After its impressive plot twist in the premiere, Matlock episode 2 will take a little while to arrive. The Kathy Bates-led Matlock quasi-reboot of the classic Andy Griffith mystery series was one of the most anticipated shows of 2024. The series stars Bates as Madeline Matlock, a retired lawyer who returns to regular practice to expose corruption at a high-powered law firm. It is only tangentially related to the original show, however, following the shock reveal at the end of its inaugural episode.
Matlock‘s cast including Jason Ritter and Bates helped generate buzz about the reboot, with the series debuting to high ratings. Its ingenious reveal should help maintain its popularity, as it gives the series a clear direction for the rest of the season. Understandably, there’s interest in knowing when the next episode of the new show is set to be released. That said, Matlock is not scheduled to air again for several weeks after its successful premiere. The longer wait is disappointing, but after it finally returns, it will settle into a more regular schedule.
Matlock Episode 2 Is Set To Air On October 17, 2024
There Is A Gap Of Almost A Month Between The Premiere And The Newest Episode
After CBS successfully debuted the Bates-led show, there will be a gap of nearly a month between the premiere and the next episode. In the final minutes of the episode, Matty reveals that she adopted the surname “Matlock” in honor of her favorite TV lawyer. In addition to that, she joined the law firm to expose their refusal to turn over documents about the opioid crisis that could have saved her daughter’s life.
This game-changing twist on Matlock was intended to make the audience eager to learn what happens next, but the series will not continue until October 17, 2024. Despite premiering on a Sunday, it will return on a Thursday, which will be its usual airing slot throughout the rest of the season. Although this delay is frustrating, the new episodes are expected to continue to build suspense around this subplot, making up for the long wait.
Why Is There A Big Gap Between Matlock’s Premiere & Episode 2
CBS Wanted To Create Early Excitement By Providing A Sneak Peek
Matlock’s trailer debuted 16 months after it was originally announced because of the writers’ and actors’ strikes during the summer and fall of 2023. Due to the work-stoppage, the series itself did not also premiere until September 2024, although it was intended to arrive a year earlier. Thus, CBS was eager to recapture the original buzz around the series when it finally premiered. It, therefore, offered an early sneak peek by releasing its first episode after 60 Minutes so that the large audience that tunes in weekly for the news magazine would keep the TV on to watch Matlock‘s pilot.
While it may seem counter-intuitive to have a long break after getting people excited, the sneak peek often whets the audience’s appetite for more of the show.
CBS often employs this strategy to get early buzz for new shows. It is similar to how networks air shows immediately after the Super Bowl to get more eyes on them. The trade-off, however, is that they may have a hiatus before moving the shows to their regular time slot. While it may seem counter-intuitive to have a long break after getting people excited, the sneak peek can effectively entice the audience to return for more of the show, which is what CBS hopes will happen in this case.
When Will Matlock & The Rest Of Season 1 Air?
CBS will re-broadcast the premiere episode of Matlock on October 10, a week before new episodes begin. The following week, it will start airing new episodes. Matlock will air on Thursdays from that point forward. Depending on its performance during the point, it will maintain that schedule beyond season 1 — assuming it gets renewed. Subsequently, the latest episode will be available to Paramount+ subscribers on Fridays, giving the audience two different ways to watch the contemporary show. From there, it will air new episodes every week, except scheduled breaks for the network.
Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers will be able to watch
Matlock
live via Paramount+ on Thursday nights.
Networks tend to take a short hiatus around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since Matlock airs on Thursdays, it will not air a new episode on Thanksgiving, which always falls on that day. Additionally, shows often take a midseason hiatus around December through mid-January or early February, after which they air episodes until May, with very few disruptions. It’s worth noting that CBS also usually typically stops their regular programming during mid-March as they pave the way for the live coverage of the March Madness basketball tournament. How this will impact Matlock is yet to be seen, however.