We're getting closer to the Matlock season 2 finale and what could be the team's last hurdle to overcome before taking down Senior once and for all. But Matty hit quite the snag in last week's episode when a risky move defending Shae in court went against The Wolf's orders and put her job in danger. Well, her risk worked in her favor, but a new discovery presents a new challenge.
Matty, Olympia, and Julian learned that The Wolf was the one who threatened the scientist named Priva before her death, which means that The Wolf was doing Senior's bidding. It will be no easy task, but the team will have to somehow convince The Wolf to turn on Senior to help the next phase of ending the Wellbrexa cover up justice mission. Surely, it can't be that easy.
In Matlock season 2 episode 13, Skye P. Marshall's real-life husband Edwin Hodge returns once again as Langston Wright after sparks flew when he and Olympia met last week. The episode finds the team tackling an AI case that's personal for their client, while Olympia also finally takes measures to fix her relationship with Sarah. Let's dive right into the episode with a recap!
A battle over AI reveals a secret relationship
The episode kicks off with Olympia and Julian supervising their client Vicki (Yara Martinez) as she speaks to her dead mother through an AI software platform that she and her recently dead sister Tessa created together. Vicki's a therapist and she chose not to sell her software to a major corporation. It's only allowed to be used by therapist, but the tech developer is suing her to gain control of the platform. Tessa's secret second will presents trouble in the case.
Matty and Olympia catch up, and Matty teases her about her crush on Langston. Olympia updates her on the status of gaining access to some of Senior's accounts, which Julian is working on by scoring a meeting with his financial management firm. However, Julian also learns that The Wolf is now Senior's power of attorney. Remy suggests Olympia connect with Langston since he could be of help with her AI case. Matty and Edwin struggle after Alfie plays them a voicemail of Ellie's voice.
The next day in court, Olympia presents evidence that due to Tessa's condition with her cancer, she wasn't competent to sign a second will. But the opposing counsel shares a video call between Vicki and her sister to prove competence. Olympia gets a tip from the team to poke holes in the video and suggest someone else was in Tessa's room. As it turns out, Tessa was in a relationship with Darren, the man suing Vicki. Suddenly, their case has even more intense stakes.
The team has to prove that Darren took advantage and used his power over Tessa. Sarah gets another win during the case, and Hunter asks what happened between her and Olympia, not out of curiosity but out of self preservation with the merger. Julian joins his dad during an appointment with his doctor, and Senior admits that his worried about his condition. He also says that he trusts Julian more than anyone, which clearly makes him feel guilty.
Matty confesses the truth to Joey (and so does he)
Sarah discovers that Darren was visiting Tessa after visiting hours when no one else was around at the hospital. Olympia uses the opportunity to clear the air with Sarah, but her brushing off firing Sarah only hurts Sarah's feelings all over again. On the stand, Darren says that Tessa wants to keep their relationship private, which is why he visited after hours. Darren cries while explaining the timeline of their relationship and seems honest, but Vicki wants to put an AI Tessa on the stand.
Olympia gives Sarah some tasks to help allow AI be accepted in court, and Sarah very obviously keeps it cordial with Olympia. Senior speaks with Julian and further makes him feeling guilty about his worsening condition. Like clockwork, Julian comes to Olympia to ask if they can get Matty to back off Senior, but Olympia doesn't agree. Olympia next meets with Langston to talk about the AI case. He then takes the stand to advocate for the usage of an AI Tessa in court. The judge allows it.
Matty calls Joey back because he had a craving and his sponsor was out of town. He claims that he feels better, but the brevity of the call instantly makes Matty worried. She pays him a visit at his apartment to check on him and suggest attending a meeting. He admits that he called his dealer and plans to use, but Matty refuses to leave. Meanwhile, Julian tries to gaslight his dad into getting a second opinion but then also into planning his retirement without The Wolf.
During an meeting using AI Tessa, she asked who she would want to run the company, AI Tessa says Darren. Vicki tries to protest and believes the software is faulty, but the second will stands with that admission. Sarah convinces Vicki to stand down until they can sort through what just happen. Joey canceled his dealer and tries to force Matty to leave. She won't leave his side, but Joey yells at her about how much Ellie hated her. She still doesn't stand down to support him.
A flashback reveals that Ellie knew who Alfie's father was and wanted to help him get sober, but Matty advised her against bringing Alfie's father into the picture. She admits this truth to Joey, which seems like it could be dangerous. Joey goes into his bathroom and breaks a mirror. Langston meets with Olympia and informs her that Vicki has a limited data set for the AI Tessa, which could be the problem. A second look at the software with new data results in a different answer from Tessa in Vicki's favor.
Vicki and Darren meet with their lawyers during mediation and they confront him about changing the code one line at a time to manipulate the platform. And just like that, Olympia won the case and prevented Vicki from losing her life's work. After the case ends, Olympia ends things with Remy and he warns her that Langston is a player. Olympia also apologizes to Sarah again and offers her a spot on her team if she ever wants one. Hunter overhears the conversation.
In the morning, Matty and Joey talk again. He apologizes and reveals that he knew all along about Alfie. Ellie had told her that she was pregnant and wanted him to be in the baby's life if he could get clean. When Joey's sponsor arrives, Matty grabs her coat and leaves. She and Edwin are understandably angry. Julian convinced Senior to retire and give him power of attorney. In the middle of the night, Matty uses Vicki's AI technology to speak to Ellie.
Matlock airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS, also streaming on Paramount+.