TV Review: Matlock (2024)

Creators: Jennie Snyder Urman.

Writer: Jennie Snyder Urman.

Starring: Kathy Bates, Skye P. Marshall, Jason Ritter, Beau Bridges

Tagline: Yes, She’s Older. No, She’s Not Done.

Before I started writing my TV pilot, Crime Cleaners, a quirky project about a group of spunky elderly women turned mob-hired crime scene cleaners, I spent months binge-watching shows and movies featuring older women.

And, surprise, surprise, I was wildly underwhelmed. There’s the odd Grace & Frankie standout, but beyond that? A whole lot of thin wisdom, summoning‑the‑grandkids tropes, and frankly, silence in the spotlight. That is, until I heard about the new Matlock.

Rebooting a beloved classic is risky business. (Looking at you, every remake that made me weep for the 90s.) But every once in a while, someone in a writers’ room somewhere whispers the unthinkable:
“What if we bring back an 80s courtroom drama… and make the lead an older woman?”
Cue the dramatic gavel slam, because Matlock (2024) does just that, and does it brilliantly.

Gone is Andy Griffith’s Southern-fried charm, and in its place?
Kathy Bates in a lemony yellow suit, wielding wit like a scalpel and walking into courtrooms with the weary grace of a woman who has seen some things.

And honestly? It’s about time.

What Matlock (2024) manages to pull off isn’t just a brilliant reimagining, it’s a masterclass in how to reboot an old IP with purpose, while also giving us something we’ve sorely missed on our screens: a complex, intelligent, working woman in her 70s who’s not defined by her children, her menopause, or a tragic backstory involving a cat. She’s defined by her brain, her strategy, and her refusal to be ignored.

Rebooting Done Right: Lessons for Screenwriters.

Let’s start with the obvious: Matlock doesn’t try to resuscitate the old show. It lets the 1986 version rest in peace and instead borrows the brand name and some tonal cues, then leaps forward with a clever twist.

This time, Matlock is Madeline Matlock, a sharp, retired lawyer who’s lured back into the world of high-stakes litigation, except now she’s underestimated, overlooked, and frequently dismissed because of her age and gender.

Sound familiar?

Instead of pretending the world hasn’t changed, the writers lean into it. They use ageism as a story engine,
not a side note. Madeline’s biggest “weakness”, her invisibility in a room full of younger, louder professionals, is flipped into her greatest asset. People don’t see her coming, and that’s precisely how she wins.

That’s rebooting 101 for screenwriters: Don’t just update the wardrobe. Update the stakes.
Matlock works because it doesn’t try to replicate the old formula; it critiques it, reframes it, and ultimately evolves from it.

It’s not just a revival, it’s a reinvention. That rare screenwriting trick where something familiar is made to feel urgent again, like a genre waking up from a long nap and stretching into something more innovative, snarkier, and deeply satisfying.

Matlock says yes to that call.

The Real Reason to Watch: Kathy Freakin’ Bates.

Look, if this show were just a well-structured legal drama with good writing, it would be fine. But with Kathy Bates at the helm, it becomes something special.

We all know Kathy Bates. She’s that scene-stealing aunt in the corner of the family gathering who drops one zinger and walks off with your heart. She’s been phenomenal in every role you’ve ever seen her in:  Misery, American Horror Story, Primary Colors, you name it,  but she’s rarely been the centre of the frame.

Until now.

As Madeline Matlock, Bates gives us a character that’s part Columbo, part Gloria Steinem, and entirely herself.
She’s brilliant, sure, but also compassionate. Vulnerable. A little sneaky. And gloriously unbothered by what others think.

Watching her go toe-to-toe with slick young lawyers, dodge tech she doesn’t care to learn, and deliver monologues that feel like they’ve lived in her bones for decades is… satisfying.
Like watching someone finally get the keys to the car they helped build.

Madeline is witty without being quirky, sharp without being cold, and commanding without having to shout. You feel like you’re watching a woman who’s spent decades becoming someone no one sees coming, and who knows exactly how to use that.

And if we’re being honest, how often do we get to see that? Women over 60 on screen are usually
relegated to side characters or inspirational mentors in flowing scarves. Here, Bates plays a character
who’s working, scheming, winning, and yes, even flirting. It’s about time.

She’s not “ageing gracefully.” She’s ageing powerfully.

Why It Matters.

What Matlock (2024) does brilliantly is offer a minor rebellion in every episode: the idea that ageing doesn’t mean fading. That older women aren’t just background noise; they’re the plot twist.

This matters. Not just because representation is important (though it is), but because it reflects something real.

Women in their 60s and 70s today are active, working, travelling, starting new businesses, divorcing and dating again, and going back to school. They’re not done. And yet television has been acting like they are.

So when Madeline Matlock walks into a courtroom and calmly dismantles a smug CEO or a hotshot junior associate, it’s not just cathartic, it’s revolutionary.

The Flawed Bits (Because No Show Is Perfect).

 

Let’s be fair: Matlock has its courtroom cracks. Some of the legal manoeuvring is, well, iffy.
If you’ve ever worked in law (or just binged The Good Wife), you’ll notice the show plays fast and loose with legal realism. The whole “retired lawyer gets rehired into a high-powered firm without much red tape” thing requires a suspension of disbelief the size of a Supreme Court bench.

And the supporting cast? Mixed bag. While Skye P. Marshall (as Olympia, Madeline’s firm ally) brings a grounded energy, and Jason Ritter offers some comic beats, not all the characters are as fleshed out as Madeline. A few side plots involving interns and family drama feel undercooked and sometimes distract from the sharper central storyline.

If anything, the show’s weakest link is trying to balance its “case-of-the-week” format with deeper character arcs. Some episodes feel like they’re not sure whether they want to be procedural or prestige. But hey, early seasons are for finding your stride, right?

Final Verdict: Worth the Gavel Slam.

Despite its imperfections, Matlock (2024) is a standout. It proves that reboots don’t have to be lazy.

That reinvention is possible when it’s done with heart, purpose, and a killer lead. It also offers a rare and much-needed tribute to women of a certain age who refuse to go quietly into the cardigan-filled night.

So yes, watch it for the creative screenwriting. Watch it for the surprising plot twists. But mostly, watch it for Kathy Bates, who turns a courtroom into a stage and every scene into a masterclass.

Because sometimes, justice comes with a side of sass, and a pair of orthopaedic heels that will crush you in court.

Happy viewing and happy learning!

Verdict – 4.5/5 Stars in my book

The post TV Review: Matlock (2024) appeared first on Vered Neta.