Beau Bridges has been tapped to recur in season 2 of ABC's R.J. Decker.
Bridges will star as R.J.'s (Scott Speedman) father, Reggie Decker, a "self-proclaimed entrepreneur with a fondness for empty promises and unreliable behavior." The character has been largely absent from the P.I.'s life because he's always chasing the next big thing.
In an interview with TVLine, R.J. Decker's showrunner, Rob Doherty, expressed his excitement at Bridges joining the cast, telling the outlet, "He's someone I've been watching on TV and in films my whole life. He's someone I look up, and someone Scott looks up to. We were really thrilled to get him to play R.J.'s dad. He'll be with us for a couple of episodes."
However, while Bridges' new role is no doubt exciting for R.J. Decker fans, we can't help but wonder what this means for Matlock season 3.
Beau Bridges may say goodbye to Matlock after two seasons
Bridges has been a regular on Matlock since it premiered in 2024. He stars as Howard "Senior" Markston, the arrogant, cold-blooded head of Jacobson Moore. For the past two years, we've developed a sort of love-hate relationship with the character. Senior is narcissistic, mean, and lacks compassion for anyone other than himself. However, Bridges brings a warm charm to the screen when he portrays the character, and you almost forget he's the villain.
That being said, it would make sense if his time for Matlock has come to an end.
Matty's journey to take down Jacobson Moore ended at the end of season 2 when the FBI arrested everyone involved in covering up the Wellbrexa case. As a result, Senior will most likely be put behind bars to serve out a long sentence, which, at this point, might take the rest of his life. But Matlock is a courtroom-centered show, so they most likely won't spend that much time showing us how Senior is faring in prison.
This leaves Bridges time to pursue other acting opportunities. And judging by his new role on R.J. Decker, he's taking full advantage of it.
We can't say we are sad to see Senior go. He terrorized the lawyers at his law firm for years and was never much of a father to Julian (Jason Ritter). But Bridges made the role his own. It was a delight to see him share scenes with the legendary Kathy Bates. Both have had very successful careers in Hollywood and bring a wealth of experience to the roles they inhabit. If he is exiting the CBS drama, Bridges' presence as an actor will be missed.
Season 2 of R.J. Decker premieres Tuesday, Sep. 15, at 10/9c on ABC.
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