Matlock season 1 episode 1 ending explained: What is Madeline Matlock's true identity?

Matlock season 1, starring Kathy Bates, premiered on CBS on September 22, 2024, and the audiences could not contain their happiness. The highly anticipated first season of the show aired on the channel after much delay due to the SAG- AFTRA and WGA strikes that put Hollywood to a temporary halt.

The premiere episode of Matlock season 1 introduced viewers to the show's main character, Madeline Matlock. She is an amateur former lawyer in her 70s, seeking job opportunities at the Jacobson & Moore law firm to support herself while raising her grandson. Madeline claimed that she was struggling financially and required money to make ends meet.

However, her potential employers and co-workers were unaware of the fact that Madeline Matlock's real name is Madeline Kingston and that she was not actually in financial trouble. In reality, she is a very wealthy woman who sought employment at the firm solely to investigate the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death due to a drug overdose.

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Madeline Matlock is actually Madeline Kingston in Matlock season 1

In the closing moments of Matlock season 1, it was revealed that Madeline Matlock, who had been shown struggling to find work at the Jacobson & Moore law firm throughout the episode, was actually Madeline Kingston. It was also disclosed that she did not genuinely need money, despite her claims at the firm's office, and her husband was not deceased.

In reality, Madeline was quite wealthy (wealthy enough to own a limousine that drove her home after she left her colleagues behind at the office), and her husband was very much alive.

Madeline assumed the identity of Madeline Matlock in Matlock season 1 because she suspected someone at the Jacobson & Moore law firm. She believed that this person was involved in tampering with the documents related to her daughter's death, which was the result of a drug overdose.

She was convinced that she would be unable to achieve justice for her daughter without access to those documents or any surrounding information.

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Madeline had to prove herself before she got to work for Olympia in Jacobson & Moore in Matlock season 1

When Madeline (aka Matty) first arrived at the Jacobson & Moore office in the pilot episode of Matlock season 1, almost everyone was skeptical about her. However, when she proved herself useful in the Peabody case (thanks to her overhearing skills), Julian, one of the senior partners of the company was impressed.

However, Olympia, Madeline's immediate boss, was not impressed. To ascertain that she was worthy of being a part of the company, Matty immediately got on Raymond Harris' case. This was a case Olympia and her co-workers had been trying to close for a long time with no success.

Harris was wrongfully convicted of multiple s*xual offenses and murders and sent to jail, where he spent 26 years. Now a free man, Harris was suing the city's government for wrongful conviction and seeking money as compensation for the damages caused. However, the authorities were against the idea of compensating him, suggesting loopholes in the case.

During a heartfelt discussion with Matlock, Harris's daughter, Jordan, was able to persuade her to fully commit to her father's case. Matlock was able to raise some important arguments in court, but her focus shifted when she became involved in the life of a woman named Carlin, which Olympia thought was irrelevant to their case.

Nonetheless, Madeline proved Olympia wrong by speaking with Carlin, who provided her access to a key piece of evidence that could turn the case in their favor—a videotape. Madeline presented this videotape in court, and to Olympia's surprise, Harris' charges were dismissed, leading the judge to order the State of New York to pay him $20 million in compensation.

Impressed by her abilities, Olympia offered Madeline a full-time position at Jacobson & Moore.

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The next episode of Matlock season 1 will air on October 17, 2024, on CBS.