What Happened on the Final Episode of the Original ‘Matlock’?

On the original series of Matlock, each week generally brought a brand-new case for the great criminal defense attorney (played by Andy Griffith). Private investigators, fellow lawyers, and other folks from Ben Matlock’s life showed up regularly, but the show didn’t have the kind of major storylines common to other dramas — so when it was time to wrap up the series after nine seasons, there were no huge plots to resolve, or old characters who needed to return for a final hurrah. Instead, the show’s producers created a final episode that they felt simply epitomized the spirit of Matlock … and then the network aired four more episodes.