Matlock

This is a charming and interesting take on a legal series. Casting of Kathy Bates and Beau Bridges is classic CBS, and while this doesn't ask much of you, it's a fun and easy watch. Yes, there's a twist at the end, which will give the series some sorely needed depth.

Kathy Bates plays the titular character, Matlock, a post-midlife lawyer who hasn't practiced since 1991. She boldly maneuvers her way into a trial period with a law firm, and set out to make herself useful in order to gain employment. Obviously, everyone doubts her abilities and thinks she's too old, and she seeks to prove them wrong.

I really want to like this show but it really needs more meat to it. I would say first problem is the writing. The weekly episode is glossed over and not very deep just so they can spend the final moments reminding the audience the reason for the whole deception to begin with. Second is the direction of the other two females. Their characters come off as cartoonish. Always loud and high strung and lacking any real emotion. This isn't against the actress themselves but I am assuming this is the direction they are given. Some of the sets seem exactly that ..sets. The lighting is flat. Overall not a very rich feel to it. I tune in each week for one reason and one reason only but I don't know if I can keep it up. I think Kathy Bates deserves better than this.

Well, I did enjoy the first episode of Matlock. Of course, any material Kathy Bates touches is going to get a lift. I think she had good chemistry with the rest of the cast. Again, maybe thats what you get with an acting legend. And we love Beau Bridges who made a cameo like appearance. What an ACE in the hole CBS has there. Then, along comes Sam Anderson whos talent and charisma brings something special to every character he plays. If the stories and writing can keep up with the talent pool this series has, and the director can give a little guidance to the younger cast, I think CBS is going to have a hit on its hands.

I found episode 1 and stream watched it. It was brilliant. When do we get to see the rest? We need a good series that is suspenseful and entertaining. And this will do it for me.

The storyline so far is end of your seat entertaining. The streetwise Matlock has all the makings of a grandmother that you want to keep an eye over and then she surprises you with her streetwise, years of experience of reading people and knowing how to manipulate a situation to meet her end goal.

I have been waiting for this series since it was announced. Kathy Bates is a brilliant actress and the rest of the cast is not bad either.

My women on the street who loves a good thriller opinion.

Please release the rest of the series.

In my opinion, Kathy Bates's fantastic performance and scenic presence are not enough to catapult this show to the podium among the 'best of the year', as some reviews seem to consider.

The supporting cast simply does not work at all. They are completely lacking in nuances and they turn their roles into cartoonish, thick-stroke annoying characters. (The Asian young lawyer, probably the worst of all).

The plotline gets tangled in a confusing medley between realistic legal cases, poor comedic gags, some red herrings which seem unconvincing and a general light comedy tone sustained by the music, the trivial shallow resolution of tension and some Disney-like performances. This, plus the inclusion of sensitive «serious themes» and dramatic moments (as drug addictions, corporate involvement, loss and bereavement) which deserve and demand a deeper context. So either you feel that it is a comedy turning preachy and loaded, or you feel that issues deserving a serious treatment become trivialized and deprived of substance.

This unstable mix of comedy, suspense, legal and drama, which seems to be in fashion lately in entertainment industry (see Elsbeth, which has also derailed), is simply not my thing. Or, at least, it needs to be done in a better way. Very sorry for Kathy Bates, which is immense and a delight to watch, but she cannot rescue the show on her own and by herself.