With CBS Skipping A New Episode Of Matlock This Week, Will A Major Character Be Gone For Good Soon?

Matlock was making headlines for Season 2 even before it premiered in the 2025 TV schedule, and not for a good reason. Series regular David Del Rio, who played Billy in the first season, was fired following sexual assault allegations and an investigation from co-star Leah Lewis. The show was already well into filming the second season at the time, so Billy has been part of the episodes so far this fall. That said, CBS' schedule starting on November 20 has me wondering if last week's episode was the last time that viewers will see Billy.

CBS Is Skipping Matlock

CBS usually has a solid Thursday night block in primetime, with Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, Ghosts, Matlock, and then finally Elsbeth. Three of those four will air new episodes on November 20, but Elsbeth is taking over the 9 p.m. ET time slot with a new installment, and then a rerun of the Elsbeth Season 3 premiere with Stephen Colbert will run in the 10 p.m. ET time slot. So, where's Matlock?

The network hasn't confirmed a reason why Kathy Bates and Co. won't be back in primetime alongside Carrie Preston and Co. on November 20, and it's possible that the two shows just won't have the same number of episodes this season and the long-term plan is for them to end at the same time in the spring 2026 TV schedule. Matlock Season 1 only ran for 19 episodes, compared to Elsbeth Season 2's 20 episodes, so there's precedent.

But I can't help but wonder if there's more to the break between the last new episode on November 13 and the next new episode on December 2 after the Thanksgiving break.

Is The Week Off Because Of Billy?

Filming reportedly continued on Matlock even after David Del Rio was escorted off set in October, but the plan prior to the investigation presumably hadn't been for Billy to suddenly disappear from the series. Matlock taking an extra week off this fall makes me wonder if it's because of the show taking the extra time to recover the story from Del Rio's sudden exit and plan how to write Billy out.

Back in October, CBS confirmed to TV Insider that Billy would be written off after the pre-planned hiatus stretching from late October to November; could the late November break now be due to the big cast change that's on the way? At the time, it was reported that Billy will be gone when the show returns for a midseason premiere in 2026 on Thursday, February 26.

The late February return date is likely due to the Olympics coming to NBC for the first few weeks of the month, as networks generally air special programming or reruns during the Summer and Winter Olympics. But could David Del Rio's final episode have already aired on November 13, unbeknownst to viewers, and Billy will be gone for good by the next new episode in December before the winter break?

No promo for the next new episode aired at the end of the last episode on November 13, so it's really all speculation at this point. For now, you can look forward to the next case for Matty, Olympia, and the rest when Matlock is back on Thursday, December 4 in its usual 9 p.m. ET time slot ahead of Elsbeth. You can also revisit early episodes during the couple weeks off with a Paramount+ subscription.