—it’s a friendship in a world of facades. That’s rarer. And braver.

Legal Loopholes and Invisible Snares

What really sets this show apart isn’t just its characters—it’s what it reveals about us.

• The way a mother almost loses custody to an abuser because of a legally binding prenup.

• The casual mention of addiction traps set by billion-dollar industries—and how easy it is to fall in.

• The idea that your rights aren’t about what’s right—but about what you can prove.

  
  

The message is loud if you’re willing to hear it: our systems are not neutral. They’re a labyrinth—rigged in ways most people can’t even see until they’re caught in them.

And that’s where Maddie becomes not just a character, but a kind of people’s hero.

“People don’t see old women.”—Maddie Matlock

That line is repeated throughout the show, and every time it hits harder. Because it’s true—not just in the courtroom, but in real life. And Maddie, armed with her age, her invisibility, and her brilliance, turns that oversight into a tactical advantage.

But let’s be clear: Maddie is not “of the people.” She is a wealthy woman, resourced. She is gifted. She is exceptional. And even she is constantly gambling.

Ensemble Excellence (and Power Suits)

• The entire cast brings nuance, interest, and can hang with Kathy Bates. That's something.

• Jason Ritter looks so much like his father it’s wild. A little knock on the door for viewers of a certain age.

• And yes—Kathy Bates ROCKS a pantsuit. She looks beautiful. Not "TV old." Just powerful, grounded, and alive.

  
  

Final Thoughts

This is not Grandpa Simpson's Matlock. It’s not even your mom’s courtroom drama. It’s a stealth bomb—delivered with manners and warmth—that quietly dares you to reconsider what you think you know about justice, power, and the underestimated people who know how to navigate both.

I give it five hundred twelve stars, and I haven't yet seen the season finale. But I have every reason to expect it will provide a payoff that honors the tension that's been simmering and just perhaps a well-laid twist.