Despite the fact that it simply premiered, Matlock season 2 is already dealing with an surprising however monumental problem. It was reported that Matlock actor David Del Rio was fired over alleged sexual assault allegations, a surprising flip of occasions and unhealthy information just some days earlier than the premiere of the hit present’s sophomore season. The allegations, in fact, are all alleged till confirmed in any other case, but when true, CBS and Matlock‘s executives did the correct factor by performing shortly and decisively.
Provided that what they uncovered of their inside investigation was apparently critical sufficient to escort him off the premises the identical day the report was filed, CBS and Matlock execs were left with no other choice than to fire Del Rio. Regardless, it now places Matlock season 2 in an enormous bind—one which will negatively influence the present shifting ahead, relying on the way it’s dealt with.
David Del Rio’s Abrupt Midseason Exit Leaves The Matlock Writers Scrambling
The difficulty is that David Del Rio wasn’t merely a visitor star or minor supporting character on the present. Billy Martinez is likely one of the junior affiliate trifecta, together with Sarah (Leah Lewis) and Matty (Kathy Bates), and he is been integral to a number of storylines on the Jacobson Moore legislation agency.
The Matlock season 2 premiere, which was shot properly earlier than the allegations towards Del Rio and his firing, simply made it much more troublesome to write down his character out gracefully. Billy had a serious subplot through which he wasn’t certain whether or not he was the daddy of his ex, Claudia’s (Bella Wholey Ortiz) child. Additional complicating his scenario was that he did not wish to be a father, even saying, “I wish to unsubscribe from this child.”
By the top of the episode, nevertheless, Billy was confirmed as the daddy. He and Claudia determined to attempt once more and lift the newborn collectively, a stunning revelation that set the stage for a serious arc in season 2. With Del Rio’s firing, that total plotline and others should be rewritten, that means the writers must scramble to revise scripts that had been already within the bag and attempt to discover a solution to make them work now with out Billy.
Matlock Would Repeat One Of Community TV’s Worst Habits By Writing Billy Off
CBS confirmed to TV Insider that Billy could be written out of the present, establishing a jarring transition for the second half of the season. The primary half of Matlock season 2 had already been fully shot earlier than the allegations towards and investigation into Del Rio occurred. The present begins a deliberate hiatus from taking pictures this week, and the second half of season 2 will resume filming after Thanksgiving.
As such, Del Rio will seem within the first half of season 2, and Billy’s new fatherhood story will undoubtedly be a serious story all through. When the second half of Matlock season 2 returns, will probably be exceptionally bizarre that Billy will instantly simply be gone. In all probability, his sudden, everlasting absence can be defined away with a single line explaining that he and Claudia moved away, or that he died.
If that is the route that Matlock season 2 chooses —which, from all indications, it seems would be the case —it is going to proceed an extremely irritating community TV development. It is all too frequent in community procedurals for main characters to exit or be killed off, just for the present to elucidate away the absence of great characters with a single throwaway line, by no means to talk of them once more.
Contemplating the intense allegations towards Del Rio, it might undoubtedly be in poor style to make a giant deal of Billy being gone or to proceed to include him into Matlock‘s story. However from a personality and narrative standpoint, dismissing him with a line of dialogue can be extremely dissatisfying and a clumsy finish for each a serious character and the story.
A Higher Possibility Would Be To Recast The Function Of Billy Martinez In Matlock
There’s a third possibility, although: recasting the character of Billy Martinez. Matlock season 2 is on break now, however filming would not resume till after Thanksgiving, giving Matlock and CBS execs a month and a half to audition and change Del Rio with a brand new actor. It is not quite a lot of time, however it’s actually not inconceivable. Community TV exhibits typically verify their casting with little time earlier than filming begins; such is the character of community tv.
Recasting such an integral character in Matlock season 2 is sort of doable. There are many actors on the market who’re prepared and keen to work and who may step into the function of Billy Martinez. Doing so would guarantee a a lot smoother transition for the present in a number of methods.
For starters, it means writers do not should scramble to rewrite scripts that had been already completed, nor have they got to transform main storylines that had been already deliberate out for the season. It will even be a lot much less jarring for the viewers to have one other actor step into the function and proceed the established character dynamics and storylines that will come to an abrupt finish if Billy had been to easily disappear.
No matter what CBS decides, the community and Matlock execs are in an unenviable place. They allegedly did the correct factor by eradicating Del Rio from the manufacturing, however it nonetheless leaves them in a bind, with not a lot time to determine it out. Every possibility has its drawbacks, however because it stands proper now (admittedly with out understanding all of the details surrounding the scenario), recasting actually looks as if the smarter selection.
- Launch Date
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September 22, 2024
- Administrators
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Kat Coiro, Brad Silberling, Gina Lamar, Hanelle M. Culpepper, Jennifer Lynch, Jude Weng, Tessa Blake, Yangzom Brauen, Marie Jamora, Daniel Willis
- Writers
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Nicki Renna, Jeffrey Lieber, Sara Rose Feinberg
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Skye P. Marshall
Olympia Lawrence
