Matlock: The Second Season – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews

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Matlock is the only mystery show that lowers blood pressure. Every other crime-solving TV show applies the heat to create dramatic tension. They amp up the music, overplay the sound effects and edit the action moments to startle. Thats not how things are down in Atlanta. Ben Matlock (Andy Griffith) allowed his cases to naturally unravel to expose the truth. This is a Southern drama with its causal courtroom nature. Nothing gets too hectic. Even the murders and fights have a leisurely pace. Perhaps this is the secret to why senior citizens are addicted to Matlock. They can enjoy a good crime yarn without being visually victimized. Plus theres the classic charm of Andy Griffith keeping the peace as he practices the law.

Matlock: The Second Season does mix it up with a cast change which might be confusing. “The Billionaire” brings Matlock to England for a murder trial. You might wonder how can a lawyer from Atlanta practice law across the pond. The solution is that hes not being a real lawyer. The wealthy family has hired him to be the defense lawyer in a mock trial. The real lawyer must observe the greatest American legal mind since Perry Mason. Matlock pokes around the suspects that include David McCallum (Man From U.N.C.L.E.), Greg Evigan (BJ and the Bear) and Bruce Greenwood (Exotica). He uncovers Michelle Thomas (Nancy Stafford). Shes a lawyer on vacation in London. She proves a mighty help on the case. His daughter Charlene has gone off to Philadelphia so he hires Michelle as his legal partner. Matlock also brings on Cassie Phillips (Kari Lizer) as a file clerk. He wants plenty of sweet peaches in his Georgia law firm. Tyler Hudson (Kene Holliday) is back as his private investigator.

Michelle Thomas brings her own troubles in “Blind Justice.” Turns out a college friend (Kathleen Lloyd) is arrested for murdering her abusive boyfriend. Matlock decides that the real suspect of the case is a blind guy (M*A*S*H*s David Ogden Stiers). Leave to Matlock to prove that hes handicapable of homicide. Why shouldnt people with vision problems get to murder?

“The Annihilator” is the must see episode this season. Why? ‘Cause Dick Butkus stars as a masked wrestler who gets busted for killing his ring rival. Cassie begs her boss to take the case. Shes a big fan of pro-wrestling. Did her idol really lose it? Football Hall of Famer once more makes his case that he deserves enshrinement in the TV Hall of Fame. Legendary Los Angeles area sports announcer Chick Hearn calls the shots at the arena. For the curious, youll finally get to see who is Robert Downey Sr. The only disappointment of the episode is a lack of major cameos from wrestlers. Atlanta in 1987 was a hot bed of pro wrestling action, but Matlock was really shot in Los Angeles this season.

“The Gigolo” exposes the dirty world of organized dance lessons. An instructor gets cuffed for the murder of his lovers husband. Was this a penalties for blowing the Tango? The case gets complicated because it turns out the dance instructor was a slut with his students. Whats wrong with making sure they understand the importance of hip motion? Can Matlock waltz this ballroom gigolo away from learning the Death Row Two-Step? Matlock also proves to be a bit of a stud when he gets the female D.A. (Julie Sommars) to move into his house. Its a chaste arrangement, but she cant help but dream of stripping Matlocks legal briefs.

“The Hucksters” has a TV infomercial king murdered. What dissatisfied customer could have wanted to snuff the guy who can make you rich off real estate? Who would have poisoned the guy while he was making his greatest infomercial? Matlock is hired to prove that a ripped off customer wasnt out to make a killing in the fountain of youth cream racket. Matlock believes the real killer is one of the infomercial kings investors. Hopefully nobody will ever use this episode to plot the demise of Billy Mays. Whats interesting about this episode is they shot three endings to make all the suspects look like the real killer.

Matlock: The Second Season takes the series away from the family law dynamic. The inclusion of two women in the office allows him to be a player. He doesnt have that nagging daughter to keep him from flirting with the D.A. The calm pacing of the show allows us to remember that not all violent crimes are harsh on the eyes and ears. Southern justice can be therapeutic.

The Episodes
“The Billionaire” (two-parter), “Blind Justice,” “The Annihilator,” “The Husband,” “The Power Brokers” (two-parter), “The Network,” “The Best Friend,” “The Country Boy,” “The Gift,” “The Gambler,” “The Body,” “The Reunion,” “The Gigolo,” “The Umpire,” “The Investigation” (two-parter), “The Hucksters,” “The Lovelorn,” “The Genius,” “The Magician,” “The Fisherman” and “The Heiress.”


The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The image quality is hampered by the fact that while the show was shot on film, they did all the post production on video. Its not nearly as sharp as Matlocks legal wits. The audio is Dolby Digital Stereo. You can hear the click when Matlock solves a case.

Alternate Ending to “The Hucksters” (7:15) has gives the three editing options. Amazing with just two small shots, we can see Jane Barnes, Don Ridgely and Stephen Spector named as the guilty party in the courtroom finale.

Matlock: The Second Season is easy to please Abe Simpson. The cases keep you entertained without going out of control. They werent trying to top Miami Vice in editing and action. Matlock is a cool glass of Iced Tea served in the jury box.

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CBS DVD presents Matlock: The Second Season. Starring Andy Griffith, Kene Holliday, Nancy Stafford & Kari Lizer. Boxset Contents: 23 episodes on 6 DVDs. Originally Broadcasted:Sept. 22, 1987 – May 3, 1988. Released on DVD: January 13, 2009. Available at Amazon

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.