Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Matlock Episode 17.“I’m Matty Matlock, like the old TV show.” Introducing herself with that statement, Kathy Bates doesn’t replace Andy Griffith’s OG lawyer but stands on her own as a reinvention of the titular character in the reboot of Matlock. Bates is up to the challenge of playing two versions of Matty: the sharp-yet-frazzled new employee of Jacobson Moore and the grieving mother who has infiltrated to expose the law firm’s dark side. The show has been having fun by revealing how she stays two steps ahead of everyone, but Matty’s overarching secret mission isn’t its only surprise.
One of the biggest draws is the always excellent Bates, who is either unassuming to people around her or finds herself surprised by emotional baggage when past grief returns with a crushing force. She doesn’t need to shoulder everything, though, not with her co-star Skye P. Marshall by her side as Matty’s boss, Olympia, whose performance is equally worthy of praise and attention. When Matlock suggests viewers can’t trust Olympia, or when the tables are turned between the two women, their scenes only work because Marshall gets to play a similarly strong character that Matty can ally with before having their relationship tested.
‘Matlock’ Is Skye P. Marshall’s Breakout Role
On Matlock, Bates is perhaps the most recognizable face in the cast, but Skye P. Marshall holds her own. It’s a breakthrough role for the actress, who has mainly had supporting roles in shows like Shameless and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. As Marshall explained in a January 2025 interview with IndieWire, she pivoted from the Air Force and a business career to an interest in acting before joining the cast of Matlock.
Thanks to a character that combines the best of both old-school and modern on-screen lawyers, Marshall plays a complex new fictional attorney who is just as captivating as Bates’ rebooted Matlock. Throughout the first season, Olympia deals with personal problems, shows off the determination she puts into her work, and lowers her internal defenses to allow herself to forge a bond with Matty. It’s all the more unexpected because when they meet in the first episode, things get off to a chilly start.
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“You are the Johnson Case.”
Olympia Lawrence Wants To Fight for Justice in ‘Matlock’
While she’s first introduced as a standoffish boss, Olympia goes through a journey of highs and lows that peel back the layers for viewers to see her as a mother, an ex-wife, and a junior partner at Jacobson Moore, who finds it hard to trust people and has to constantly prove her worth at the law firm. Even without dialogue, Marshall demands your attention during her reaction shots. Trying to get on the good side of A.D.A. Park (Andrew Ghai), Olympia spots a toy bear on his desk that is based on an analogy she told him of how she picks her cases. He displays it like a smug trophy, and she regains her composure within seconds after annoyance is read on her face. When her ex-father-in-law and head of Jacobson Moore, Senior (Beau Bridges), waits unannounced in her office, and upon seeing him, Olympia is about to retrace her steps before she decides to brace herself to step inside. These moments add depth to Olympia’s character and ensure that Sky P. Marshall never gets lost among the more familiar cast members, like Bates, Jason Ritter, and Bridges.
The real pleasure in seeing Marshall in the role, however, is through Olympia’s growing friendship with Matty. They’ve had different struggles to overcome in life, especially given their respective ages and cultural backgrounds, but those differences are as much of a strength as what they share in common — and it makes for an essential dynamic for audiences to invest in.
Matty and Olympia’s Relationship Is at the Center of ‘Matlock’
Over the course of Matlock Season 1, Bates shares the screen with many of her fellow castmates. There’s the silly banter with Matty’s coworkers, Billy (David Del Rio) and Sarah (Leah Lewis), heartbreaking scenes between her husband Edwin (Sam Anderson), and the endearing bond she has with her partner-in-crime/grandson Alfie (Aaron Harris). It’s in her scenes with Marshall, however, where Bates gets to step up her game. Early on, there is an endearing act of victory when the two dance together after a courtroom win. A late-night chat at the office reveals Olympia wants Matty to join her at a new law firm should she leave Jacobson Moore.
The show’s latest and arguably most shocking episode, however, puts the audience in Olympia’s perspective as she learns about Matty’s lies and the betrayal that comes with them. The intensity of that hour is thrilling because of all that comes before it, with the evolution between the two women on their way to becoming, as Matty puts it, “allies in the viper’s nest.” Olympia demands the truth from Matty and realizes that no matter how hard it is for her, she has to listen to the woman she’s previously put her faith in. It sets up an exciting new direction for the show to continue beyond a super-sized finale and into Season 2. The reboot might be called Matlock, but Olympia Lawrence is just as compelling as the titular lawyer, in large part thanks to Marshall’s dynamic performance.
The season finale of Matlock airs Thursday at 9 PM ET/PT on CBS in the U.S.
