Matlock Recap: Minds Playing Tricks

"This can be exhausting at times. But "Mousetrap," this week's episode, makes a convincing case for reminders and repetition. What if we cite the same bullet points over and over not just because some people might be hearing them for the first time? What if we do it because we're trying to turn them into conventional wisdom? If we tell the same story often enough to the people around us, it can become our shared reality."

"Our latest client, Daniel Pearson (Keyon Bowman), is in prison for pushing his abusive foster father Clarence down the stairs. Jacobson Moore is trying to get Daniel's sentence reduced, citing extenuating circumstances. The state notes Daniel's history of violence, pointing to an incident at a strip club in which he assaulted a dancer. But Daniel doesn't recall this at all, and Olympia's team - aided by Julian - intends to argue that we as humans often bury our most uncomfortable memories."

"Even though it probably doesn't have to, Matlock follows this same model, repeating its Story So Far over and over, almost on a loop. Each week, in both the "previously on" intros and in the main body of the episode, we get Matty talking yet again about holding Jacobson Moore and Wellbrexa responsible for the death of her daughter, and Olympia talking yet again about how true justice will mean bringing down Senior and not Julian. And so on and so on."

Television series and comic books often repeated premises each episode since audiences could be unaware of prior chapters. Matlock restates its Story So Far, cycling Matty's insistence that Jacobson Moore and Wellbrexa caused her daughter's death and Olympia's insistence that true justice targets Senior, not Julian. The episode "Mousetrap" makes a case for reminders and repetition as a way to create conventional wisdom and shared reality. The case centers on Daniel Pearson, imprisoned for pushing his abusive foster father down stairs. Jacobson Moore seeks a reduced sentence, while the state cites Daniel's violent past. Olympia's team plans to argue that humans often bury or reshape uncomfortable memories.

Read at Vulture