After Madeline (Kathy Bates) promised not to involve Alfie (Aaron Harris) as much, Matlock episode 5 sees her task Edwin (Sam Anderson) with going to a repair shop to see if they can use Olympia’s (Skye P. Marshall) computer. He needs to get her original emails so that Madeline can see the attachments. But the only way they can see them is if Olympia sends the emails again.
Since that is unlikely, Madeline has to get access to Jacobson Moore’s internal computer server. Mrs. Belvin (Patricia Belcher) previously said that they keep back-ups of their emails.
How will Madeline get access to the company’s emails? Will Edwin be as much help as Alfie? Here’s what else happens in Matlock episode 5, “Claws.”
Olympia’s prison case falls apart
Olympia and Madeline are working a case for Katya Novik (Andra Nechita), who’s suing the prison system after she was repeatedly assaulted by prison guards. They go over Katya’s testimony with her, but Madeline can instantly see that Katya is high and tells Olympia they can’t have her as the main witness. They ask Katya is using, which she admits to because she had a bad day. She insists she’ll be sober for the trial.
Madeline convinces Olympia they need a new lead plaintiff. However, not only are the other three witnesses not as strong as Katya, but they all turn down the chance to be a lead witness, as they’re scared of the guards. Madeline believes someone from the prison got to Katya and made her relapse.
Madeline asks one of the workers at the nail salon if she can see the security footage, so she can figure out if a guard gave Katya drugs that made her relapse.
Katya then goes AWOL. A struggling Madeline has to call Edwin for support, because she sees so many similarities between Katya and her daughter, Ellie. Later, Edwin breaks down in tears over his own struggles with addiction. Eventually, Madeline finds a stoned Katya at a dilapidated house, where a regretful Katya asks Madeline for help.
Madeline takes Katya to the office. But when Katya makes a bee-line for Olympia, who is talking to the lawyer for the prison about a settlement, she openly admits she has relapsed. Seeing Olympia’s star-witness is once again taking drugs, the opposing lawyer decides to take the case to trial.
Olympia shouts at Madeline for bringing Katya to the office, but Madeline yells back at her for not treating Katya like a human being.
Madeline annoys Sarah and Billy
Elsewhere, Madeline asks Olympia why she only looks at Billy (David Del Rio) and Sarah (Leah Lewis) as a unit, rather than as individuals. Olympia then puts Madeline in charge of Billy and Sarah.
Sarah is peeved that Olympia is prioritizing Madeline. When she sees them talking, she even tells Billy that they’re merging together as one. Later, Billy and Sarah get upset at Madeline. She didn’t call or use them for help, even though Olympia told her to. Now even Billy doesn’t trust Madeline.
Madeline apologizes to Sarah and Billy, saying she forgot to call them because Alfie’s school called her up and threatened to suspend him. When she guesses that an irritable customer might have been responsible for Katya relapsing, she allows Billy and Sarah to tell Olympia so they can get back in her good books.
Who triggered Katya?
When Olympia finally sees the security footage of the mean customer who Katya served that day that led to her relapsing, she instantly recognizes it was Warden Caruso (Kerry Cahill), recognizing Caruso’s birthmark on her hand.
On the stand, Olympia plays the security footage, saying Caruso purposefully triggered Katya. Caruso says she wanted the money to go back into the system where it could go into drug rehabilitation programs, instead of paying it to one drug addict. Olympia says Katya deserves more dignity and respect than that.
The court decides the prison will pay each of the witnesses $2 million. Olympia thanks Billy and Sarah individually. Katya agrees to go to rehab after Olympia secures a bed for her.
Later, Alfie asks Madeline why Ellie couldn’t stop doing drugs. Madeline says she did stop many, many times. Alfie says he blames himself. But Madeline explains her mother, who was a drunk, and Ellie were always battling against not being triggered.
Getting closer
Julian (Jason Ritter) tells OIympia their neighbor wants to buy their brownstone house for 20% over the market price. But Olympia doesn’t want to move right now, scared that losing the house could impact their family dynamic. Julian promises that will never change.
Sarah shows Billy her dating profile, which he is left unimpressed by. Sarah strikes up an interest in Kira (Piper Curda), the IT worker who is fixing Madeline’s computer. Madeline learns that if she gets hold of Kira’s computer, she has access to every email in the firm.
Madeline takes Sarah to meet Kira for lunch, where she “accidentally” drops her pills. While picking up the pills, Madeline asks Kira to answer her phone for her. This gets Madeline Kira’s fingerprint, which she’ll be able to use to get access to the servers.
Billy also makes Madeline a dating profile. At dinner, Madeleine gets a message from the dating profile. The opening line though is, “Madeline Kingston is that you? I can’t believe it.” Someone has recognized her true identity, and if Billy finds out then Madeline’s whole plan to infiltrate Jacobson Moore and avenge her daughter’s death is in jeopardy.
New episodes of Matlock premiere Thursdays on CBS, then are available to stream on-demand on Paramount Plus the next day.
