Matlock Boss Previews Season 2’s Matty/Olympia Dynamic, Family for [Spoiler] and a ‘Big Arc’ for… Mrs. B?!

We’ve been waiting a while for Matlock to return — and we won’t have to wait long to get answers.

Season 2 of the CBS courtroom drama (premiering this Sunday at 8:30/7:30c, on a special night and time) picks up right where we left off: with Olympia discovering that Julian had been hiding incriminating documents about the Wellbrexa case, and with Matty meeting a man named Joey who claims to be Alfie’s father. (Watch the Season 2 trailer to get a sneak peek.)

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TVLine spoke with showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman for our annual Fall TV Preview and took a full deposition from her, getting answers to burning questions like: How is Matty and Olympia’s friendship affected by these bombshell reveals? Is Matty happy about Joey’s arrival, or not so much? And will we see more of Mrs. B in Season 2? Read on to get her testimony about what’s on the docket this season.

TVLINE | What are you revealing about what Olympia and Julian decided there in the bank vault?
You will find out very quickly what Olympia and Julian decided in the bank, and what that means for Matty — for her plan, and for their relationship. I will tease that Matty is not the only person in control this year, and so the fact that Olympia at times has more information than Matty becomes really significant, and you really start to learn more about how Matty as a character acts when she’s not the master of the chess board, when she’s more of a pawn. It’s not a great feeling for her.

TVLINE | It sounds like the script is a bit flipped this season. Whereas Season 1 was about Matty and her secret agenda…
… Season 2 is about Olympia and how information is power, who has how much when, and what the other character does in response. At the beginning, Matty definitely knows less than Olympia, and that’s a different place for characters to start in in the second season. I think that creates a lot more conflict and suspense and surprises as we unfurl our storytelling.

TVLINE | But at the end of the day — and I imagine this is hugely important to you — it’s going to feel like the same show, yes?
It’s the same show, definitely, in that you will be surprised, in that Matty will continue to surprise us. Also, Olympia will surprise us. It’s about their relationship, it’s about their friendship, and it’s also about the cases of the week and how they become increasingly important to Matty as she has really found a place for herself in the world of this law firm.

TVLINE | Is there still a sort of a “ticking clock” element as in Season 1?
Yes, there’s a ticking clock, and it becomes increasingly complicated as we go forward.

TVLINE | Justina Machado is joining the cast. What can you say about who she’s playing?
She is playing Senior’s fourth ex-wife, Eva, and after her, he decided he would never, ever date a smart woman again. She is his least favorite of the ex-wives. They did not have any children together, but they did work together.

TVLINE | It sounds like she could be an asset to somebody.
Could be an asset, or could be a liability. Who knows?

TVLINE | Will we see much more of Beau Bridges?
Yes, you’ll see more of him, for sure, right in the first episode, and he has a significant arc this this year as well.

TVLINE | Any other new characters you’re bringing out?
There are interesting new lawyers that come and complicate the lives of our characters. There are fun guest appearances in great cases of the week. You’re going to see Shae [played by Yael Grobglas] come back. I hope to introduce more family members of our team so that you can get to know the characters more deeply and know where they came from so you understand who they are now. Marnie Carpenter, who played Matty and Edwin’s daughter, comes back in some pivotal flashback episodes as well.

TVLINE | What does the arrival of Alfie’s possible father, Joey, add to the mix? If Matty had her druthers, would this guy have shown up when he did?
No, Matty wishes at the beginning that this guy did not show up. He is the thing that makes her life the least controllable at this moment because he threatens the thing that is the most dear to her, which is her grandson and their relationship. So if this man is the father or if we meet the father, suddenly the thing that she holds most dear, which is her relationship with her grandson, becomes out of her hands a bit, too. It takes her back to a lot of the trauma that she experienced with her daughter as well. It also reframes that trauma, ultimately, as we get into that story.

TVLINE | For preview purposes, are you saying if Billy and Claudia are jumping into parenthood or not?
I’m saying that we will know the answer to that in the first episode back.

TVLINE | What’s ahead for Sarah, with regards to Simone snooping around how she got her first client?
Sarah’s ambitions are going to run into reality, and she is going to be put in difficult positions as a result of them. We’re also going to get to know Sarah a little more deeply in terms of her personal life and where she came from. I’m excited to introduce her family this year, and it will push her into unexpected directions by the end of the season as she starts to explore who she is, where she came from, and who she wants to be in the world.

TVLINE | What’s up with Mrs. B? Is she still with us?
She is! She has a big arc, and I can’t say what happens, but she is pretty integral to this season. You’ll see her again in the second episode and then again in the third… and we’ll talk more after that.

Hit the comments below to share your hopes and predictions for Matlock’s sophomore run.

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