Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Matlock Episode 15.There’s a light at the end of Matty’s (Kathy Bates) Wellbrexa investigation on Matlock, but there’s still a lot of darkness to get through before she’s truly on the other side. Discovering that Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) was the one responsible for stealing the missing documents wounds Matty more than anyone expected.

Our intrepid lawyer is mourning the loss of a true friendship at the top of Thursday’s episode and has to figure out how to put on a “Game Face” to look Olympia in the eye every day at work. That’s more difficult than she can imagine, as the Slamm’d case hits a critical juncture that could jeopardize Olympia’s chances at making partner. Matty manages to make it through, and the hiccups she encounters actually lead to important breakthroughs in her relationship with her sister. She and Edwin (Sam Anderson) are also able to track down the Redditor who originally put them on Jacobson Moore’s trail, which is the key to them blowing this entire case wide open.

The Slamm’d Case Takes a Critical Turn in ‘Matlock’ Episode 15

The previous plaintiff, Tucker, takes a settlement from the drink company, but Olympia surprises Matty with the news that the judge has ruled in their favor and they can continue without a named plaintiff. That means the case isn’t dead, but the team needs to figure out who to put in Tucker’s place, even if it isn’t official. Olympia suggests hinging the case on Violet Reed, the sorority girl who died after her drink was spiked with Slamm’d. Violet obviously couldn’t take the stand or join the lawsuit, but having her mother testify would make Violet a de facto plaintiff in the jury’s minds. It’s a Shae (Yael Grobglas)-approved idea.

Violet’s mother takes the stand and explains that Violet “took her health” into her own hands. In the face of her heart condition, Violet was conscientious about everything she put in her body. Matty realizes she left Violet’s medical records backing up that claim at home when she goes to submit them into evidence. She has to ask Olympia for a copy, which makes Olympia question if she can count on Matty to continue with this case. Meanwhile, Billy (David Del Rio) is able to track down the DJ of one of Slamm’d’s illegal high school marketing parties. The DJ gives Billy and Sarah (Leah Lewis) a box of swag from the party, including beta versions of the Slamm’d can. The team studies the beta can and realizes the warning label has changed. Shae suggests there should be a study supporting why they changed that language, but there isn’t, which implies that the drink company hid documents from discovery.

The team is close to a win because Slamm’d offers Senior (Beau Bridges) a deal that will allow the firm to break even on the money Olympia spent on the case. He’s more concerned about the profit margin than letting Olympia continue with the trial, so he tries to strong-arm her into the deal with the implication that if she doesn’t take it, it’ll sink her chances at making partner. Olympia doesn’t lay down for anyone, though, and decides to use every minute of her 24-hour window to try and lock in a winning case. Billy manages to connect the DJ’s payment to a marketing firm employed by Slamm’d.

Olympia also attempts to use the paper trail to get a summary judgment from the judge. Instead, the judge forces Slamm’d to turn over every requested Vista Point document, creating a wall of chaos in the Jacobson Moore office. To make matters worse, Matty snaps that omitting the documents isn’t an “oversight” and Olympia sends her home for being too negative. Shae helps sift through the giant pile of documents and finds a focus study for a sports drink made by the Slamm’d parent company in which the focus group polled 14-year-olds on the mascot seen on the beta cans of the drink. Olympia takes it to court and is so convincing that the drink company settles for $40 million.

Matty and Bitsy Have a Breakthrough in ‘Matlock’ Episode 15

At home, Bitsy (Julie Hagerty) informs Matty that Alfie (Aaron Harris) has a crush on a girl named Molly. Bitsy helps him make a cupcake to ask Molly to a school dance, and he asks for pointers on his wardrobe for the event. Matty is thrilled to see Alfie finding something to look forward to at school and that he trusts Bitsy, as Ellie had also trusted her aunt. Their truce is short-lived, though, because Bitsy goes to the courthouse when Matty forgets the medical records for the Slamm’d case. She walks into the trial just in time to hear Matty tell the jury about her cheating ex-husband. Bitsy offers to stay long enough to get Alfie through his dance, but then she intends to leave because she doesn’t want to stay in a house where her sister clearly thinks she’s a joke.

Kathy Bates once again proves why she’s an Academy Award-winning actress when Matty gets down on her knees to ask Bitsy for forgiveness. She didn’t mean to make her sound like a joke; she’s just been using Bitsy’s personality because her sister is more likeable. When Bitsy forgives her, Matty confides that she’s absolutely heartbroken about losing Olympia as a friend. Bitsy is right there to console her and says that Matty doesn’t necessarily have to give up being a lawyer once the Wellbrexa case is finished. The makeup works so well that Matty also asks Bitsy to be Alfie’s guardian if anything ever happens to her and Edwin. Bitsy immediately hugs her sister and accepts the heartfelt offer.

The Wellbrexa Investigation Hits a Turning Point in ‘Matlock’ Episode 15

Now that Matty and the Kingstons know who hid the Wellbrexa documents, they’re ready to reach out to the Redditor who clued them in on the case in the first place. They can’t get an identity on the mystery informant, but a phishing link allows Edwin to see that they work at Jacobson Moore. He and Matty cross-reference the employee list to find who’s still at the firm after 14 years. They have a shortlist, and Matty adds Shae because she was consulting for Wellbrexa at the time, so she’d also have knowledge of the documents.

When the issue of the omitted study comes up in the Slamm’d case, Matty has Edwin go through the Wellbrexa files again to find out if there is a missing study. However, it’s Matty who eventually finds the label change about how consumers shouldn’t crush up the drug or else it would lead to a faster high because of quicker absorption by the bloodstream. There isn’t a study to go with the label change, so Matty concludes the missing documents worked as a “How To” guide for getting even higher.

She writes to the Redditor and emotionally appeals for them to come out of hiding, requesting that they arrive at the park at 6 PM while she watches from nearby. When the crowd clears, it’s Mrs. Balvin (Patricia Belcher) sitting on the bench. She’s the one who confirmed Jacobson Moore hid documents, and she’ll be a key piece in Matty taking the firm down.

Matlock continues Thursdays at 9 PM on CBS. Episodes are available the next day on Paramount+.