‘Matlock’ Season 1, Episode 17 Is the Best Episode So Far

The pilot episode of Matlock generated tremendous curiosity and excitement with a truly shocking plot twist. However, through 15 episodes, viewers had become impatient with the slow pace with which the show dragged out the discovery of Madeline’s true identity, as seen by the show’s steadily declining ratings. When Episode 16, “The Johnson Case,” ended with Madeline seemingly on the verge of being exposed by her immediate boss, Olympia, viewers were skeptical that this latest close call would result in anything more than another false alarm.

Not this time. Episode 17, “I Was That, Too,” delivered the payoff viewers have been waiting for by having Olympia discover Madeline’s elaborate deception. However, instead of marking the end of her quest for revenge, this long-awaited reveal has given new life to the series. The discovery of Madeline’s true identity, along with the redefining of her relationship with Olympia, has set the stage for an explosive whodunit season finale, in which the fate of the show’s main characters rests in the balance. Moreover, for a show that seemed to have reached a point of creative stagnation, Matlock now appears to be full of interesting possibilities.

The Truth Has Finally Set ‘Matlock’ Free

Before the exposure of Madeline’s true identity and purpose in Episode 17, “I Was That, Too,” Matlock had been floundering within a predictable cat-and-mouse dynamic with Madeline, played by Kathy Bates, continually pursuing seemingly crucial pieces of evidence that invariably turn out to be red herrings. With Olympia finally discovering the truth about Madeline and becoming her mystery-solving partner, Matlock is poised to go in any number of directions. With the “I Was That, Too” episode, a show that had become very predictable is suddenly now full of surprises.

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Indeed, from the moment Olympia exposes Madeline’s web of lies, this situation could have developed in various ways, beginning with her arrest. Instead, Olympia, in a nod to Bates’ unforgettable performance as Annie Wilkes in the 1990 thriller Misery, locked Madeline in a windowless meeting room, where she was forced to detail all the lies she ever told Olympia.

However, Madeline, befitting her master-manipulator persona, turns this situation to her advantage. After Madeline informs Olympia that she has evidence implicating Jacobson Moore’s senior partner and Olympia’s former husband, Julian, as being responsible for withholding documents related to the opioid crisis, she virtually threatens Olympia with professional destruction and prosecution unless she aids Madeline’s investigation. Assuming Julian is the guilty partner, how can Olympia participate in the downfall of the father of her two children, and what if Madeline is wrong about Julian?

Madeline Has Reached the Point of No Return in ‘Matlock’

Matlock first engaged viewers by establishing itself as a psychological thriller disguised as a legal drama series. Indeed, the show’s case-of-the-week format has always seemed decidedly ephemeral and minor in relation to Madeline’s obsessive quest to infiltrate the prestigious New York law firm, Jacobson Moore. Of course, she’s only there to discover which of the firm’s partners is responsible for withholding documents that could have prevented the opioid crisis that claimed the life of Madeline’s daughter. Now that she seems to be on the cusp of solving the mystery and punishing the guilty, the stakes have never been higher, as are the risks for Madeline.

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While Madeline’s partnership with Olympia has seemingly enabled Madeline to get much closer to realizing her ultimate goal than she was before Olympia discovered the truth, the “I Was That, Too” episode feels like a precursor to another shocking reveal in which the lives of the show’s main characters will be completely upended. For Madeline, there is an undercurrent of uncertainty in the episode regarding her confidence in Julian’s guilt and her relationship with Olympia. Moreover, as Madeline is poised to try and destroy this powerful law firm, there is a sense that she is about to go from being the hunter to the hunted.

‘Matlock’ Has Been Building Toward a Bombshell Cliffhanger Season Finale

The pilot episode of Matlock attracted the largest series premiere audience for CBS in over five years, with 7.74 million viewers for the initial broadcast. However, in 2025, the show’s audience has consistently fallen under six million viewers per episode. The “I Was That, Too” episode drew 5.64 million viewers, the lowest figure for any episode in the series. The ratings decline clearly reflects a growing viewer disappointment with Matlock, which began with the creation of high expectations that the show had been unable to fulfill until recently.

When Matlock was renewed for a second season by CBS after the airing of just two episodes, the early renewal instilled a belief that the show’s creators had a clear creative vision and grand strategy for the show’s development. After much consternation, the plan now seems clear. It is set to be fully realized with the show’s two-hour season finale, which promises to introduce massive changes to the show by setting up compelling new conflicts and questions to be resolved in the show’s now hotly anticipated second season. Matlock is streaming on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.