When Sarah's client is arrested after his business partner is found murdered, Billy attempts to help her handle the case while Matty and Olympia contend with a pressing confidential matter.
Matty shares all of her evidence with Olympia. In doing so, her boss realizes she came into work every day trying to deceive her. Matty insists that two things were always true. She wanted answers about who hid the Wellbrexa documents. She also befriended Olympia. That trust is gone now. Matty desperately wants it back. She doesn't want to give up this aspect of her life yet. She was motivated to take action because of the Reddit post. She has never lost sight of her core mission. However, she reignited her passion for the law. She retired after Ellie's death. It was more important to be there for Alfie. She already experienced this career being taken from her once. She doesn't want to make that sacrifice again. It's not the future Edwin envisions. He sees the end of the mission. He starts making plans. They can pick up their lives on the West Coast again. His interests don't align with what Matty wants. They have always presented as a loving team. Matty was inspired by the work Olympia did. She was grateful for all the experience in the courtroom. She had the chance to practice law like she never did previously. She is grateful to Olympia. However, she also has to reckon with how she took this passion away from others. She made Olympia and Sarah doubt themselves. As a result, they get in trouble. They overcome. Matty also must realize the role she played in all of this.
Matty convinces herself that she has won Olympia over to her side. It doesn't happen immediately. Olympia wants information. She still seeks comfort in listening to her father's message. That has been returned to her. At first, she expects to find evidence that disproves Matty's entire case. She wants to exonerate Julian. Hiding documents from discovery isn't something he would do. She slowly starts to believe in the possibility. Julian's mother doesn't share the same story about how the young couple bought their brownstone. All of this traces back to the money. Olympia built her life on this lie. She must be aware of it fully. She can no longer live in the dark. She becomes a partner at Jacobson Moore. She is celebrated. She has a financial stake in this organization. If this scandal is out there, she wants to address it. She wants to know the dark secrets that loom in this place. She has garnered Senior's respect over the years. Julian always craved it. It has always been futile. He's relieved that he can escape his father's shadow now. He can finally enter the world on his own. Everything won't just be handed to him. Senior despised his son for not building himself up like he did. He offered opportunities. Senior resented that his son followed a different path. He couldn't relate to it. He understands Olympia better. That made Julian incredibly desperate.
The most significant threat to the firm is Matty. She is determined to expose this crime. The stakes are personal across the board though. Sarah brought in a client without the support of her superior. She gets into trouble because she's too overeager. Olympia can't just pass the case off to the public defender's office either. The firm has a reputation for its resources. That would be advantageous in this case. Sarah wanted to prove herself. Instead, her job is threatened. Olympia covers for her. She doesn't plan on firing her. She feels the pressure to lift her up and let her shine. But again, that nervousness is cover for what she is truly plotting with Matty. Sarah needs the pep talk. She's afraid her client will be going to jail for murder. He got into a heated fight with his business partner that resulted in Rob's death. The pieces come together for Sarah to show the tragic side effects of the supplements Rob was taking. She gets a win. She's celebrated at the firm. Of course, Simone doesn't like that. She seeks to expose Sarah's mistakes after Billy rejects a more serious relationship with her. These character dynamics are earned. Sure, Matty places herself at the center. She knows when to let others shine. She's proud of her fellow associates. She is there for them when they need it. It also means she can't leave to oversee Olympia's mission at the bank. Matty wants to believe trust is coming back. She still doesn't know how Olympia will react when faced with evidence. She's the ultimate benefactor of Matty's hard work. She discovers the proof. Meanwhile, Matty is left with a major surprise at her front door: Alfie's biological father.
The dynamic between Matty and Olympia has always been the heart of the show. It was the most meaningful relationship. As such, the entire narrative combusted when Olympia discovered Matty's deceit. She forced a confrontation. Everything remains tense. When Matty offers tricks of the trade, Olympia recalls the times in which Matty used them against her. Every prior moment falls under new scrutiny. Olympia wants the truth. She is relieved when she initially finds nothing in Julian's financials. She didn't set up the meeting to be alone in that environment either. Matty fears that is a possibility. It's an opportunity of circumstances. If trust was ever truly present, Matty has to believe Olympia will report back honestly about what she finds. That moment doesn't occur. Olympia discovers the missing documents in Julian's safety deposit box. And then, Julian enters. He shares the simple explanation for what he did. He was young and foolish. He was seeking his father's approval. That was always the basic understanding of the facts. It isn't more complicated than that. Julian pleads that he is a changed person. He kept the evidence because it reminded him of his guilt. He has so much to lose now. He begs Olympia not to destroy their family. He has stepped up for them. He is a better father than his ever was. Olympia has already won. She's better in every way. The scene is fraught because of the personal history between the two. Matty has her own motivation. She can't allow someone to get away with contributing to her daughter's death. That was a major consequence of what Julian did. He doesn't get to plead ignorance. Yet everything remains unresolved. How will everyone react? Matty wants to continue in the law. But Olympia is the one who gets to determine the outcome of Matty's mission. Big decisions will have to be made when the drama returns for Season 2. That will need to be resolved immediately as well in order to frame the stakes with a new sense of momentum for the future.
