’Matlock’s Skye P. Marshall Warns That Julian Is Going to “Get Spicy” When Season 2 Returns
(Editor’s note: The following contains major spoilers for Episode 8 of Season 2 of Matlock.)
Summary
In Season 2 of the CBS series ‘Matlock,’ Olympia’s trust unravels as friends and allies betray her, testing her control and family bonds.
The Wellbrexa document escalates stakes as secrets continue to unravel and expose higher culpability.
Julian’s obsession deepens, and his spying and instability could trigger the truth’s explosive fallout.
In Season 2 of the CBS series Matlock, high-powered lawyer Olympia Lawrence (Skye P. Marshall) is continuing on the hunt for answers when it comes to the role Jacobson Moore played in prolonging the opioid crisis that led to the death of Madeline “Matty” Matlock’s (Kathy Bates) daughter. But it’s hard to hold in the mounting secrets and lies when the betrayal becomes more apparent, knowing that the inevitable collateral damage might not ever hold the true culprits accountable. And while Julian (Jason Ritter) made the decision to hide the Wellbrexa document at the center of it all, everything that followed doesn’t and shouldn’t rest solely on his shoulders. During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Marshall, who is clearly invested in Olympia Lawrence and all the sides of the character that she’s able to explore, discussed how challenging it is for Olympia to maintain her cool outside of the courtroom, how the Wellbrexa situation is going to keep ramping up when the season returns, not knowing who to trust when everyone keeps betraying you, that Julian’s suspicions are going to lead to even more drama, how even she wonders what will come next on Matlock once the truth about the Wellbrexa report is out there, and why it’s important for her to play characters that inspire her.
Skye P. Marshall Has Seen Reflections of Her Own Life in Season 2 of ‘Matlock’
“It has allowed me to just be as honest as I possibly can.”
Collider: Going into this job, you knew that you were signing on for a project with high name recognition in Matlock, and you knew that you’d be working alongside an actor the caliber of Kathy Bates, but you couldn’t have known all of the nuances of the journey that Olympia has taken up until now. What has most surprised you about what you’ve gotten to explore and discover with her? SKYE P. MARSHALL: Olympia, this season, has been a lot of life imitating art, in the strangest way. It has allowed me to just be as honest as I possibly can, with a lot of my shadow side and things I don’t want to look at in my real life. My dad passed away on October 27th, and when I speak about Olympia’s father passing away, it’s a very real experience for me that has come up a lot in Season 2, which has been very fascinating. The journey of Julian and myself, and trying to manage his desire for more information, but also protecting him, and Matty’s desire for more information, and also trying to protect her, the juggling act that you’ve seen Olivia manage with Matty, you’re now going to get a lot of Julian, as well, having to finally listen to his own gut. That’s going to send us in a whole other direction.
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At this point, how is Olympia even maintaining her cool anymore? Julian has betrayed her. Matty has betrayed her. And now, even Sarah has betrayed her. Does she stop on the way home at one of those places you throw axes at or where you get to break things? Does she go home and scream into a pillow? MARSHALL: That’s exactly what I want to know. Does she have friends? Who is she venting to? She can’t just talk to her kids every night. I’m quite curious to learn more about Olympia when she walks out of that office building. How is she processing all the weight that she’s carrying, and the stakes, and also being a present mom and dating? What is her life like outside of Jacobson Moore? And I believe that the second half of the season, we’re going to explore more of that. That has been fun because I’m spending more time at the brownstone and I’ve had fans commenting, “Wow, look at Olympia in patterns.” It’s allowing the audience to have another experience of the more casual and laid back, slowly letting the audience in, as you experience from Season 1 to Season 2, of getting a better understanding of who Olympia is, outside the courtroom and the suits. I love that in the midseason finale that she calls herself a domestic goddess and we see all the gingerbread cookies and decorations laid out. I want to see more of that. MARSHALL: I do believe that we’re going to see a softer side, especially now that the stakes are getting way closer to home. I can’t say too much, but oh, my goodness, I can’t wait for the audience to see.
Things Are Going to Get Dicier When Season 2 of ‘Matlock’ Returns
“The sweater is going to unravel.”
