Matlock Recap: Minds Playing Tricks

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Growing up in the 70s and 80s, TV shows and comics often restated their core ideas in every installment. The assumption was that these were disposable forms of entertainment, and viewers weren’t expected to follow ongoing storylines. Surprisingly, the show Matlock still uses this approach. Each week, both in the recap at the beginning and throughout the episode, we’re reminded of Matty’s quest to hold Jacobson-Moore and Wellbrexa accountable for her daughter’s death, and Olympia’s determination to bring down Senior instead of Julian. This pattern repeats endlessly.

It can be tiring to keep repeating ourselves, but this week’s episode of “Mousetrap” suggests there’s value in doing so. What if we repeat key points not just for newcomers, but to establish those points as common knowledge? When we consistently share a story with others, it can shape a shared understanding of reality.

This idea comes up in this week’s Matlock case. Our new client, Daniel Pearson (played by Keyon Bowman), is in jail for pushing his foster father, Clarence, down the stairs. Jacobson-Moore is working to get Daniel’s sentence lessened, arguing there were specific reasons for his actions. The prosecution highlights Daniel’s past aggression, mentioning an incident where he attacked someone at a strip club. However, Daniel has no memory of this event, and Olympia’s team – with help from Julian – plans to argue that people often subconsciously block out painful or upsetting memories.

If they don’t eliminate problematic individuals completely, they alter the truth to protect themselves. Julian learns this firsthand when his father reveals the company was spying on Emmalyn Belvin’s computer after she was fired – meaning they know Julian looked at her files. This is the setup, or “mousetrap,” for the current conflict. Julian uses this knowledge to challenge his father directly, asking about Belvin’s investigation into a hidden Wellbrexa study. His father denies any knowledge of it. Because there’s no proof available, Senior can claim anything he wants about Wellbrexa and ensure everyone else within the company remembers the story his way.

Julian was brought onto Daniel’s case for personal reasons, not because of the case itself. Olympia is using him to monitor Matty, who recently figured out Olympia had been talking to both Mrs. B and the New York Times about the Wellbrexa issue. Matty, in turn, wants Julian occupied to prevent him from investigating her dealings with a new contact in IT.

It’s strange, but as Julian investigated, he started proving he was a genuinely skilled lawyer. Everyone always assumed his success at Jacobson-Moore was just because of his dad – especially with all the drama around being fired and then rehired for less money! But he actually earned his place, putting in the hard work at law school and gaining experience as a public defender. It made me realize he wasn’t just riding on his family name.

Julian, with help from Olympia and Matty (and a little extra from Sarah and Billy), discovered what really happened at the strip club. Daniel arrived in a confused state, with orange stains on his clothes and seemingly fixated on something related to “Gregory.” The team realized “Gregory” referred to St. Gregory hospital, and the stains were probably from medication he received there, which left him disoriented.

Looking back at the hospital records, it turns out Daniel was actually there when his foster dad had that fall. He didn’t push Clarence – it was just a tragic accident caused by drinking. It’s heartbreaking, but the police basically talked him into confessing, promising a lighter sentence. And the really sad part? He started to believe he had done it, even though he hadn’t. As Olympia so brilliantly put it to the judge, the stories we tell ourselves… they have so much power, they can even change what we believe is true.

This Matlock case is another strong episode, and it moves the overall plot forward more effectively than last week’s. The story follows the team’s efforts to reframe Daniel’s account, while Olympia and Matty try to help Julian recognize the issues with Mrs. B. Matty’s plan involves a tech expert named Carl, who alters old text messages between Matty and Belvin. Carl adds a fabricated message where Matty expresses anger towards Belvin for a request involving items from the office. When Julian questions the authenticity of this text, Matty must gain access to Mrs. B’s laptop so Carl can replicate the altered message chain there as well.

Matty needs Olympia to help him deceive people, but Olympia really dislikes it. She feels uncomfortable using Julian’s trust to protect him from Matty and Carl’s underhanded online activities. When Julian starts to question his own values—wondering how he could have ever doubted the honesty of a kind, elderly woman who’s close to his ex—Olympia is reminded of the confusion, paranoia, and manipulation she felt throughout her year-long friendship with Matty.

Earlier this season, I pointed out that Olympia seemed to forgive the Kingstons too quickly for their dishonesty, excusing their actions while also admitting her own. I was glad to finally see a scene this week where Olympia confronts Matty about her behavior. What’s interesting is that Matty actually acknowledges her wrongdoing, feeling she has just as much justification for it as Daniel did. She believes her actions are understandable because she was motivated by avenging her daughter, and also because she grew up covering for her alcoholic mother. When Olympia accuses Matty of being a liar herself, it doesn’t seem to bother Matty much at all.

Olympia takes things a step further. Earlier, Matty gained Daniel’s trust by bonding over their shared love of the Yankees and sharing a baseball story her dad supposedly taught her. Later, Olympia questions whether that story was actually true, and Matty confesses it was made up. This deeply upsets Matty when Olympia points out that it means she can’t trust any of the stories Matty has told about Ellie either.

These two women remain linked by their mission to defeat Senior, but their belief that they can remain friends afterward is fading. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for them to convince themselves that a friendship is still possible.

The Fine Print

Honestly, I’m not too worried about skipping over the Sarah storyline this week. It’s just… not really going anywhere. It revolves around her adoptive mom wanting to remarry this guy, Gary Blest (Steven M. Porter), who Sarah doesn’t exactly approve of. But I have to admit, there was one funny moment! I loved how Gary awkwardly asked Sarah for her blessing while her mom was in the bathroom, and then practically begged her to be quick because her mom is, well, a fast bathroom-goer, as he put it. It was a surprisingly amusing little bit.

Matty’s investigation into Daniel’s night at the strip club involves looking at pictures of the dancers to identify the one who spoke with her client. She jokes with her team that she’ll need HR to explain her unusual search history.

The Kingstons need to be a little more understanding when it comes to Olympia and Julian. Edwin makes snide remarks when Olympia, who’s staying with them, says she likes her coffee strong, and he brings it to her cold. Meanwhile, even after learning Julian isn’t as wealthy as he seems and hearing him be honest about it, she still views him as entitled and untrustworthy. I understand the Kingstons aren’t the villains here, but they can definitely be unkind at times.

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2025-11-07 17:56