This article contains spoilers.

There’s so much to consider when rebooting an iconic television series like Matlock. Do you stay close to the source or completely reinvent the show? In the case of Matlock, it was more of the latter, as Kathy Bates steps into the big shoes of Andy Griffith to resurrect his character of Ben Matlock as Madeleine “Matty” Matlock.

Make no mistake – Matlock 2.0 is still a cop show set in glamorous big city offices, taking on those difficult cases which look like judges are likely to rule against until the closing arguments. The reboot forges new paths and gives occasional cheeky nods and winks to the original.

Matty assumes the iconic name Matlock with determination and poise. “I’m Madeleine Matlock – just like the television show,” she quips.  The senior partners at Jacobson Moore law firm understand the reference, but the younger lawyers stare at her blankly. Olympia Lawrence (Skye P. Marshall) has heard of the show, vaguely. We even get to hear the original Matlock theme song… when Matty’s eating those special gummies that make her very happy.

We spoke with showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman (Jane The Virgin, Charmed) who developed Matlock – the second coming about her approach to breathe new life into the beloved series.

Jennie Snyder Urman. Photo by Frederick M. Brown licensed to CBS via Getty Images

“I needed to find a way to pay homage to the original, while also finding a way to create something totally original within the box of a reboot or reimagining. How can Matty be using the title to make something look familiar, when underneath, it it’s quite subversive?” asks Jennie.

Comparing The Two Matlocks

A central theme in Matlock is ageing and how the world perceives you.

Matty is a seventy-five year old woman who ostensibly returns to work to rectify her decreased husband’s financial mistakes. Matty is considered invisible, irrelevant, and dithering as an older woman; although an older man like partner Howard “Senior” Markston (Beau Bridges) is ironically considered seasoned, experienced and revered.

Kathy Bates moves through the world being underestimated and sidelined, while Andy Griffith commands the respect associated with his gender. Jennie retains the “folksy charm” of Griffith while ensuring Matty is a completely different character who is using these traits as a disguise to avenge her daughter’s death.

Howard “Senior” Photo by Michael Yarish/ CBS

Matlock 2.0 embraces Matty’s societal perceptions to her advantage to secure a job at Jacobson Moore law firm – bypassing any formal interview or trial period.

Her plan is simple – infiltrate Jacobson Moore in Donnie Brasco style fashion and find the documents that prove their client, pharmaceutical company WellBrexa, knew how lethal their opioids were, ten years prior to the death of her daughter Ellie from opioid poisoning, by suppressing vital research.

“Matty takes other people’s observations and assumptions of her and turns those into weapons,” adds Jennie. “She uses her invisibility as a cloak because her colleagues are not thinking that this older woman would come in with this entire scheme, have this rich inner life, and have this appetite for revenge.”

Granted, all the lying and scheming takes its moral toll on Matty because she’s basically a good person suffering from grief.

Matty’s subtle relatability puts people at ease and grants her access to documents and files that most people wouldn’t be privy to.

“She’s learned a lot through her relationship with her deceased daughter and her addictions, and she’s seen a wide swath of humanity that a privileged woman and a lawyer wouldn’t normally see.”

Apart from wanting to be seen, Matty also wants to be useful. “She’s able to meet people where they’re at and hear what they’re saying. This allows her to connect more easily with clients who often feel overlooked.”

A Quest For Revenge

Matty lives a double life. She’s a liar. We find out her surname is really Kingston and she lives in Queens with her husband Edwin (Sam Anderson) and her tech-savvy grandson Alfie (Aaron D. Harris) who helps Matty executive her plan.

Matty’s thirst for revenge wanes through the course of the season as she bonds with firm partner Olympia . “It becomes more complicated because her colleagues are not moves on the chess board. They’re actual people who she starts to connect with and care about.” Taking them down is no longer as alluring as it once was, but Jacobson Moore still represented WellBrexa.

She realizes how much self-worth work has given her. She still wants to make the law firm pay for defending WellBrexa, but her plan needs redesigning.

Matty (Kathy Bates) and Alfie (Aaron D. Harris) Photo by Michael Yarish/ CBS

Matty’s Family Are Affected

Matty’s home life also evolves during the course of the season. Matlock explores the dynamics of a long-term marriage between Matty and Edwin and how they handle conflict as a couple.

“They start off on the same page, but Matty is a headstrong character who follows her gut feelings. Edwin is much more deliberate. He thinks things through and he weighs all the pros and cons,” Jennie offers.

Edwin is a reluctant participant in the revenge scheme Matty hatched with Alfie. Despite his reservations, Edwin supports Matty’s quest until her health and Alfie’s schoolwork suffer.

Edwin Kingston (Sam Anderson) Photo by Robert Voets/ CBS

Matty is also questioning her retirement in the face of her changing relationship with Olympia. Her love of law has been reawakened. She sacrificed her career in contracts law for a decade so Edwin could have his as an academic. Now that his career is over, she wants hers. And this area of law is so much better than contracts for mergers and acquisitions. She gets to deal with real people and real emotions.

Edwin wants her to slow down so they can enjoy their golden years together. He doesn’t want to stop her, but his retirement plans are disrupted. Alfie will eventually move out after high school and they can travel the world and take classes.

Matty also needs to reassess her relationship with Alfie. “She was just her grandson’s grandma and she had to get him through the pain of losing his mom. She is now creating real change and impacting people’s lives and that’s intoxicating.”

Madeleine Kingston is transformed into a multi-faceted person by the end of the season. She still honors Ellie’s death, but she reorganizes her grief to allow new blessings into her life. Revenge will not bring her daughter back.

“She’s engaged with her grief in a much bigger way. She’s reexamining choices. She’s letting herself grieve in a way that she didn’t ten years ago because she went into action and quit her job to raise Alfie. This the whole journey has been emotionally expansive and transformative for her. However, she still has her North Star,” concludes Jennie.