Warning: spoilers are ahead for the Christmas-themed fall finale of Matlock, called "Call It a Christmas Gift" and available streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription.
The fall run of Matlock has come to an end on CBS in the 2025 TV schedule, and the drama delivered some unexpected twists to tide fans over runtil Season 2 comes back in the 2026 TV schedule. Julian is becoming a player despite Matty and Olympia still thinking he's a pawn, Senior had a stroke and had yet to wake by the end of the episode, Matty got some valuable documents from Olympia, the team lost a case, and Sarah got some bad news from her boss.
A twist that wasn't unexpected was Matlock setting up the exit of David Del Rio as Billy after the actor was fired following allegations in the fall, but Leah Lewis absolutely crushed her performance as Sarah in the storyline to make it a lot more interesting.
How Matlock Wrote Out Billy
Showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman confirmed to Deadline ahead of "Call It a Christmas Gift" that fans had already seen the last of David Del Rio as Billy after his appearance in the previous episode. She said:
I’m not going to discuss details, but what I can talk about is in terms of the show. The last episode you see him is in 7, and then you find out how Billy’s story ends, which is in a very organic way that has to do with our whole office and how things are being shaped in this merger.
Unsurprisingly, the "very organic way" that his story ended in Episode 8 was via a storyline with Sarah, as Leah Lewis was David Del Rio's most frequent scene partner. Lewis basically had to sell a two-person storyline by herself, and she nailed it.
Sarah established early on that Billy was out of the office to take a personal day, as she was spinning out from guilt over betraying Olympia to take a picture of Julian's datebook for Senior.
She talked out her conundrum with his voicemail at first, before finally connecting late in the episode... right after she came clean to Olympia, and then was booted from the team for betraying her trust. Viewers heard Sarah's half of the conversation:
Billy, hi. So much to talk about. But first, how was your day? It was so weird not knowing what was happening with you. A miscarriage? Oh, no, no, no. Oh, I'm so sorry... I can imagine. Send her my love. Both of you. My day? Oh, it was fine. Nothing important to talk about. I'm just so sad that this happened.
Sarah slowly started to break down in tears during her one-sided conversation, while also managing to keep her voice steady enough not to alarm Billy on the other side of the call. For Leah Lewis, that meant crying in reaction to a scene partner who wasn't there, and it's possible that lines weren't even written for his half of the conversation.
The actress had a lot to deliver to tie up her storyline – and Billy's – in just a couple of minutes ahead of winter hiatus, and she pulled it off. Throw in what could have been a challenging time for Leah Lewis on set, and she might be my MVP of the episode.
Why David Del Rio Was Fired
As for why acting out the end of Billy's story might have been quite challenging for Leah Lewis, David Del Rio was fired from his series regular gig on Matlock following allegations of sexual assault from his costar. Immediate action was taken at the time, with the news breaking back in October. Production reportedly continued after Del Rio was escorted off set by producers, including executive producer Eric Christian Olsen of NCIS: LA fame.
Leah Lewis spoke up shortly after to share that she was "in good hands," and Season 2 premiered with Billy still in the mix at Jacobson Moore since filming was well underway by the time the allegations were investigated and he was fired. Now, Matlock has evidently run out of episodes featuring Del Rio, and it's possible that this mention of Billy will be the last that we hear from him.
What's Next For Sarah?
Olympia didn't explode at Sarah after the associate came clean about spying on Julian for Senior, but she also didn't think twice before informing Sarah that she was removing her from the team. Olympia simply said "Trust is important and you lost mine" to explain her decision, and that was that.
Her boss' decision leaves Sarah still employed at Jacobson Moore, but booted from the team that had meant so much to her. (With Billy gone and Sarah transferred, that team is currently comprised of Olympia and Matty.) If she's moved to a lesser position, I wouldn't be surprised if it was just a matter of weeks in the new year before she's back with Olympia and Matty. After all, Leah Lewis is a series regular, and it's hard to imagine the show continuing with her in the background.
I could imagine her staying prominent without Olympia taking her back if she's moved to another high-profile team, but there aren't many candidates. Senior was still hospitalized due to his stroke by the time the final credits rolled, and there are big questions about what Julian may be able to accomplish with his new information about his ex-wife and Matty.
Matlock has added two new recurring cast members for the back half of Season 2, including Parks and Recreation's Sarah Wright Olsen and Henry Haber, for whom Matlock could be his big break as his first network TV job. Olsen will play an efficiency expert on board to analyze Jacobson Moore, while Haber plays an associate from the floater pool who Jennie Snyder Urman described to Deadline as "a real bro."
Matlock will return to CBS on Thursday, February 26 at 9 p.m. ET, ahead of the return of Elsbeth. If you want to revisit earlier episodes over the weeks of hiatus, you can find the full series so far streaming on Paramount+.
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