Kathy Bates' CBS reboot is smart

CBS aired the pilot of its “Matlock” revival, written by “Jane the Virgin's” Jennie Snyder Urman, weeks before the rest of the season begins airing this week. This gives the audience time to process a twist that is more like a premise. Spoilerphobes, this is your final warning: Kathy Bates' heroine may be called “Matlock,” but that's not her first name. Instead, it's a pseudonym she adopts to infiltrate a law firm she suspects is covering up the addictive effects of her pharmaceutical client's opioids. Non-retired lawyer Madeline Kingston has a folksy demeanor and trademark gray suit, but her deception is the first of many clues that this smart, successful show is not your father's “Matlock.”

On the one hand, Andy Griffith's version already exists in this narrative universe. The trial was a consolation for the childhood of Madeline's late daughter, who lost her life to opioid addiction. That makes this “Matlock” a meta-spin of the reboot that allows for respectful distance. By acknowledging the elephant in the room, the new version is able to retain the Southern drawl and courtroom twists while changing almost everything else.

“A funny thing happens as women get older,” explains Madeline, who goes by “Matty” at work. “People think I'm a harmless old lady, and so I'm going to trick them.” The most impactful reveal in the pilot isn't her spy mission; It's clear that the sob story she tells her new employer about a good-for-nothing husband who left her a bankrupt widow at 75 is too exaggerated to be true. (In fact, she's insanely rich; the series premiere reveals her feat by following her from her bus to her chauffeured car.) Rather, part of her cover persona isn't a cover at all. Matty did She loses a child to drugs, and while she is a skilled fabulist who manipulates others' perceptions of her, her larger plan is motivated by an unwavering righteousness. Most of her inner conflict revolves around whether potential targets justify her deceptive means.

As Matty works to break into the firm's inner circle, Urman surrounds her with capable colleagues and the cases of the week. This being CBS, Matty's age is a more important aspect of her identity than her gender. In contrast, she is assigned to a team with two energetic young employees: Billy (David Del Rio) and Sarah (Leah Lewis). The crew share an office in a fun, Odd Throuple-esque arrangement that encourages both cross-generational teams and intense competition.

Matty and her colleagues vie for the approval of their boss Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), a stubborn partner who is in the middle of a divorce from Julian (Jason Ritter), the son of managing partner Senior (Beau Bridges, who backs up Bates). . ' Boomer nostalgia factor). Olympia, Julian and Senior are also Matty's main suspects, and while she tries to gain their trust, she helps Olympia sue prisons and police forces on the little guy's behalf. While Julian runs the lucrative Big Pharma practice, Olympia has launched a de facto startup initiative to prove that “there is real money to be made in social justice,” a theory that “Matlock” supports despite the track record of the company seems surprisingly open.

At home, Matty coordinates with her beloved (and living!) husband Edwin (Sam Anderson) and grandson Alfie (Aaron D. Harris). Aside from their shared loss, I found the family side of the series to be more unclear than the hectic workplace hijinks. It's not entirely clear how the Kingstons made their money or how they chose this particular company as a target. As the season progresses, I hope that the two halves of Matty's double life become less uneven. Both “Matlock” and its namesake are easy to find.

“Matlock” will make its time slot premiere on CBS and Paramount+ on October 17 at 9 p.m. ET, with remaining episodes airing weekly on Thursdays.