Matlock surprised viewers with a shocking twist in the series premiere, and the show has no plans to slow down from here.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, director and executive producer Kat Coiro previewed how Matlock keeps building on that narrative shakeup.
“What’s so brilliant about the show and Jennie [Snyder Urman’s] writing is that it’s very incremental and character-based. The twists have a lot to do with psychology rather than relying on big external factors or plot shifts,” Coiro explained ahead of the fall finale, which airs on CBS Thursday, November 14. “You get so invested in these characters that small revelations become really exciting.”
While Matlock continues to have a twist in “every episode,” the CBS series isn’t simply relying on that storytelling device.
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“It’s easier to get away with that the more invested everybody becomes in the characters. Definitely the twist in the pilot was the biggest,” Coiro noted. “Because you think you’re watching a pretty standard procedural about a fish out of water in a law firm. Then suddenly you introduce this story line that now has to carry two plots and two different sets of characters through every episode.”
Coiro praised the show’s writers’ room for finding ways to keep each episode feeling fresh, adding, “I think subtlety of the progression and the fact that it’s not moving forward at an incredibly rapid rate is part of what makes it sustainable.”
Matlock, which premiered in September, follows a wealthy retired lawyer named Madeline Kingston (Kathy Bates) who pretends to be a poor widower named Matty Matlock to get a job at a firm. As it turns out, Matty thinks someone at the company is complicit in the opioid epidemic that resulted in her daughter’s death.
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“I was there throughout the whole series, and it was really important that every episode walked that tightrope between drama and comedy. That was one of the main things because the show is unusual in that it is dramatic and it deals with very heavy subjects and it has a case of the week,” Coiro explained to Us. “But there’s also a lot more humor than there is in most hour-long procedurals.”
Coiro also pointed out the unique shooting style, sharing, “It is really focused on character development and on all the little nuances of how people interact with each other. One of the things I think that is so fun about Matty’s character is that she’s always watching and looking for ways to understand people. So we really had to make sure the camera honored that. You’ll see in the show there’s so many little looks, hand gestures and eyelines that normally wouldn’t be there.”
The hit series has already been renewed for a season 2 — and Coiro isn’t surprised. She gave credit to the entire cast and crew for giving it their all, starting with the show’s lead.
“It’s hard to use words to describe Kathy. She is so brilliant, so humble and she has a work ethic that is awe-inspiring. Even though we did all these episodes, there was never a moment where she didn’t bring herself fully and didn’t analyze it and didn’t break it down,” Coiro recalled. “It’s really been like a masterclass watching her work.”
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Coiro made the decision to stick around on Matlock partly because of Bates’ commitment to the project, adding, “Normally in broadcast, I would do the pilot and maybe an episode or two. On this show I said, ‘I’m going to come back and do as many as I possibly can.’ And it’s partly to do with Kathy. It’s not just her acting prowess — which is unparalleled — but it’s also the way she treats people on set.”
She continued: “Kathy knows everybody’s name and she introduces herself to everybody. She stays and does coverage when the camera is not on her. It is just wonderful to be in her presence and I think everybody on that set feels like they bring their A-game because she does.”
Matlock has felt like a different experience for Coiro, who has worked on a multitude of other shows.
“There’s always something special when you work on the pilot because you get to know the show. It’s very different than coming in as an episodic director. I feel like a fundamental part of the team and it was one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever had,” she gushed. “So to have it also be well-regarded is icing on the cake. It’s been a very special show to work on, and we are all so excited that it got a renewal so quickly. Every single person wants to come back and do it again.”
Matlock is currently streaming on Paramount+ ahead of its fall finale on CBS Thursday, November 14, at 9 p.m. ET.
