This episode is typical. A murder takes place, possible suspects are interviewed, suspicion is spread to 3 other people, first witness has flaws in his story, Matlock digs deeper to find more clues, and finally finds evidence to exonerate his defendant. I did notice one flaw though. The last meeting between Matlock and his client took place in the jail. For some reason the client was wearing a nice sweater and sport coat. It is obvious that prisoners don't dress this way and have to conform to standard issue clothes.
3 Reviews
Another goof
jj509920 November 2017
The first obvious goof is at the very beginning of the episode before the title and actors listed. When Richard Kline is talking to the umpire discussing a pinch-hitter, he is obviously standing on second base, because the umpire is standing behind him. If the ensuing sacrifice fly happened which would have resulted in the blown call at home plate, Kline would obviously have been standing at third base waiting to tag up. (Yes, I know, in some extreme cases on a very deep fly to center field, runners have been known to take 2 bases, but that is rare). If he would have been on third base, the umpire would not have been standing where it was shown, but standing either in foul territory, or straddling the line.
contains sloppy mistakes (***spoiler alert***)
mttiro24 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This episode of Matlock does not live up to the usual standards of other episodes. Specifically, the research is seriously lacking. The beginning of the episode depicts a fast-pitch softball game between 2 teams in a community softball league. There are major problems with how the game and the behavior of the players are portrayed.
First, the players on the team in the field, and especially the pitcher, are constantly yelling at the umpire about his strike zone. In a real game that would never be allowed. Anyone who argued about the strike zone would be quickly ejected, and the players would know that from previous game experience.
Second, after Matlock decides to take the case, when he first visits his client Charlie in jail, and Charlie is telling Matlock what happened in the game that led to the murder, Charlie says, "Well, it was the top of the 8th, and . . . ." Then later, at the end of the episode, Matlock asks Charlie to review his memory again, and Charlie says, "OK, it was the bottom of the 9th, and . . . ." So the entire episode is based on the premise that the game lasted for 9 innings. But softball games last for only 7 innings, not 9. It would not have been difficult to write that fact into the script so viewers could've easily understood that.
Third, and finally, the murderer is caught, in part, because the runner at the end of the game slid into the umpire and cut the umpire's leg with the steel spikes the runner was wearing. But every umpire in a fast-pitch softball game would be wearing steel-toed shoes and heavy- duty shin guards, and he also would not have been close enough to the plate to have been spiked by a sliding runner. IOW, the entire basis for Matlock's final courtroom "gotcha" moment is completely unrealistic. In a real game, things would never have happened that way.
I regret to say that these mistakes render this episode of Matlock very sloppy, very unprofessional, and not at all believable.
First, the players on the team in the field, and especially the pitcher, are constantly yelling at the umpire about his strike zone. In a real game that would never be allowed. Anyone who argued about the strike zone would be quickly ejected, and the players would know that from previous game experience.
Second, after Matlock decides to take the case, when he first visits his client Charlie in jail, and Charlie is telling Matlock what happened in the game that led to the murder, Charlie says, "Well, it was the top of the 8th, and . . . ." Then later, at the end of the episode, Matlock asks Charlie to review his memory again, and Charlie says, "OK, it was the bottom of the 9th, and . . . ." So the entire episode is based on the premise that the game lasted for 9 innings. But softball games last for only 7 innings, not 9. It would not have been difficult to write that fact into the script so viewers could've easily understood that.
Third, and finally, the murderer is caught, in part, because the runner at the end of the game slid into the umpire and cut the umpire's leg with the steel spikes the runner was wearing. But every umpire in a fast-pitch softball game would be wearing steel-toed shoes and heavy- duty shin guards, and he also would not have been close enough to the plate to have been spiked by a sliding runner. IOW, the entire basis for Matlock's final courtroom "gotcha" moment is completely unrealistic. In a real game, things would never have happened that way.
I regret to say that these mistakes render this episode of Matlock very sloppy, very unprofessional, and not at all believable.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews