Matlock's Shock Cast Exit Leaves CBS An Impossible Choice For Season 2

Even though it just premiered, Matlock season 2 is already facing an unexpected but monumental challenge. It was reported that Matlock actor David Del Rio was fired over alleged sexual assault allegations, a shocking turn of events and bad news just a few days before the premiere of the hit show’s sophomore season. The allegations, of course, are all alleged until proven otherwise, but if true, CBS and Matlock‘s executives did the right thing by acting quickly and decisively.

Given that what they uncovered in their internal investigation was apparently serious enough to escort him off the premises the same day the report was filed, CBS and Matlock execs were left with no other choice than to fire Del Rio. Regardless, it now puts Matlock season 2 in a huge bind—one that may negatively impact the show moving forward, depending on how it’s handled.

David Del Rio’s Abrupt Midseason Exit Leaves The Matlock Writers Scrambling

The issue is that David Del Rio wasn’t merely a guest star or minor supporting character on the show. Billy Martinez is one of the junior associate trifecta, along with Sarah (Leah Lewis) and Matty (Kathy Bates), and he’s been integral to several storylines at the Jacobson Moore law firm.

The Matlock season 2 premiere, which was shot well before the allegations against Del Rio and his firing, just made it even more difficult to write his character out gracefully. Billy had a major subplot in which he wasn’t sure whether he was the father of his ex, Claudia’s (Bella Wholey Ortiz) baby. Further complicating his situation was that he didn’t want to be a father, even saying, “I want to unsubscribe from this baby.”

By the end of the episode, however, Billy was confirmed as the father. He and Claudia decided to try again and raise the baby together, a surprising revelation that set the stage for a major arc in season 2. With Del Rio’s firing, that entire plotline and others must be rewritten, meaning the writers will have to scramble to revise scripts that were already in the bag and try to find a way to make them work now without Billy.

Matlock Would Repeat One Of Network TV’s Worst Habits By Writing Billy Off

Madeline holding a folder and standing next to Billy and Sarah in Matlock

CBS confirmed to TV Insider that Billy would be written out of the show, setting up a jarring transition for the second half of the season. The first half of Matlock season 2 had already been completely shot before the allegations against and investigation into Del Rio happened. The show begins a planned hiatus from shooting this week, and the second half of season 2 will resume filming after Thanksgiving.

As such, Del Rio will appear in the first half of season 2, and Billy’s new fatherhood story will undoubtedly be a major story throughout. When the second half of Matlock season 2 returns, it will be exceptionally weird that Billy will suddenly just be gone. In all likelihood, his sudden, permanent absence will be explained away with a single line explaining that he and Claudia moved away, or that he died.

If this is the route that Matlock season 2 chooses —which, from all indications, it appears will be the case —it will continue an incredibly frustrating network TV trend. It’s all too common in network procedurals for major characters to exit or be killed off, only for the show to explain away the absence of significant characters with a single throwaway line, never to speak of them again.

Considering the serious allegations against Del Rio, it would undoubtedly be in poor taste to make a big deal of Billy being gone or to continue to incorporate him into Matlock‘s story. But from a character and narrative standpoint, dismissing him with a line of dialogue will be incredibly dissatisfying and an awkward end for both a major character and the story.

A Better Option Would Be To Recast The Role Of Billy Martinez In Matlock

Matty Kingston, Billy Martinez, Sarah Franklin, and Olympia Lawrence in Matlock

There is a third option, though: recasting the character of Billy Martinez. Matlock season 2 is on break now, but filming doesn’t resume until after Thanksgiving, giving Matlock and CBS execs a month and a half to audition and replace Del Rio with a new actor. It’s not a lot of time, but it’s certainly not impossible. Network TV shows often confirm their casting with little time before filming begins; such is the nature of network television.

Recasting such an integral character in Matlock season 2 is quite doable. There are plenty of actors out there who are ready and willing to work and who could step into the role of Billy Martinez. Doing so would ensure a much smoother transition for the show in multiple ways.

For starters, it means writers don’t have to scramble to rewrite scripts that were already finished, nor do they have to rework major storylines that were already planned out for the season. It would also be much less jarring for the audience to have another actor step into the role and continue the established character dynamics and storylines that would come to an abrupt end if Billy were to simply disappear.

Regardless of what CBS decides, the network and Matlock execs are in an unenviable position. They allegedly did the right thing by removing Del Rio from the production, but it still leaves them in a bind, with not much time to figure it out. Each option has its drawbacks, but as it stands right now (admittedly without knowing all the facts surrounding the situation), recasting certainly seems like the smarter choice.

Release Date: September 22, 2024
Directors: Kat Coiro, Brad Silberling, Gina Lamar, Hanelle M. Culpepper, Jennifer Lynch, Jude Weng, Tessa Blake, Yangzom Brauen, Marie Jamora, Daniel Willis
Writers: Nicki Renna, Jeffrey Lieber, Sara Rose Feinberg