7 ‘Matlock’ Burning Questions We Need Answered in Season 2

Matlock has a lot of explaining to do when it returns this fall. The first season ended on major cliffhangers for its lead and supporting characters, clearing a path to brand new terrain in the sophomore season and leaving us with lots of questions.
Matlock stars Kathy Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a brilliant septuagenarian who rejoins the workforce disguised as a harmless old widow in need of a job to support her teen grandson. In reality, her name is Matty Kingston, her husband is very much alive, and along with their grandson, they’re investigating the concealment of documents in a lawsuit that were buried in order to hide the truth about the addictive nature of opioids.
This is done to avenge their daughter, Ellie (Marnee Carpenter), who died of an opioid overdose years prior. Matty got the job at the Jacobson Moore law firm to figure out which lawyer at that company was responsible for this illegal act, and it was revealed in the Season 1 finale.
Matty and husband Edwin (Sam Anderson) solved the mystery with grandson Alfie’s (Aaron D. Harris) help, but not before her Andy Griffith Matlock-themed cover was blown in the penultimate episode of the debut season. Matty’s boss and now close friend, Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), caught on to the scheme and demanded the whole truth.
Matty told her everything, providing the evidence to support their theory that Olympia’s ex-husband, Julian (Jason Ritter), was the one who hid the Wellbrexa study during that high-profile drug case years before. It seemed unbelievable at first because Julian had become such an empathetic character, but the mistakes of his past came back to haunt him.
Matty and Edwin were right: Julian did hide the study, but it wasn’t a simple act. He was pressured into it by his own father, Senior (Beau Bridges), who used his son’s need for his approval to force his son’s hand in protecting their client — a client that was illegally trying to keep the truth about its addictive medicine secret. But here’s the thing: Matty doesn’t know what Olympia knows about her ex as of the end of the finale. In Season 2, Olympia will be harboring the big secret, taking on Matty’s position from Season 1.
Also a major concern was the last-minute arrival of a man claiming to be Alfie’s father, played by Niko Nicotera. With those endings and other developments from the finale, Matlock set up major questions that will be the foundation for Season 2. As we await the show’s return, here are our burning questions that need answering in Matlock‘s second season.
Matlock, Season 2 Premiere, Fall 2025, CBS