Matlock: 'Rome in a Day' Recap: Olympia Does Not Play Around
Matty’s team taking on a case involving a developmentally delayed teenager opens the door for poignant storytelling, especially as they navigate the complexities of the legal system and the societal perceptions surrounding disability. Matty, with her life experience, advocates for this young man and challenges biases along the way.
Alfie may be one of my favorite characters of the show after Olympia and Matty of course. While school is very important - Alfie is the brains behind the whole shebang. He tells his granny what he needs to bust the partner who they consider partly responsible for Matty's daughters death.
I really enjoy the dynamic of "YouThree" (Billy, Sarah and Matty). The fact the three of them share an office is hysterical. Its almost like grandkids having to watch over their grandmother. Take your grandmother to work day but the grandmother is too savvy for them.
Now on to the case of the week: Olympia is leveraged by one of her class action lawsuit clients into taking on a case of her developmentally delayed nephew accused of murder. Time for the team to walk fast (keep up Matty) and get to work.
The family that owns the store where the murder victim was found (also the son is the best friend (Charlie) of Michael) are at court to show their support. After some sweet talking to the Judge, Olympia is able to secure her continuance (two days is better than nothing). Skye P. Marshall is brilliant in this role if I haven't said that enough.
While Elijah and Olympia are very cute, I am rooting for her and Julian to get back together - they have a fire energy with the fighting. Plus how cute are Senior and Olympia as father and daughter in law. I say this contingent on the reasoning behind the divorce. Senior hinted that Julian did something very wrong to cause the divorce. Also, I need the relationship between father and son explored more - what is up with that resentment?
Matty comes up with the brilliant idea to discredit the senior witness who places Michael and the crime and its none other than veteran actor Hal Williams (227)! So great to see him on my screen! Also he ends up giving them the break they need in the case. Matty gets the break, which annoys Sarah and Matty tries to get Olympia to recognize the whole team.
I hate when my favs Olympia and Matty butt heads but Olympia has to school her on her privilege and it is a teaching moment for an "old dog." The team see a video from the store of Michael stealing condoms. My heart went out to Michael's mother who is fiercely fighting for her son. This triggers Matty regarding her daughter and what she missed. Kathy Bates is fantastic in the more dramatic scenes when describing her daughter.
The subplot with Olympia and Julian adds another layer to the narrative. Their differing views on parenting not only humanize them but also highlight the generational gaps in their approaches, which could lead to some meaningful discussions about responsibility and understanding in modern parenting. This kind of interplay between personal and professional challenges deepen the show’s emotional resonance, allowing viewers to connect with the characters on multiple levels.
Another break in the case comes when Alfie points out how easy it is to fake a picture with AI which gets Matty and Olympia thinking someone at the store faked the video of Michael stealing condoms. Olympia further explains why she has been "icing out" Matty to use her as her secret weapon later and sends her to the store for recon. It turns out to pay off because in dramatic OG Matlock fashion the last minute courtroom show down reveals that Charlie caused the death of Arianna and Michael is free to go.
The only nitpick I had with the scene is that the Judge did not declare a mistrial or set Michael free - it was kind of just implied.
Back at the office, Matty makes a show of how Olympia hurt her and storms off leaving her dinner, causing Olympia to show up at her fake home to apologize and drop off her dinner. All of it was a setup so Alfie could get Olympia's code to her phone. Clever girl.
I’m excited to see how the show balances these serious themes with the lighter, more humorous moments that define its charm. The combination of courtroom drama and personal stakes has a lot of potential to create engaging, thought-provoking episodes!
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