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No, Matlock Didn’t Have A Thanksgiving Special, But I Know What I Want To See In Kathy Bates’ Christmas Episode

Posted 11/30/2024 from Cinema Blend

Normally this is where you’d be reading that there’s spoilers for this week’s episode of Matlock. However, the 2024 TV schedule being what it is, we’re unfortunately in a brief hiatus for CBS’s Kathy Bates ratings hit that left us without a Thanksgiving episode.

That’s fine by me, because it just means there’s more time for new fans to catch up streaming via a Paramount+ subscription and jump into the wild mystery that rests at the heart of this show. However, since we didn’t get a turkey-fueled episode that could have paired well with the various Thanksgiving football games, I’d like to talk about what I’m hoping we’ll see in a Christmas episode. Which I totally do know we’ll be getting.

Kathy Bates sits smiling at a table with a drink in front of her in Matlock S1 E7 -

(Image credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS )

Matlock Was Dark Again On Thanksgiving, But Will Return Next Week

Just in case you haven’t been brought up to speed on when we’ll be seeing the Jacobson Moore holiday party, I’m going to share that with you now. Thanks to our own Laura Hurley, we know that Matlock will return at the top of December. And Madeline Kingston (Kathy Bates) will be shown engaging in two more cases before the series goes on another break for the holidays.

Matlock cast members standing on a staircase in matching Christmas sweaters in S1 E7 -

(Image credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS )

From An Early Look At Matlock’s Next Episode, The Holidays Are Here

To be perfectly clear, I haven’t read the synopsis for Matlock Season 1, Episode 7, called “Belly of the Beast.” And if it wasn’t for accidentally catching a brief glimpse of some photos, I wouldn’t have known that yes, we are getting a Christmas episode - if not two! I actually like to go into each new episode with a clean slate, which makes not getting the “scenes from next week” reel with my advanced screeners a bit of a bonus. So, here are the details for my ideal Matlock Christmas special!

Skye P Marshall Jason Ritter and Kathy Bates stands together smiling at the Christmas party in Matlock S1 E7 -

(Image credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS )

Olympia Would Probably Invite Matty To Christmas Dinner

So now that I do know we’re getting a holiday flavored Matlock episode, what would the perfect pitch for such an episode look like? For me, the “A” story would definitely cover how Matty Matlock is supposedly a single grandmother, with a grandson who loathes her. With Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) and Julian (Jason Ritter) seeming to be on the cusp of reuniting their family, there’s a chance they’ll want to invite Matty and her grandson to a loving family dinner.

Kathy Bates, David Del Rio, and Leah Lewis standing together with concern in Matlock S1 E3 -

(Image credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS)

Billy And Sarah’s Matlock Plot Would See Romance On The Rocks

For our “B” story, you could very easily see the rest of Team You Three, Sarah (Leah Lewis) and Billy (David Del Rio), growing their own burgeoning friendship through a group meal of their own. With Sarah bringing her dreamy IT crush Kira (Piper Curda) to dinner, Billy would clearly have his fiancée on hand for good tidings of joy.

Throw in conflicts like Billy and his betrothed disagreeing on how Sarah should be pursuing Kira and Matty needing to keep her lies in order, and you’ve got a Matlock Christmas episode that’s practically waiting to be unwrapped. I could easily see Billy questioning his relationship, just as Sarah scores a win with the colleague she’s enamored with, leaving both friends to support each other in the fallout.

Kathy Bates sits in conversation with Beau Bridges at a Christmas party in Matlock S1 E7 -

(Image credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS )

The Christmas Cliffhanger Matlock Should End On

For the potential cliffhanger, we’d see Matlock’s potential big bad Howard (Beau Bridges) recognizing Madeline’s husband Edwin (Sam Anderson), as he’d be posing as a man she met after Billy set up that online dating profile from the episode “Claws,” in order to continue selling the deception. Edwin would be able to join in without being left in the cold.

At the same time, Senior would be sitting at the holiday table with his family, and you’d have to think that at some point or another the two would have crossed paths - much like the flashback that showed how Madeline first met Olympia. For every thread that closes, another usually pops up to keep us on our toes. With Matlock set to hit pause after December 12th’s fall finale ominously titled “No, No Monsters,” just imagine these final moments keeping us all invested into 2025.

Yael Grobglas stands in an office with a look of confusion in Matlock S1 E7 -

(Image credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS )

Bringing Back The Meerkat For A Christmas Episode Was Also On My Wish List

Look, if we’re doing a Christmas episode for Matlock, it’s a fresh opportunity for Shae Banfield (Yael Grobglas) to return to the stage. Just imagine – jokes about how she learned the truth about Santa as well as the potential for her to get closer to unmasking Matty’s second life. I wanted to see Shae return anyway, and there'd be no better time.

With Matlock’s early Season 2 renewal, the table will need to be set to hint towards where things are going next. And if we’re going to keep Shae in the picture, why not bring her in as a more consistent participant in this game of smoke and mirrors? (But seriously, give us a story about young Ms. Banfield lecturing her parents about how she knew they were really Santa.)

Kathy Bates looks over at Skye P. Marshall with a look of upset in a meeting in Matlock - S1 E5

(Image credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS)

Admittedly, my Matlock Christmas wish list isn’t a given, and all of this speculation could 100% lead nowhere. On one hand, I’d be excited to find myself debunked, so I could continue to be surprised by the continuing adventures of Madeline Kingston. Considering that the thrills of the very first Matlock twist have continued to make my week with each passing outing, the surprises I had previously worried would wear themselves out have only entertained.

But on the other hand, I might have to shred my application packet for the Matlock writers room. Unless, for some reason, showrunner/creator Jennie Snyder Urman is impressed with the spec pitch. No matter what happens, Matlock will be back Thursday, December 5th at 9 p.m. ET with “Belly of the Beast.” So we’ll be back to analyzing what has happened, over what might happen, soon enough.

If you want to watch the episode as it airs, the place is CBS! However, you’ll also be able to stream this, and all past episodes, through access to a Paramount+ subscription. And no need to cue the OG theme music slide whistle, as that’s something I save for when we’re discussing an episode.

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