Matlock 2.0: Why the Condescending Young Lawyer Is the Worst Thing About the Reboot
As a fan of the original Andy Griffith version, I find CBS’s reboot of Matlock to be an unexpected revival. Kathy Bates as the new titular attorney is a sharp and seasoned lawyer not to be messed with. But while Bates effortlessly fills Andy Griffith’s shoes with her no-nonsense charm, the show serves up a supporting character that’s hard to stomach: the young female lawyer who embodies every insufferable stereotype about Gen Z.
She’s dismissive, condescending, and so bitchy it borders on parody. Every interaction with her seasoned colleague, Bates’ Matlock, is dripping with unnecessary attitude, and it’s clear that the writers wanted her to symbolize some sort of modern, ambitious “career woman.” Instead, she comes off like a caricature of everything older generations criticize about Gen Z. And frankly, it’s exhausting.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not one to bash an entire generation—because I know better. Gen Z has given us brilliant activists, fearless creatives, and compassionate minds fighting for social change in ways that are awe-inspiring. But this particular character? She’s not one of them.
She represents the worst assumptions about Gen Z: entitlement disguised as confidence, disrespect packaged as ambition, and condescension masquerading as intellect. She walks around the office like she knows everything, dismissing Matlock’s life experience as if it’s irrelevant. The character feels like she was written by someone who read too many Facebook memes about “lazy young people who think they’re smarter than everyone else” and decided to throw that stereotype on screen for cheap laughs and tension.
What makes it worse is that the real Gen Z is far more complex than this superficial portrayal. Sure, every generation has its outliers, and every workplace has a few people who mistake arrogance for competence, but that’s not the sum of this generation. In reality, there are Gen Z folks out here who are collaborative, open-minded, and eager to learn from the older professionals around them. I know because I’ve worked with them.
This character isn’t just annoying—she’s a wasted opportunity. Imagine if instead of leaning into a lazy stereotype, the writers had given us a young lawyer with some nuance—one who’s intelligent and driven but also willing to learn from those with more experience. Someone curious instead of dismissive, passionate without the snark. It would’ve made for richer storylines and a more authentic generational dynamic.
The original Matlock worked because it showcased respect for experience and humility in learning. It didn’t pit characters against each other for the sake of cheap drama; instead, it highlighted how different perspectives and backgrounds can work together. This reboot could have done the same—showing a young lawyer learning from Bates’s Matlock while still bringing her own fresh perspective to the table.
But no. Instead, we get a walking meme, and frankly, it’s annoying as hell.
Older generations already have plenty of complaints about Gen Z, fair or not. We don’t need a mainstream TV show feeding the fire with a cardboard cutout character who reinforces those complaints. Gen Z deserves better. So do viewers.
I love this show, and it’s worth watching just to see Kathy Bates do her thing. But CBS, if you’re listening, ditch the stereotype ASAP. Give us a young lawyer we can root for—one that shows what this generation is really about. Because the truth is, there’s a lot to admire about Gen Z. It’s just too bad this character isn’t it.
