While the team is tasked with protecting a witness, Matty and Olympia square off over the Wellbrexa document. Also, Matty and Edwin contemplate whether or not to help Alfie's father.
The back-and-forth over who controls the Wellbrexa document is already exhausting. It's the damning piece of evidence that proves Matty's entire case against Jacobson Moore. She's ready to expose the firm now. Edwin keeps talking about her last day at work. The pair imagine returning to their lives in San Francisco. That's not happening. Expectations are flipped. It's crucial for the show to offer this twist. A reason had to be given as to why Matty would remain at the firm in her secret identity. That's the entire premise of the show. Drama was created around the document to dictate the story in the first two episodes of the season. Olympia found it in Julian's safety deposit box. She stored it in a newly installed safe in her home. Matty discovered it and replaced it with a pile of blank pages. Olympia immediately clocks that her closet has been tampered with. She informs Matty that what she currently has is fake. It was generated by artificial intelligence. Olympia is keeping her true leverage somewhere else. She must maintain her hold over the document to protect her family. She can't trust Matty's word. She has been betrayed too many times. All of this builds until Matty loses her temper and Olympia takes advantage. Now, she's the one dictating what happens next.
Matty and Olympia are reluctant allies in this endeavor. Their friendship meant something previously. Once the truth was exposed, everything unraveled. Matty committed many crimes and deceived numerous people to obtain her objective. She didn't care who was getting hurt in the process. She idolized her friendship with Olympia. Meanwhile, her boss was paranoid about the world around her. She couldn't trust anyone. That reality was only briefly seen. It's hugely influential. It informs why Olympia makes her decisions now. She problem solves expertly. She can't trust Julian to play his role in this scheme. He simply must do whatever she orders. He lashes out when Billy wants to talk about apartments. They are peers now. That's what the demotion has done to his standing in the firm. He doesn't want that. That's the fate he must accept. Olympia wields all the power. She has a limited amount of leverage against Matty. To prevail in their battle of the wits, she must disarm her opponent. That's what Matty is now. Olympia is victorious. All of that may change at any moment. However, it crucially showcases the true cost of the narrative. Matty plans for the future but she still must reckon with the consequences of her past actions.
The novelty of the Matlock name comes into focus once more. Matty appears before a judge who is a huge fan of the show. He calls Matty out when she makes mistakes with her references. He also inspires her to rise to the occasion when a change of circumstances occurs. The firm must defend their client without relying on her testimony to prove duress. Everyone fears for their safety. Matty puts a witness on the stand whose refusal to answer any questions is meant to convey his fear. That tactic isn't enough. And so, Matty must use her charm to get under the skin of the true criminal mastermind behind this scheme. She needs to provoke an outburst on the stand to get the result she wants. She succeeds. But again, she isn't the hero of this story. Olympia came up with the plan and had to manipulate Matty in order to implement it. She could have nurtured her as the mentor with more experience. Olympia is grateful when Sarah comes to her with an issue. She handles it immediately. That honesty is required to build trust. Olympia can't be upfront with anything when it comes to Matty. That's how she plays things in the episodic case as well as the larger storyline against the firm.
Matty and Edwin accounted for some deception from Olympia. They knew she would try to appease Edwin when he had to supervise her trip to retrieve the document. She even plays to his need to be considered. Matty typically makes all the decisions. Alfie knows that. That's why he doesn't blame his grandfather when they refuse to help Joey. They eventually change their minds. They do so believing that Alfie must experience the pain of addiction firsthand. Matty and Edwin know all too well how fleeting hope may be. A person has to be willing to seek help. Joey finds excuses to get high. That's how he came to his first meeting with his son. That's not good enough. Everyone hopes he will get better. Matty and Edwin can't wait for that to happen. They are making plans with or without him. Alfie's invested. That's why they take action. They are also at the complete mercy of Olympia. Matty felt untouchable. She's incredibly vulnerable. Olympia still wants the same overall goal. Senior's crimes need to be exposed. Matty brought them to her attention. She is no longer the one setting expectations and demands. Olympia wields that power in every aspect of her life now. It feels good. The volatility is sure to remain a constant factor in the proceedings though.
