Ally

[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Matlock Season 2 Episode 3, “Tomorrow Is Still Tomorrow.”]

Justina Machado made a memorable debut in Matlock Season 2 Episode 3, an episode that should put fan concerns about Matty (Kathy Bates) and Olympia’s (Skye P. Marshall) bitter feud in the first two episodes to bed. Senior (Beau Bridges) battened down the hatches at Jacobson Moore after a reporter contacted the firm about the Wellbrexa case, leading to one honorable person stepping up to take responsibility as the whistleblower. Elsewhere, Eva sensed a shared enemy between her and Olympia. With that, there’s a new board member at Jacobson Moore who may be able to help take Senior down.

“Tomorrow Is Still Tomorrow” began with the firm’s board members gathering in New York for an emergency meeting after a reporter contacted the office about the Wellbrexa case. Matty missed her meeting with the New York Times reporter because of Olympia’s trickery in Episode 2, which made the journalist contact the law firm. The company’s security started interviewing staff to try and find out who leaked information about that high-profile opioids case from years ago. Only Matty, Olympia, Julian (Jason Ritter), and Senior know what really happened with the Wellbrexa study, but Emmalyn Belvin (Patricia Belcher) knew that something was awry with that case. Season 1 revealed that she was the Redditor. Her actions led to Matty and Edwin (Sam Anderson) beginning their secret mission in the first place.

Mrs. Belvin was one of the employees interviewed by security. She still has no idea that Matty was the one who blackmailed her last season, and that Matty has been getting close to her for her investigation (she does really like the woman as well, just like with Olympia). Olympia made a big snafu in her security interview when saying that when times get tough at work, she doesn’t go to The New York Times, she puts her head down and works harder. The issue is, no one ever said that it was a Times reporter who reached out. This was an immediate red flag, leading to another interview for Olympia.

Matty and Olympia needed a plan to protect her, and they thought Emmalyn was a good way out. They didn’t like the idea of pinning the leak on her, but it was the only viable option. But Emmalyn took it upon herself to take responsibility for the leak after Matty said that if a reporter is looking into Wellbrexa, then that means someone out there is trying to get justice for the families affected by the opioid crisis that the Wellbrexa case helped usher in. Emmalyn lost her job, but maintained her integrity, and Matty planned an exit party for her at a nearby bar. It wasn’t the retirement party she deserved after decades of working at the firm, but it was touching nonetheless. Matty and Edwin also gave her $500,000 in cash anonymously to pay for her every need while she figures out her next steps.

Eva was part of the board meeting and noticed that Olympia may have a similar dislike of Senior. Eva is Senior’s fourth ex-wife, and she keeps a celebratory widget on her phone that tracks the years and days that she has been divorced from the man. Clearly, they’re not amicable exes.

Eva approached Olympia about wanting to stage a “coup” against Senior. She doesn’t know that her desires align perfectly with Olympia’s, but for now, the fact that someone else on the Jacobson Moore board wants Senior gone makes Eva a powerful ally for Matty and Olympia’s cause.

This week’s reveal of Matty’s tricks showed her using Mrs. Belvin’s security credentials to get the Wellbrexa expense reports from the archives. This information details where Senior and one of his former lovers went to Australia during the heat of the Wellbrexa case. Before that reveal, Matty and Olympia met for a drink and reconciled their disagreement over Julian.

Olympia apologized for tricking her, and they struck a deal that will keep Julian out of the legal line of fire and focus on the bigger villain, Senior, instead. Olympia happily agreed not to “hijack” the investigation and to make Julian apologize to Matty’s family for his cowardly capitulation to his father’s orders all those years ago.

“I want Julian to face what his decision cost our family,” Matty said. From this point forward, Matty and Olympia are a united front once again.

Matlock, Thursdays, 9/8c, CBS