Matlock Shock: Bates & Bridges Scene Changes Everything!

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Attention: This discussion contains spoilers from the 13th episode of Matlock Season 1 titled “Pregame”. If you haven’t watched it yet and want to avoid any surprises, consider yourself warned.

As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I can’t help but feel the tension escalating around Kathy Bates’ character, Madeline Kingston, in the captivating series Matlock. Last week, an episode from the 2025 TV schedule seemed to hang the fate of Matlock on a single word. However, this week’s case file, titled “Pregame,” was surprisingly tranquil, leaving me with fingers crossed that one of Jacobson Moore’s suspected villains will be eliminated soon. The suspense is almost unbearable!

Matlock’s ‘Pregame’ Saw Matty And Senior Trauma Bonding

This chapter in CBS’ popular legal drama featured Matty and Howard Markston Sr., played by Beau Bridges, sharing an unusual moment – they partook in a session involving edibles, zero-gravity chairs, and the catchy OG theme song. Despite how it might sound, let me explain. In this laid-back setting, our undercover hero found himself engaged in a deeper conversation with the man in charge.

In the sway of marijuana’s influence, Howard confessed that he had lost his brother in a car crash following a major argument. Still grappling with remorse over their unresolved issues, Matlock‘s lead attorney owned up to yelling at his deceased brother’s spirit, urging Matty to follow suit.

In a heartfelt exclamation, Madeline didn’t explicitly mention her deceased daughter Ellie, but instead expressed remorse by shouting and weeping. During this emotional instance, Madeline Kingston and Howard Markston transitioned from being perceived as adversaries into genuine friends. If it were possible for Matlock to conclude each episode with them sharing a peaceful moment, much like Boston Legal often ended with James Spader and William Shatner enjoying time together, I would find that quite acceptable.

I Really Don’t Want Senior To Be Matlock’s Big Bad

Similar to when Matlock allowed Matty to be friends with Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), I’m inclined to think this could mean Howard isn’t the one we should trust. If we follow the process of elimination, Miss Kingston has now made friends with two out of the three primary suspects on her Welbrexa clue board.

After Julian (Jason Ritter) is the only one left under suspicion, and he’s been under scrutiny for quite a while now. Currently, I find myself inclined to believe that Howard’s son could be the one orchestrating events, given the noticeable changes in his behavior since the affair revelation.

Indeed, Shae Banfield (Yael Grobglas) remains part of the case. Given that this week’s episode of Matlock revolved around a risky product with questionable marketing tactics, it seems there might be a clue hidden somewhere that could exonerate all three suspects definitively.

The long-running legal dramedy created by showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman raises an important question: if Madeline Kingston achieves her vengeance and her true identity is exposed, will she still be accepted at Jacobson Moore? It seems my Paramount+ subscription might be in use for a revisit of the past episodes of Matlock.

Fear not – there are lots more potential twists and turns coming up in the remaining episodes. Sarah’s partnership with Shae could be rekindled since Jacobson Moore’s human lie detector will be back next week in “Game Day.” So, let’s plan to discuss things again after Matlock ends at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. We’ll catch up on what happened then.

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2025-02-28 06:08