TV is full of friendships that, for lack of a softer word, are unrealistic. It’s quite easy to see two random colleagues sharing a cup of coffee or having a heart-to-heart conversation about dreams and trust, and without much ado, you get two people who swear to take a bullet for each other — no real test of friendship or no hiccups along the way. That’s why the friendship between Matty Matlock (Kathy Bates) and Olympia Lawrence (Skye P. Marshall) feels so refreshing, and the creators of the Matlock reboot smartly put that relationship at the center of the show.
It’s refreshing because the slow-burn, somewhat awkward partnership between the pair is so relatable. It’s mostly side eyes and professional respect, but it’s also the most interesting thing to watch right now. No doubt, the courtroom and firm drama is slick. And Bates is obviously being… Bates. But if you’ve wondered what makes the show so delightful to watch, look no further than the quiet tug of war between Matty and Olympia. Their relationship isn’t the kind that’s designed to make you feel warm and fuzzy. It’s the kind that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Matty and Olympia’s Friendship Is Built on Competence, Not Vibes
The first few interactions between Matty and Olympia at Jacobson Moore were anything but friendly. In fact, they were more like two people checking each other out from across a room. Olympia made no secret of the fact that she wasn’t thrilled that the firm saddled her with overseeing a kindly 70-something woman who felt the best use of her twilight years was camping out at a law firm. In essence, she didn’t start trusting Matty because she was nice, she starts trusting her because she keeps being right. That’s the whole point. Matty earns her spot by being good at her job, full stop.
She’s this old lady that everyone writes off as a sweet, bumbling grandma, and she uses it to her advantage. She’ll hand out homemade cookies and fake a cough to get what she wants, all while being the smartest person in the room. Olympia sees it all. But she doesn’t throw a party about it; she just stops giving her the side eye as much. With time, their relationship goes beyond boss and employee, that is, until Matty’s big secret drops. No spoilers, but let’s just say she’s Matty’s got a hidden, personal agenda involving the shady law firm she’s now working for. As expected, the friendship between the two women eventually takes a hit. While it initially seemed like there was no way back for the two, they obviously care about each other and ultimately, both want to do what’s right.
While Matty’s spent months lying, Olympia eventually comes to understand her side of things. It doesn’t immediately make things right, but it makes everything messy. Still, Olympia can’t forget Matty’s a genius, even though she’s furious; and Matty can’t act like her lie is not a big deal, because it is. The show lets them hold those two feelings at once, because as the characters themselves say, “two things can be true.” That choice is way more interesting than a simple fix because there’s no “reset” button for real, grown-up relationships. Things get complicated, and the people involved find new rules to help them move forward with all that baggage. And that’s exactly what Matty and Olympia did.
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Matty and Olympia Dodge the Usual TV Friendship Traps in ‘Matlock’
On most shows, the dynamics of a friendship follow a familiar pattern: one’s the superstar and the other’s their cheerleader. Not here. Some days, Olympia uses her boss-lady energy to stamp her authority. On other days, Matty’s decades of experience and her knack for playing the sweet, harmless old lady just take over the room. The power swings back and forth, and the show doesn’t get scared about it because it’s what makes the friendship so relatable.
Their trust isn’t blind either. It’s earned and re-earned in the quiet moments. Some of their best scenes barely have any dialogue at all. Just one skeptical look or a decision to hold back information says it all. Watching them reminds you of some TV duos, like Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) and Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi) from The Good Wife, whose unique friendship drove much of the show, despite being filled with conflict and mistrust.
Additionally, the actors embody the characters themselves. Marshall said she was so nervous to meet Bates that she broke the “cardinal rule” and asked for a hug right in the audition room. Bates hugged her right back, and that set the tone for what is now unfolding on Matlock. Marshall never acts like she’s across from “Kathy Bates, the Oscar-winning movie star”, which would have happened if she still had Bates on a pedestal. Instead, she acts like she’s across from a competent co-worker, and Bates, even with her accolades, lets her. That sense of balance is why their friendship is the backbone of the show, not just some side plot. The dynamic between their characters is a tangled web: part friendly, part adversarial, part alliance, and it’s all fantastic to watch. They’re lying to each other’s faces, but you still believe they genuinely care about each other. Try finding that on any other show.
Stream Matlock on Paramount+, and you’ll see that the real show isn’t in the courtroom but in the unique friendship Matty and Olympia share.