Skye P. Marshall as Olympia standing in an office talking to Jason Ritter as Julian in MatlockImage via CBS
At the end of the midseason finale, we know that Julian is lurking like a creeper outside the window, watching what’s going on with Olympia and Matty, so he knows that something is happening. Should we brace ourselves for what happens when the series returns? Is it just going to keep ramping up? MARSHALL: I believe so. Season 1 started with Matlock looking at the audience and being like, “Hey, you guys, I need to find out who stole a document. Do you want to come with me on this ride?” And the audience was like, “Yes, take us with you!” And you guys got to go down the rabbit hole with Matty Matlock, and you were the only ones who knew who Madeline Kingston was. And then, it opened up. Now, Olympia knows who Madeline Kingston is. And so, both of us look at the audience like, “Hey, do you guys want to come with us?” Olympia is like, “I’m going to try to protect my ex-husband and control Matty, and then try to protect Matty and control Julian.” I’m stuck in the middle like, “Let’s all just look at Senior.” Now, Senior is getting involved in my team with the way he manipulated Sarah. It’s starting to get a bit dicey and eventually there is going to be a thread that gets pulled and the sweater is going to unravel and somebody is about to get exposed. Was Sarah just the last straw in this moment? Do you think she might have reacted differently to learning what Sarah did for Senior if everything else hadn’t already happened? Do you think she would have gotten as mad if she hadn’t already had all these other things happen? MARSHALL: I definitely think even on her coolest, calmest week, she would have gotten mad because trust is a huge responsibility if you want to stay around Olympia Lawrence. That was a thread that I’ve carried with the character from the very beginning, when Madeline is like, “You don’t trust me.” And I’m like, “Trust you? Matty, I don’t even know you.” That has been the connective tissue. If you want to take space around Olympia Lawrence, you have to be an honest human being. She doesn’t do well with betrayal. The big trigger for Olympia is if you break that trust. And for someone like Sarah, who has fought for so long to gain my trust, for her to throw it away without consulting Olympia, I think that is what stung the most. Without trusting Olympia, to go to her and share the fact that Senior put her in this really terrible position, every single person has gone behind Olympia’s back. Sometimes I’ll go to the showrunner and be like, “Is this when I get to slap someone?” And they’re like, “No, this is not Skye Marshall. This is Olympia Lawrence, and she puts her client first.” When she walks into the Jacobson Moore building, she decides that her client comes first and she compartmentalizes. Eventually, the lid on that can is going to pop off.
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Matty and Olympia are still on thin friendship ice as they proceed with Eva’s plan to oust Senior from the firm.
We see Olympia hesitate when Edwin asks if he and Matty can keep the Wellbrexa file to read. Is it really him that Olympia doesn’t trust? Does she still have doubts about Matty? How would she even deal with it if someone pushes to go after Julian? MARSHALL: One thing I love about the way that Olympia is written is that she never forgets we were going to move forward together. And when Edwin wanted to step in and make requests, that wasn’t his place. While Olympia didn’t tell Edwin, “I don’t trust you,” he said, “You don’t trust us.” And I said, “I trust Matty.” I believe she was just being very honest. She was like, “I trust Matty to know that this document is going home with me. This was not a part of the plan, to leave it here.” In that moment, Madeline Kingston is in a really hard, tough position because she doesn’t want any more conflict with Olympia, but she also so desperately wants to study the document that she’s been waiting so long to hold in her hand, and sit down with her husband and go through, and get the information that they’ve been fighting for this entire time. She was carrying the weight of the Wellbrexa document and the weight of our relationship that was slowly being restored in that moment. Right there, she wasn’t going to gamble. I love how at the end, when you guys do meet at the brownstone and you give her the document, it brings it back to the beginning of that episode, with you asking her if they’re going to exchange Christmas gifts. I love how this show doesn’t forget those little details. MARSHALL: Our writers will put a little Easter egg in episode five, and then it comes back in the script of episode 10 and you’re like, “Oh my gosh, that makes perfect sense.” I don’t think as far ahead as they do. I believe that’s what makes our entire creative team geniuses. They see the big picture and they connect the dots. They have their own crime board in the writers’ room and I’m always outside going, “Are you guys sure you don’t want to go on lunch real quick?”
Olympia Is Just Trying to Protect Her Family in Season 2 of ‘Matlock’
“His entire life is potentially in (Olympia’s) hands.”
Skye P. Marshall as Olympia talking to Jason Ritter as Julian while he sits in a chair in MatlockImage via CBS
As the audience, we see Julian outside the window watching the two of them. What was your reaction to that moment? How did you feel about that? How do you think Olympia will feel if she finds out about that? MARSHALL: While filming it, I was dying laughing because Jason kept sprinkling fake snow on himself. He was like, “Guys, it’s cold out here,” even though we were on the stages. How will Olympia feel when she discovers that Julian saw? The worst is when you become exactly what you fear the most. That’s somebody who is deceiving or not honest or not open.” To the core of who Olympia is, she’s trying to protect her family. Whether he understands that or not, that’s going to be the obstacle course. His entire life is potentially in my hands when I just hand it over. In that moment, I wondered if it was Julian’s villain origin story? MARSHALL: Julian gets spicy. He gets some extra seasoning added to the soup. That’s the thing that I love so much about working with Jason Ritter. He has such range. He just needs to be let out the gate. I’ve been patiently waiting like, “Let him out.” And that’s exactly what they’ve done in the current scripts that we’re working on. You get to see a range of emotions on the full spectrum. Julian has been through a lot and he’s not in the same place that he was at the start of this show. MARSHALL: He has no footing. He’s not grounded in anything. That’s why Olympia kept telling him, “Go get a case. Go do what you’re great at. Just focus on your work.” But he’s very fixated on trying to solve a problem that no one’s inviting him to solve. The Mrs. Belvin storyline was fantastic, with The Wolf, the security guard, coming. When I read that script, I was like, “Oh, my gosh, The Wolf? What?” Being able to introduce my mother into the storyline and the role that Julian played in the relationship with my mom, the layers are unraveling in such a beautiful and tragic and painful way. The fact that Julian had to share his trauma bond stories of he and his dad to soothe me from my experience with my own mom, you start to understand fully how and why they had such great chemistry and why they were together outside of just looks and status. They have a lot of pain in common. I’ve also really loved the addition of Justina Machado this season, as Senior’s ex Eva. My only complaint is that there isn’t more of her because she’s not afraid to cause some trouble. What do you enjoy about that dynamic and what would you like to still like to see with that character? MARSHALL: I was so excited. I was like, “Who are the other partners? Who’s going to play the ex-wife?” And then, when Justina pulled up, I was like, “Let’s go!” I really love the dynamic between she and Olympia, and she and Senior. She knows all the buttons to push, and that’s beautiful. She’s done fantastic work thus far. Where her character is going to go, I can only guess, but I definitely think she’s Team Olympia. She brought so many great ideas, and she brought that Miami sauce. We’ll see what happens.
