Kathy Bates’ ‘Matlock’ Is a Clever, Meta Spin on the Reboot: TV Review

CBS aired the pilot of its " Matlock " revival, penned by Jennie Snyder Urman of "Jane the Virgin," weeks before the rest of the season begins its rollout this week. That's given audiences time to absorb a twist that's more like a premise. Spoiler-phobes, this is your final warning: Kathy Bates ' heroine may go by "Matlock," but that's not her given name. Instead, it's an alias she assumes to infiltrate a law firm she suspects of covering up the addictive nature of its pharmaceutical client's opioids. Un-retired attorney Madeline Kingston has a folksy affect and the trademark gray suit, but her deception is the first of many indications that this clever, winning show is not your father's "Matlock."

For one thing, the Andy Griffith version already exists in this narrative universe. The legal procedural was the childhood comfort watch of Madeline's late daughter, who lost her life to opioid addiction. That makes this "Matlock " a meta spin on the reboot, one that allows for a respectful distance. By acknowledging the elephant in the room, the new version can keep the Southern drawl and courtroom reversals while changing almost everything else.

"There's this funny thing that happens when women age," Madeline — who goes by "Matty" at work — explains. "People assume I'm a harmless old lady, and that's how I'm gonna trick them." The most effective reveal in the pilot isn't her spy mission; it's clear the sob story she tells her new employer, about a no-good husband who's left her a broke widow at 75, is too over-the-top to be true. (In fact, she's filthy rich; the series premiere reveals its sleight of hand by following her from her bus to her chauffeured car.) Rather, it's that part of her cover persona isn't a cover at all. Matty did lose a child to drugs, and while she's a skilled fabulist who manipulates others' perceptions of her, an unshakeable righteousness motivates her larger scheme. Most of her internal conflict centers on whether potential ends justify her deceitful means.

While Matty works on breaking into the firm's inner circle, Urman surrounds her with capable colleagues and cases of the week. This being CBS, Matty's age is a more salient aspect of her identity than her gender. For contrast, she's assigned to a team with two go-getting young associates, Billy (David Del Rio) and Sarah (Leah Lewis). The crew shares one office in an amusing, Odd Throuple-esque arrangement that fosters both intergenerational team-ups and tense competition.

Matty and her colleagues vie for the approval of their boss, Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), a hard-charging partner in the middle of a divorce from Julian (Jason Ritter), the son of managing partner Senior (Beau Bridges, amplifying Bates' boomer nostalgia factor). Olympia, Julian and Senior are also Matty's prime suspects, and while she works to win their trust, she helps Olympia sue prisons and police forces on behalf of the little guy. While Julian runs the lucrative Big Pharma practice, Olympia has launched a de facto startup initiative to prove "social justice can make real money," a theory "Matlock" seems surprisingly open to despite the firm's track record.

Back home, Matty coordinates with her beloved (and living!) husband Edwin (Sam Anderson), and grandson, Alfie (Aaron D. Harris). Besides their shared loss, I found the family side of the show fuzzier than the fast-paced workplace high jinks. It's not quite clear how the Kingstons made their money, or locked onto this specific firm as a target. As the season continues, I hope the two halves of Matty's double life grow less uneven. Both "Matlock" and its namesake are easy to root for.

'Matlock' makes its time slot premiere on CBS and Paramount+ on Oct. 17 at 9pm ET, with remaining episodes airing weekly on Thursdays.