Matlock Season 2 Quietly Crossed a Madeline & Olympia Line It Can’t Undo

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In Season 2, Episode 5 of Matlock, Matty Matlock (Kathy Bates) and Olympia Lawrence (Skye P. Marshal) face new challenges when Julian Markston (Jason Ritter) gets close to uncovering their secret plan. Continuing their partnership from the end of Season 1, Matty and Olympia are working together on Madeline’s case. They shift their focus to Senior (Beau Bridges), the head of Jacobson Moore, after Madeline decides to investigate him instead of Julian, who was simply working for the firm and his father.

In “Mousetrap,” Julian becomes rightfully suspicious of Madeline because of her connection to Emmalyn Belvin, and he’s figured something out that his father hasn’t. He saw Madeline leaving Belvin’s office during the firm’s investigation into a leak to the press, leading him to believe Matlock and Belvin were working together. Julian is correct that Madeline is involved in a plot against the firm, but he doesn’t realize someone is actually protecting him. Olympia and Matty are going to great lengths to keep Julian safe, even if it means causing him significant pain in the process.

Olympia and Madeline Gaslight Julian in Matlock, Season 2, Episode 5

Julian doesn’t trust Madeline because she used to be friends with Emmalyn Belvin, and he saw text messages between them mentioning a “plant.” Olympia claims the “plant” was just a literal houseplant and that Madeline and Emmalyn were only friends, but Julian is convinced he saw Madeline leaving Emmalyn’s office on the day Emmalyn admitted to being the source of the leak. He also noticed Emmalyn printed a report about Wellbrexa spending right before she was fired, and this report wasn’t found on her when they interviewed her.

I’m convinced Madeline printed that report and is going to leak it to the press, and Julian’s figured it all out! He’s the only one, besides Olympia, who’s really getting close to uncovering Matlock’s scheme to destroy Wellbrexa and the firm covering for the company that hurt her daughter. Julian’s got the proof – he saw Madeline leaving Belvin’s office – and that makes him a threat. So, Olympia and whoever she’s secretly working with are now trying to discredit him and stop him from figuring things out.

Madeline and Olympia aren’t actually enemies of Julian, but they have to deceive him to keep him from discovering their scheme. Olympia distracts Julian by suggesting they investigate Madeline’s phone, which she and Matty have secretly filled with misleading messages. Even with this going as planned, and despite Julian occasionally acting unpredictably, Markston remains wary and wants to check Belvin’s laptop to confirm everything is truthful. In a dramatic turn of events, Madeline creates false evidence, including altered video footage, which ultimately convinces Julian to stop investigating them.

Matlock Proves That Gaslighting Julian Is a Mistake

Okay, so the latest episode really threw me. It looks like Olympia and Madeline’s attempts to mess with Julian’s head might actually backfire! Despite all their efforts to keep him in the dark and cover their tracks, Markston was hot on their trail – seriously, he was almost able to figure everything out. But then Madeline panicked and had her tech guy, Carl, fudge some camera footage at the last minute. That little bit of manipulation was exactly what Julian needed to believe Madeline wasn’t working with Belvin. And honestly, seeing Markston completely unravel after believing it was all in his head? Brutal. It was a really effective twist, even if it felt a little cheap.

Julian feels confused and guilty after Olympia and Madeline deceive him, leading him to believe he pursued an innocent woman. This adds to his existing stress, as he’s already burdened by hiding the Wellbrexa document for Jacobson Moore. On top of everything, he’s stuck doing basic tasks at the firm after losing the bid to become a partner to Olympia. He agreed with the mother of his children to remain at the firm in order to collect evidence against Senior and help expose his wrongdoing.

Olympia is coordinating with both Julian and Madeline to hold their firm’s managing partner accountable, but she’s deliberately keeping them from working together for now. It’s unclear why Julian hasn’t been told about the plan, possibly due to a lack of trust – a problem already existing between them all. This secrecy is making things even harder for Julian. Olympia feels guilty about deceiving him, and this is straining her friendship with Matty, who now connects her with dishonesty and the resulting hurt.

Julian consistently demonstrates his legal expertise. Although Madeline has collaborated with him on several cases, Markston hasn’t yet been able to showcase his abilities, but the events in Matlock Season 2, Episode 5, suggest he would be a strong addition to their investigative team. Julian remained equally skilled as Madeline and Olympia throughout the case, proving he’s capable. Despite potentially aiding them, Julian is now second-guessing his own judgment, and the rift between Olympia, Madeline, and himself is growing wider.

Julian Has to Find Out About Madeline and Olympia’s Secret Plan

Madeline and Olympia are working hard to keep Julian unaware of their scheme, but Markston will inevitably need to be told everything. To safeguard Julian and bring Senior to justice, they’ve decided Julian will cooperate with the authorities – he’ll testify against Senior, admitting his involvement in exchange for a lighter sentence. They might be worried Julian will panic if he learns the truth too soon and warn Senior, potentially jeopardizing their investigation before they have enough proof.

It’s understandable that Madeline and Olympia are hesitant to trust Julian right now, but this is causing tension in their friendship. They previously agreed to avoid further harm, yet Julian’s current vulnerability feels like another casualty in the bigger scheme of things. Once Julian realizes the full extent of the situation, he’ll have a strong reason to join forces with Madeline and Olympia, especially after his father, Senior, clearly demonstrates he won’t help him. In the episode “Mousetrap,” Senior directly denies any involvement in the Wellbrexa cover-up, even in a private conversation with Julian, which further motivates Markston to oppose his father.

Despite any potential resolutions, the actions of Madeline and Olympia have caused lasting harm. While Julian did conceal documents that could have prevented opioid-related issues and potentially saved his granddaughter, he hasn’t been a faithful partner to Olympia, having confessed to an affair with Shae Banfield during their marriage. Regardless, it’s incredibly difficult for Olympia to watch Julian doubt his own value. It remains to be seen how Julian, Madeline, and Olympia will recover – a question explored in Episode 6.

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2025-11-13 03:08