As a seasoned film enthusiast with a penchant for legal dramas, I must say that Matlock has hit a sweet spot with its latest episode, “Hot Doggin'”. The intricate plot twists, the sharp dialogues, and the captivating characters have made it an absolute joy to watch.
One smart move Jennie Snyder Urman and the Matlock team have made is their portrayal of Matty as a bit disorganized. While some of her schemes work flawlessly and deceive everyone, there are other instances where her façade cracks or the tales she spins lead to even more complications. At times, it’s overwhelming — so much so that in this week’s episode, she even breaks down crying in front of her husband Edwin, lamenting about the strain of constantly lying.
Edwin’s icy reply? “I never wanted you to do it in the first place.”
As a movie enthusiast, let me clarify that I’m not unfairly judging Edwin here, but his wife has been overstepping boundaries quite frequently as of late. The narrative commences with the pair embarking on a frantic search throughout their grand estate for their grandson Alfie, who was found asleep in Matty’s office, hidden behind the couch. It appears that Alfie had spent the entire night scouring Olympia’s laptop for evidence. Although she vows to Edwin that she’ll cease soliciting Alfie’s assistance and allow him to recharge, Matty swiftly resumes sending urgent texts to Alfie while he should be concentrating on his studies instead.
The emergency message is regarding a long-anticipated chance at Jacobson-Moore, which Matty and Alfie have been looking forward to. She’s now been granted access to the firm’s document room, and she requires her grandson’s assistance in navigating these documents to uncover evidence that could substantiate their claim that J-M concealed damaging information about opioids.
This episode features the most tense and amusing moments taking place in and around the documents room. Matty encounters the strict and suspicious “Mrs. B” (played by Patricia Belcher). She refuses to allow anyone access to information without a supervisor’s signature and a scheduled appointment. A brief, comical sequence occurs where Matty pulls out their phone to send an email requesting an appointment while standing right in front of Mrs. B. The scene is filled with suspense as the sound of Matty’s phone (WHOSH) and Mrs. B’s response (DING) echo through the room. In the end, Matty manages to turn their adversary into a friend by feigning concern for a sick pet, which happens to be one of Mrs. B’s passions as she is an animal lover.
In another instance, we can see how one lie can lead to another, creating complex predicaments. When Olympia wasn’t aware of Matty having a fictitious dog, Mrs. B.’s surprise turned into concern. This unexpected revelation put Matty in a difficult position, forcing her to make up an excuse, blaming it on her boss’s policy of not being friends with subordinates.
Matty gets into a similar pickle with our client of the week: the chronically anxious artist Robert Walton (John Billingsley), who is suing the owners of his apartment complex because his wife died of respiratory failure, possibly caused by bacteria present in the building’s aged plumbing. Matty’s job is to keep Robert calm, which she does by bonding with him over the death of her own fake husband.
There’s genuine emotion behind Matty’s actions, as she genuinely reminisces about her daughter Ellie when empathizing with Robert over setting a place for lost loved ones or imagining they’re still alive. So it’s only natural that after spending several days together – with him sharing stories of his wife and the hawk incident, and her inspiring him to move past self-doubt and cherish life – Robert would gift Matty a glass rabbit figurine and ask her on a date, affectionately referring to her as a “widow.
This week’s case, another intriguing one, sees the J-M lawyers at odds with each other. Elijah, feeling angry after Olympia ended their relationship last week, appears to find pleasure in telling her that their law firm now represents Foundate Financials, the corporation which owns the Waltons’ apartment building (and many others). This means they need a mediator to establish a barrier between them, as Olympia’s team rushes to present proof of the landlords’ negligence, while Elijah’s team counters with claims of inadequate building codes and Robert’s art supplies.
Subsequently, it seems like Robert is left with a meager $250,000 deal, but then water damage and black mold discovery in his apartment raises significant issues for Foundation. Meanwhile, Olympia receives an improved offer of $6,000,000, along with a cleanup fund; however, only the latter remains after Senior performs a tactic known as “the Texas two-step,” shielding Foundation through underhanded out-of-state re-incorporation and bankruptcy filing. Matty becomes aware of Senior’s scheme when she notices him wearing golf pants, an attire he dons following his habit of extinguishing someone’s aspirations.
This incident serves as a harsh lesson for Matty, implying that in the eyes of Senior and his high-profile clients, individuals such as Robert and Ellie are insignificant. Fortunately for Matty, while examining the J-M documents, she discovers a potentially incriminating document bearing what appears to be Senior’s signature. She is now convinced she has identified her primary objective, which just so happens to be someone she holds in contempt: The arrogant hawk in the executive suite, callously picking off innocents like rabbits.
By the finale of the episode, she and Edwin manage to patch things up, but she fails to delve into his underlying issues. Meanwhile, she continues to collaborate with Alfie. In a chilling scene, she employs recollections from one of Edwin’s heated arguments, along with a bag of diced onions, to stage her feigned sorrow over a fictional dead pet. As she increasingly relies on her personal life to bolster her deception, it becomes more challenging for her to maintain her own boundaries.
Hot Doggin’
This week, Sarah and Billy didn’t have much going on, spending most of the episode arguing over Sarah’s seeming disinterest in her colleagues’ personal matters. This suggests an imbalance in Sarah’s work-focused personality. However, at the end of the episode, Sarah confesses to Billy that she considers him a friend when she discusses things with her therapist. This revelation deeply moved Billy, leading him to introduce Sarah to his girlfriend Claudia (someone Sarah had believed was one of Billy’s sisters). Furthermore, Billy hinted at potentially new information when he told Claudia that Sarah is interested in dating, and suggested, “If you know any nice girls…
In the meantime, it’s evident that Julian is trying to reconcile with Olympia. He defends the Walton case despite Senior’s wish to abandon it, and in the episode’s finale, he delivers a box of Senior’s memorabilia to his ex-wife, hoping she would destroy it using a golf club. I must admit, I struggle to engage with the love triangle involving Elijah, Olympia, and Julian. However, this week, the confusing relationships certainly add intrigue to the office politics. Moreover, I suspect that this situation will play a significant role in Matty’s undercover investigation.
Could it be that Matty is exaggerating her unfortunate circumstances excessively at the office? When Olympia mentions Matlock shares traits with their client, Matty responds sarcastically, “Did Robert find Sandy with a prostitute dressed as a flapper?” The puzzled expressions from her colleagues imply she might be pushing boundaries and making others uneasy.
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2024-11-01 07:54