Spoiler Alert for Matlock season 1, episode 4, “The Rabbit and the Hawk”

Kathy Bates’ Madeline Kingston has a secret plan in Matlock, and a tragedy in episode 4 brings the septuagenarian one step closer to completing it. The hit CBS series was sold as a legal procedural reboot of Andy Griffith’s Matlock show, one of the best procedural TV shows ever. However, Matlock isn’t exactly that The skilled lawyer is on a covert mission to infiltrate the prestigious Jacobson Moore law firm and prosecute whoever hid legal documents that could have saved her daughter’s life.

The heart of Madeline’s plan is one of the reasons that Kathy Bates’ Matlock show is so successful. The first step in Madeline’s covert plan was to gain Olympia’s (Skye P. Marshall) trust because she needed her boss’ information to access sensitive intel. After winning over Olympia in episode 2, Madeline’s covert case took an unexpected turn when Olympia ended her relationship with Elijah (Eme Ikwuator) in episode 3. The development caused a rift between the Matlock characters in episode 4 when Elijah and Senior (Beau Bridges) showed their true colors. Their betrayal could be the ticket to Madeline’s success.

Olympia & Elijah’s Relationship & Split In Matlock Explained

Olympia & Elijah Work Together At Jacobson Moore

When Matlock season 1 kicked off, Olympia and Elijah were in a covert workplace romance. The couple discreetly talked about their relationship at the law office, continuously reminding one another of November, the month Olympia’s divorce from Julian (Jason Ritter) would be finalized. The pair was waiting until Olympia’s divorce to go public with their romance. However, the case that Olympia and Matlock tried in episode 3 had the skilled attorney second-guessing engaging in another relationship that would spill into her workplace. Olympia works with her ex-husband, Julian, whose father, Matlock‘s Senior character, manages the firm.

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Episode 3’s wrongful termination case was a wake-up call for Olympia. After the case concluded, Shea Banfield (Yael Grobglas), Matlock‘s fascinating new “lie detector” character, told Olympia to be careful about her romance with Elijah. Shea was a body language expert introduced in episode 2, and she could read the romantic cues between Olympia and her colleague. The comment was the final push that Olympia needed to realize that she couldn’t compromise her career for the romance. Olympia learned she risked people talking about her love life instead of her work by continuing her fling with Elijah.

Elijah’s Separation Makes Olympia Lean On Madeline

Elijah Turns On Olympia When Madeline Doesn’t

In episode 4, Olympia’s clean split turns messy when she finds that she and Elijah are on separate sides of the same case. Olympia is fighting for justice for Sandy Walton, who died of respiratory failure from legionella and believed the building was at fault. Since Sandy died before her case was resolved, Olympia and Madeline work with her husband, Robert. After Olympia briefs Madeline on the case, Elijah coldly tells Olympia she has to drop the case due to a conflict of interest. However, Senior, Elijah, and Olympia negotiate a firewall, so Jacobson Moore can represent both sides.

At the end of the episode, Madeline and Olympia both agree that Jacobson Moore is
“a viper’s nest.”

In a last-ditch effort to find evidence, Madeline uncovers black mold at Robert’s home caused by leaky pipes that the building should have replaced years ago. The case becomes a clear win for Olympia and Madeline when the hospital confirms mold in Sandy’s bloodstream. The real estate trust that Senior and Elijah represent offers Robert a healthy settlement but separates their assets from their liabilities overnight so they won’t have to pay up, which Madeline calls “the Texas two-step.” Elijah’s betrayal upsets Olympia, and Madeline swoops in to comfort her, saying they are “allies in a viper’s nest.”

Why Olympia Is The Key To Madeline’s Revenge Plan In Matlock

Olympia And Madeline Both Fight With Heart

Matlock episode 4 is paramount for Madeline’s plan, proving that she and Olympia are principled. A divide forms in episode 4 between those at Jacobson Moore trying to make money and those fighting for justice, and Olympia shows herself as the latter. Like Madeline, Olympia fights with heart. The court cases she chooses to take on in Matlock are evidence of that. For instance, she told Madeline that she fought for Alex Ramos (Danielle Larracuente) in Matlock episode 3, not because it was an easy case but because she wanted what she envisioned as a better world for her daughter.

While it initially looks like Olympia is just practicing law for the money, it becomes clear this isn’t the case. Olympia and Madeline are infuriated by Senior and Elijah’s actions in Matlock episode 4, showing that they’re on the same side. Moreover, Madeline gets evidence that Senior hid pharmaceutical documents, proving Olympia isn’t the bad guy. Now that Olympia knows what it feels like to be betrayed by Jacobson Moore, she and Madeline can both takedown the firm, but only if Bates’ character decides to fully trust her new ally.