Matlock Episode 9 Sets Up The Biggest Heartbreak For Kathy Bates' Madeline Yet

Spoiler Alert for Matlock episode 9, "Friends"Madeline Kingston makes a bold move in Matlock episode 9, "Friends," that will break her heart if Kathy Bates' character is wrong about her conclusions. The 75-year-old lawyer helps her boss, Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), with another case in "Friends." In the opening scene, the Matlock characters team up at a bar to get a corroborating witness to testify in their case. Madeline and Olympia's stunt proves vital, as they ultimately discover their witness is a union buster who succeeded in getting Sam, Elijah's cousin, fired from her job at a delivery company called Stead Track.

Things get messy for Olympia in episode 9 as she navigates her divorce amid the devastating conclusion that Julian (Jason Ritter) had an affair with Shea Banfield (Yael Grobglas). Julian admitted to having an affair in Matlock episode 7, and Madeline has provided the support she has needed. The retired lawyer formed connections with her colleagues to infiltrate the Jacobson Moore law firm covertly. Still, Madeline's connections are shaping up to mean more to the retired lawyer than she bargained for, with Matlock episode 9 setting up a devastating possibility.

Why Madeline Ruling Out Olympia As A Suspect Is Dangerous

Madeline Can't Prove Her Friend's Innocence

At the end of Matlock episode 9, as Madeline and her husband Edwin (Sam Anderson) discuss their next steps for the lawyer's plan, Mrs. Kingston makes a bold move. After discussing adding Shea to their suspect list, due to the revelation that the "human lie detector" worked on Wellbrexa, Madeline removes Olympia from the list of Jacobson Moore lawyers who could be guilty of Ellie's crime. Edwin tells his wife that he's waiting for the evidence to support her claim, and Madeline reveals that she has none. The lawyer's conclusion comes on the simple basis that Olympia is her friend.

Madeline didn't want to hear from her husband that she shouldn't trust her friend. She might look at things selectively to protect herself from an uncomfortable truth.

Madeline's ruling out Olympia as a suspect is premature and dangerous. The lawyer has no evidence to support her claim. Furthermore, Madeline also learns that Olympia worked extensively with Wellbrexa in the outing. The episode shows how Madeline is beginning to trust Olympia, like when telling Edwin that Olympia pulled her kids out of school when there were issues to justify her similar decision about Alfie's bullying woes. Madeline didn't want to hear from her husband that she shouldn't trust her friend. She might look at things selectively to protect herself from an uncomfortable truth.

Can Madeline's Friendship With Olympia Survive Her Revenge Scheme In Matlock?

They Might Find Equal Blame

Madeline watches as Julian and Olympia argue in Matlock — Stills from Matlock season 1 episode 8 No No Monsters

The uncomfortable truth could be that Olympia is responsible for hiding Wellbrexa documents that could have taken opioids off the market, which ultimately put Madeline's daughter's life in jeopardy. If Madeline discovers that Olympia is guilty, the 75-year-old has good reason to never talk to her boss again. That said, she understands Olympia's motivations now and sees she's a good person, so there's a good chance Madeline will forgive her boss even if she is guilty of hiding Wellbrexa documents. Likewise, if OIympia is responsible, she could forgive Madeline for her fraudulent scheme, seeing the damage she caused.

Madeline and Olympia's friendship must survive any revelations they experience if the show wants to continue Matlock season 2 without drastically altering its appeal. The show's creator, Jennie Snyder Urman, said that Matlock will wrap up Madeline's secret revenge plan by the end of the first season and that audience members will know what happened exactly (via Collider). Therefore, Matlock has to be creative with its sophomore run, creating a show outside Madeline's revenge plan, and the procedural shouldn't change Olympia and Madeline's dynamic simultaneously.

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Source: Collider