Skye P. Marshall Doesn’t Know What Might Happen After Matty and Olympia Figure Out the Wellbrexa Situation
“I have no heads up whatsoever.”
Skye P. Marshall and Kathy Bates with the arms around each other on the red carpet of the FYC panel for MatlockImage via CBS
As it feels like we’re getting closer to an answer and a resolution about Wellbrexa, do you already know what would come next? Have you been told how the series will evolve beyond that case? MARSHALL: No, honestly. I get one script at time. I have no heads up whatsoever. I’m curious too. One thing I did know, with Season 1, is that this can’t all fall on Julian. Who was the dictator there? Who told him? And then, who told her and him? And then, who told her or him? How deep down into this rabbit hole we go, I don’t know. But I’m so glad that, outside of the overall mystery of the Wellbrexa document and who’s responsible, we have such fantastic guest stars that come in. The cases that we’re focusing on in the courtroom are not the usual violent cases. It’s a reflection of what a lot of people have to experience. Whether it’s mold in their building, or it’s corporate litigation that isn’t always sexy, we make it fun. Those cases are a reflection of what the series regulars are experiencing inside. I really like how they mirror the emotions of what the main characters are going through, through the principle that needs to be landed in each case, case by case.
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I’m sure that at certain points in your career, you’ve worked on projects where you didn’t feel uplifted. Does it feel different to work on a show like this where, episode after episode and now in the second season, you’re given smart and sharp material and you’re in scenes where you’re going toe to toe with a variety of actors? Does it feel more fulfilling when you go home after a day’s work or even when you wrap a season? MARSHALL: One hundred perfect. There’s not a set that I’ve ever left that I wasn’t full of gratitude because I know that this is not an easy feat. I know that getting into the room, whether it’s the audition room or the actual set, I don’t take it for granted. There are so many people out of work and so many talented people waiting for the phone ring that when I show up on set, whether you’re number one on the call sheet or number 15 on the call sheet, it is a gift to be sitting across from someone and being able to spar with them and having such a fantastic cast and guest talent that come in and out, and the directors and writers. I’m still pinching myself. I’m still not used to it. I still do it while scared. I still show up early and I’ll sometimes stay and shadow the directors in video village, even after I wrap. I like to remain in a state of being a student because there’s always opportunity to learn. That’s what I’m mostly focused on. And specifically with the Olympia Lawrence character, I was crystal clear with myself that the roles that I wanted to take had to inspire me. I also wanted to be as smart as the characters I was playing. Thank goodness with my two series regulars – on Good Sam, I was a doctor, and now, I’m a lawyer – I’ve been able to not just move the culture forward through the characters I play, but also just inspire young people that look like me, whether you’re a woman or whether you’re a black woman or whether you’re somebody like me who changed careers after 27. I’m having the best time of my life, over 40. I don’t take any of it for granted. If I meet a fan and they come up, it’s a different level of joy than past projects that I’ve worked on. One of the things that I’ve heard the most is, “Your show got me and my family back on the couch,” and that’s a beautiful responsibility that I’m happy to have taken on. I just want to get families back on the couch, watching live television.
Release Date
September 22, 2024
Directors
Kat Coiro, Brad Silberling, Gina Lamar, Hanelle M. Culpepper, Jennifer Lynch, Jude Weng, Tessa Blake, Yangzom Brauen, Marie Jamora, Daniel Willis
Kathy Bates
Madeline ‘Matty’ Matlock
Skye P. Marshall
Olympia Lawrence
Matlock airs on CBS and is available to stream on Paramount+. Check out the Season 2 trailer:
已发布: 2025-12-12 03:00:00
来源: collider.com
