The critically acclaimed reboot of Matlock, starring Kathy Bates as Matty Matlock, wraps up its second season tonight with a two-hour finale that may convey the Wellbrexa storyline to an explosive conclusion.
“No matter what you predict will happen, it’s still heartbreaking,” Skye P. Marshall, who stars as Olympia Lawrence, Matty’s boss and pal, informed Parade completely at CBS Fest. “No matter what you predict, it will still break your heart because in order to solve this crime, it’s going to cost every single character a lot, either personally or professionally.”
The finale will visitor star Gina Rodriguez in a key position, but it surely’s Matty, Olympia and Julian Markston (Jason Ritter) who transfer the motion together with stellar performances, combating up till the top to attempt to convey justice to those that had been broken by the pharmaceutical firm that coated up the devastating unintended effects of its opioid drug Wellbrexa and the authorized group that aided them.
“I think the beautiful Quran throughout our show has been a belief system in trusting justice over your own fears and doubt,” Marshall continued. “Every single character has been scared to accomplish something, especially Matlock, whether it’s her marriage or whether it’s justice for her daughter or justice for her family.”
The ending is a twist that showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman and her workers of writers got here up with that may shock viewers. And the finale could require a tissue or two, as it is extremely emotional.
“I hope that it encourages audience members because it is a real pandemic when it comes to opioids; it’s a real issue being able to fight for justice,” Marshall added. “To see a senior citizen infiltrate a huge law firm and pull this off, where is she going to go next? Is she going back in the garden, or is she going to keep continuing her career? And I love that for women over [a certain] age.”
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It was revealed again within the very first episode that Matty Matlock is definitely Madeline Kingston, a retired lawyer, who’s married and elevating the son of her late daughter, who died from a Wellbrexa overdose. The fact is thought solely to a handful of individuals – Olympia and Julian amongst them – so the query, as raised by Marshall, is what occurs subsequent.
“It’s been really fun to watch these characters grow, especially seeing Matty’s journey with these people, who when she started this mission, the three of us were her public enemy No. 1,” Ritter informed Parade, referring to Julian, Olympia and Senior (Beau Bridges), who’s Julian’s father but in addition head of the regulation agency of Jacobson Moore. “She didn’t know which of us, but it’s been really lovely to watch Kathy do her beautiful performance and work through all of her stuff, to be reminded that everybody is a full person who has strengths, weaknesses and foibles. She can be driven pretty crazy by Julian, but still allows him a little bit of grace.”
Leah Lewis, who plays Sarah, tells Parade, “It’s interesting because by the end of Season 2, each character had a reason for why they are the way they are, for what they’re doing and what their goal is. By the time you get to the end of Season 2, everyone’s ‘why’ has now changed. Even think when you look at someone like Sarah, who once would have incredibly jumped at a chance to be at Olympia’s side right away, for her to even take a step back and wonder, ‘Is this right for me?’ It’s very different. I think that mirrors how every character involved is questioning things as a result of interacting with each other.”
The time required to create a new mystery is the reason given as to why Matlock will not be returning until midseason on CBS’s Fall 2026-2027 schedule. It will allow Urman and her team time to craft the next phase of Matty’s life.
“It’s great that they have all this this time,” Ritter says. “It’s great that they have time to reset. Everything is going to be different in Season 3. We’ve seen in between Season 1 and Season 2, you give these writers a little bit of time, they can do a whole lot with it.”
Matlock airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Streams subsequent day on CBS.
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This story was initially revealed by Parade on Apr 23, 2026, the place it first appeared within the TV part. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
