Matlock is the latest classic show to get a reboot, but if you watched the premiere of the new CBS iteration, you’ll know it’s not just a remake. Spoiler alert for the first episode follows.
Maddie Matlock (Kathy Bates) impressed a law firm enough to hire her on the spot. She’s helping them with cases, but she’s got an agenda of her own. This law firm defended an opioid company that got off the pharmaceutical company that made the drugs her daughter overdosed on.
The Television Critics Association visited the set of Matlock this summer. One of the sets we saw was Julian (Jason Ritter)’s office. Julian is working for his father (Beau Bridges), but he’s one of Maddie’s suspects. Ritter showed off his desk toy which he reconfigures every episode. Matlock airs Sundays at 8pm ET/PT on CBS.
Are most of your scenes set in your office?
Jason Ritter: “It didn’t even come into play until maybe episode five or six so it was, first of all, it was fun to finally see what I’m into. Especially initially, more and more has been in my office, but initially, there’s a lot in the halls. The show is following Olympia and Maddie Matlock, so only when our paths intersect would be when you would see me. So, in the common area with the coffee, we had a lotta scenes in there or in the hallways or conference rooms. But it was very exciting to finally get into my very own office.”
Is there a reason your character is more welcoming to Maddie than others?
Jason Ritter: “I think he’s a bit more secure, but I also think he doesn’t see her as a threat at all. And he doesn’t have to deal with her. The fact that he’s a bit annoying to his ex-wife, I think, is kind of fun for him. He’s like wow, you’ve got to deal with her. She’s fun for me. She’s making jokes. I’m not having to deal with her on a regular basis, but Maddie’s and Julian’s relationship unfolds in a very surprising way over the course of the season so far.
But yeah, I think initially it’s not his problem. He thinks she’s funny. He thinks it’s kind of incredible that she came in here. I think Olympia has worked so hard to get to this firm that the idea that this lady can just walk in and be a part of it is a little annoying to her. She’s like, ‘I worked hard to get here.'”
You’ve got a photo of a boat. Does sailing come into play later?
Jason Ritter: “I did think about that when I walked in. I also saw that there are some elements that remind me of things that are in my father’s office, and I thought that was interesting because he has a complicated relationship with how much he wants to emulate his father or not. I think he thinks his father is an incredible lawyer but maybe not a very good person. So, it’s interesting that maybe he’s trying to show potential clients that would be in his office, ‘Oh yeah, we’re into the same stuff.’ These are status things to try to convince clients, ‘Oh, I live this fancy life with boats and cars, so you should feel secure with me here.’ It felt like when I walked in here, there’s a lot of showmanship and a lot of tactical moves. And then there’s stuff just for me.”
Did you customize anything?
Jason Ritter: “I did not. My main thing is that I change this [desk toy] around a lot. I did this this morning. It’s supposed to be a fish, but it didn’t stand up by itself. So, when you guys see this in an episode, you’ll know that was the day you were here.”
You do it once a day?
Jason Ritter: “Once an episode, otherwise I’m in big trouble.”
Did you call Erika Christensen when you found out you were playing a lawyer?
Jason Ritter: “I did not. I should have. I absolutely should and get some tips. She’s so awesome.”
Were courtroom scenes a certain kind of performance you had to adjust to?
Jason Ritter: “Oh yeah, absolutely. I think there is a performative element of lawyering and it’s just that the stakes can be higher. It’s also the fascinating thing about it for me is that generally, in your life, your truth is your truth, and you kind of lie or you don’t, I guess. As a lawyer, your client’s truth is the truth, and you are trying to put that truth into the jury’s minds. It’s just funny to have a truth with ulterior motives where you don’t just go, ‘Oh, some evidence came up. Seems like maybe I’m lying. I give up. There’s only one truth.’ You go, ‘No, no, no, that somehow is not true or not relevant or not allowed to be in court.’ So, it’s a whole different moral set where you’re just fighting for your side no matter what, which is interesting.”
Maddie puts you on her murder board at the end of the pilot. What did you ask the series creator Jennie Snyder Urman when you realized you were a suspect?
Jason Ritter: “I think Skye (P. Marshall), Beau, and I were all a bit nervous. What does this mean? I’ve sort of been along for the ride of it and I also, talking about having it be part of your profession to have a tenuous relationship with the truth, it’s sort of fun to go if any of these characters have anything to do with it, you will not be able to tell because they have their truth all the time and the stakes are always high for them. They’re constantly trying to give you the reality that they want you to believe, so it’s within their wheelhouse to be incredibly good liars, I would say. It’s fun, too, as the episodes come out and as the mystery unfolds, and it’s unfolding faster than I would have thought. It’s very exciting. There’s lots of forward momentum with the whole mystery of it. It’s more and more exciting because I actually still don’t know.”
What keeps your character invested in this firm?
Jason Ritter: “I think that one of the things that Julian had implanted in his brain growing up was if you’re not making a lot of money, who are you? What are you? So, there’s a drive, an unconscious drive. I think that’s one of the things that helps him represent these pharmaceutical companies against vulnerable clients on the other side is, ‘I’m making this money for my family. It’s for my daughters. It doesn’t matter. Anything else is morally not my business. This is just my job.’
But I also think it’s complicated because I think he does have a lot of moral judgments against his father. I don’t think he thinks his father was a good dad or a good husband. He thinks he’s a good lawyer so, yeah, so there’s a lot of money stuff going on. And then, even though he has a very difficult relationship with his dad and he doesn’t particularly like his dad or want to hang around with his dad for an afternoon, I think there’s a part of him, like there is with a lot of people with complicated parents, that there’s still a part of you that wants that person to go, ‘I’m proud of you. You did a great job.’
Whether or not Julian will ever get that is up to interpretation. It’s fun to have that never-ending carrot thing in front of him that he may never get but just this drive to fill this hole in his heart.”
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