As Matty settles into her new role at Jacobson Moore, Olympia and the aptly nicknamed "Team You Three" (Matty, Billy and Sarah) take on a lawsuit involving a developmentally delayed teenager whose family claims he's been wrongly accused of murder. Olympia and Julian disagree on a parenting matter.
Matty needs time to build trust with her new colleagues at Jacobson Moore. Her grandson wants her to take action immediately to get to the bottom of the conspiracy they are investigating. They believe someone covered up evidence that would have taken addictive drugs off the market a decade before they actually were. That could have prevented the death of Matty's daughter. The true premise was revealed at the conclusion of the premiere. This episode allows the viewer to see Matty in her true persona. She has a nightmare about being discovered. When she's flustered, she speeds up. That's when mistakes occur. She misstated the dates of when Matlock was on the air. That's a crucial detail of her folksy charm. Every aspect of her undercover persona has to be accurate and believable. She must sell herself as someone else. That's a lot of stress that wears on her. The only one who notices is the other person old enough to remember the show. Even there, Matty creates a convenient excuse. It's another lie added onto the pile. Everything she does is a manipulation to get to the truth. She is calculating at every single moment. The viewer should always be prepared for some grand reveal about her true motives.
Matty is only starting her first official day at the firm. However, she already firmly understands Olympia and Julian's routine. She knows they will be fighting following the tradeoff in their custody arrangement. Matty inserts herself into that drama. She does so mostly to plant the seed about the firm's food expenses in their minds. Matty slyly introduces this detail so Olympia can make a kind gesture with it later on. All of this is in service to gaining access to the firm's old case files. Matty needs a passcode. She doesn't have enough authority in this workplace to have one herself. She has to rely on the partner overseeing her to assign her such responsibility. Immediate results may not occur. And yet, the show presents these small victories the audience can cheer. It's a unique approach to storytelling. It leaves the viewer aware of what's truly happening. However, it also requires the dynamics in the workplace to actually carry emotional heft. Matty complains about getting sucked into office politics. She makes mistakes. She agonizes over details. Her humanity is showcased. And then, her cunning focus comes into play that reveals it was all deceitful.
The narrative overwhelmingly suggests this brutal approach to the law is the only way to succeed. It's all a matter of manipulation. Olympia knows the firm would never take on a criminal case pro bono. A class action lawsuit must be leveraged to make that happen. She lays out the strategy. The client ultimately has to follow through on the demands. Senior already loves Olympia more than Julian. It's not a fight when she asks for something. He trusts her completely. These are the three suspects of Matty's investigation. Her bond with Olympia is nurtured the most. Matty wants her skillset to be respected and trusted. She has good impulses in the field. She picks up on clues others miss. She doesn't know what role a group of teenage girls outside a bodega will play in the case. She follows her instincts. That pays off. She positions herself in the right place at the right time to succeed. That becomes an asset for the firm. Sarah doesn't like having to share space and compete with Matty. Her new co-worker insists she wants a collaborative environment. That too just creates an opening for her to feel devastated. She expresses her concerns and how Olympia failed as a boss. It was all to get Olympia to invade Matty's fake personal life.
The mystery of the murder case is crucial because it provides the narrative with a spine to keep the characters busy and occupied. The lawyers have a vested interest in these cases. They take them on to advance their own agendas. Matty doesn't have control over which cases she's assigned to work. She just has to follow orders. She has the experience to look where no one else does. It's about utilizing resources effectively. Matty forges these bonds. She never loses sight of her true mission. She has a role to play. She does so expertly. Her grandson takes every detail and ensures it has a backstory online. Matty needs that insight in order to help prove a young man's innocence of murder. That's a good deed. She succeeds at work. That's real. It's not part of the game she's playing. She's making a difference and manipulating others into trusting her. She always tells them not to underestimate her. She does that as a tactic to get them into believing they are in on the con. They are still marks. Matty's true purpose isn't exposed yet. She has an apartment in Queens that lines up with her fake identity. She's always one step ahead of everyone. That remains reliable at the moment. Tension and uncertainty are bound to creep in. Matty fears she made a mistake with her daughter. She endures tough days. She has to be reminded why she is doing this. That keeps her grounded. It's just a lot of wheels for the narrative to keep spinning. It's a high-wire act that requires expert execution in order for the payoff to work in the long run. It works so far. That trust is crucial to develop for the audience too.
