This article contains discussions of drug addiction and overdose.

SPOILERS ahead for Matlock episode 12, "This Is That Moment."

There have been several heartbreaking moments in the first season of Matlock’s season 2 renewal confirmed, the latest revelation could have consequences that linger in the background for some time to come.

From the very first episode, the Matlock reboot has followed its own storyline independent of the original series. But while Matty’s search for who buried documents that could have prevented the opioid epidemic is central to the show, the subplot of her grandson Alfie struggling to deal with the loss of a mother he never completely met hasn’t involved Alfie himself as much as it arguably should. As of the episode “This Is That Moment,” the lack of attention to his character feels more problematic than ever.

Matlock Episode 12 Suggests Matty Played A Role In Ellie’s Fatal Relapse

Fighting Ellie For Alfie’s Custody May Have Led To Ellie’s Death

While Matlock episode 12 does further Matty’s revenge plan a little bit, the larger focus of the episode is on Matty’s past. When Olympia takes on a client in the middle of a contentious custody battle, it’s revealed that Matty took Ellie to court before her death to wrest away sole custody of Alfie. The judge rules in Matty’s favor when Ellie fails to show up for the ruling, and Edwin soon receives a phone call to inform him that Ellie missed court because she ed away from an overdose.

A lot of things can trigger an addict, so it wouldn’t be fair to say that the custody battle directly caused Ellie’s relapse. Nonetheless, Edwin its that he sometimes blames Matty for Ellie’s death. Based on the way Matty pressures Edwin into saying it out loud, it seems that she blames herself quite a bit as well. Ellie only had a month clean at the time of her relapse, but she was taking her recovery more seriously this time after her last drug use led to Alfie getting injured. She only relapsed when it seemed certain she’d lose him.

Matlock Episode 12’s Ellie Reveal Makes Alfie’s Absence Especially Strange

Alfie Had Multiple Reasons To Appear In This Episode

Aside from one appearance as an 18-month-old toward the end of the last flashback scene, Alfie doesn’t appear once in Matlock episode 12. And since Alfie was too young at the time of Ellie’s death to really her, it’s likely that he doesn’t even know about the custody battle. His concerns in episode 5 that Ellie chose drugs because she didn’t love him enough make it clear that he at least doesn’t know how desperately she begged Matty not to take him.

And the custody battle isn’t the only reason Alfie could have been relevant to the plot. Episode 12 also progresses the subplot regarding the mystery of Alfie’s father, and Matty’s ruse to track Julian’s security card usage feels like the kind of tech-savvy idea that Alfie might suggest. But the custody issue definitely raises the biggest flag. It's discomforting to learn that Matty and Edwin are keeping such a huge secret from Alfie without actually seeing them communicate. If we can’t see them experiencing visible guilt or anxiety during their interactions with him, it makes their secrecy feel even worse.

Why The Latest Ellie Twist Makes Alfie’s Role On Matlock Problematic

He Never Should Have Been Assisting Matty’s Investigation

Alfie is far from alone in his fear that Ellie chose drugs because he wasn’t lovable. A lot of real-life addicts’ children struggle with that same fear, and even those who eventually reconnected with their parents sometimes wrestle with those thoughts for decades afterward. Matty has the chance to give Alfie the reassurance he yearns for at any time, but she’s actively denying him the knowledge that Ellie fought for him until the day of the ruling. And there’s currently no indication as to whether she’ll come clean before Matlock’s season 1 finale.

It’s not like Matty’s position on custody was indefensible. She offered Ellie daily visitation with plans to give full custody back if Ellie stayed clean for a year. And Matty’s occasional use of 12-step terminology in Matlock suggests she’s likely been to Nar-Anon or at least read some recovery literature, so she’d understand that an addict’s family is never at fault for their relapse. But by involving Alfie in her investigation, she’s surrounding him with constant reminders of his mother’s death. If she’s going to put him in that position, she could at least give him the full story.

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