‘Matlock’: Will Matty’s Daughter Be Seen? Showrunner Teases What’s Next

[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for the Matlock series premiere.]

Matty’s daughter is a major presence in CBS‘ Matlock, but she hasn’t been seen for tragic reasons. Showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman tells TV Insider, however, that the character will make an appearance in flashback form this season.

Matlock stars Kathy Bates as the titular character, a brilliant septuagenarian who snags a job at a prestigious law firm under the guise of being a down-on-her-luck grandma in need of work after the death of her no-good husband. It’s true that Matty has a 14-year-old grandson to raise, but she’s far from strapped for cash. Madeline Matlock is actually Madeline Kingston, her husband is very much alive, and they’re a wealthy family with an intense secret.

Matty and Edwin’s (Sam Anderson) daughter died of a drug overdose. With the help of their grandson, Alfie (Aaron Harris), the family is on a mission to avenge their lost loved one and all families impacted by the opioid epidemic. According to Matty, one of the top three lawyers at Jacobson Moore buried documents that would’ve gotten opioids off the market 10 years earlier. Matty’s determined to figure out who did it and put them in jail.

Matty and Edwin’s daughter’s death is included in the elaborate disguise. As far as Matty’s colleagues know, her daughter died in a car crash. Snyder Urman tells TV Insider that while this show is full of twists beyond the series premiere’s major one, the story of Matty’s daughter is not something they’ll use to surprise viewers.

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“We’re not really playing the daughter story for shock. It’s more on the emotional axis,” Snyder Urman says. “You’ll meet her. There’ll be flashbacks to what happened with her. I think there’s surprises along the way, but they’re not meant to be shock. Well, they might shock the system, but it’s more to really understand where Matty is now.”

While the daughter’s story is being handled with delicacy, surprises are still part of Matlock‘s DNA.

“Prepare to be surprised throughout the journey because we want those surprises to be part of the journey,” Snyder Urman explains. “And at the same time, we’re telling a very grounded story about grief, and at the same time, we’re telling a really fun story about what an older woman can accomplish.”

The Jane the Virgin creator also says that Matty is more prepared than anyone for whatever wrench might be thrown into the plan.

“Matty’s thought of contingencies, and she’s always ready and you will not know the extent to her preparations. She’s got some resources,” she says.

Matlock‘s second episode arrives this Thursday, October 17 at 8/7c on CBS. Here’s the episode description: “As Matty settles into her new role at Jacobson Moore, Olympia and the aptly nicknamed ‘Team You Three’ (Matty, Billy, and Sarah) take on a lawsuit involving a developmentally delayed teenager whose family claims he’s been wrongly accused of murder. Also, Olympia and Julian disagree on a parenting matter.”

— Additional reporting by Kate Hahn

Matlock, Thursdays, 8/7c, CBS