Matlock was not interested in tricking its audience. From the first episode, this series made it clear that it was interested in the possibility of Olympia, Julian, or Senior being responsible for taking the missing documents, and that is exactly what happened in the season finale. Matlock aims for a predictable, logical conclusion where Julian admits to having stolen the documents after Olympia finds them in a safety deposit box. Julian had taken the documents at his father's instruction, leaving Olympia as the only member of the originally suspected trio to be innocent. There is not a lot of shock in this revelation, and instead, Matlock leans on the arrival of Alfie's father to act as the season finale's shock factor.
The two-hour finale aims to do far more than expose Julian; it also works toward giving Sarah her first opportunity to be the lead lawyer in a trial. In terms of a show offering its ensemble cast a lot to work with, "Tricks of the Trade" delivers in making sure everyone has a significant moment. Every main character is utilized in a way that allows the story to be pushed forward and offers a stronger overall element to the individual characterizations of the ensemble. But, for those who were specifically waiting to find out the truth about the missing documents, this two-hour episode was a long wait that, predictably, held off until the final moments to expose the truth. In the end, Matlock's answer to Julian's guilt, which had already been teased in a previous episode as being the likely truth, does not pack the punch it thinks it does. It is the expected answer, one that anyone could come to when searching for a logical conclusion. Still, the lack of a different character being guilty or an accomplice keeps the reveal grounded in a calmer approach than an explosive finale.
Overall, however, while Matlock worked well to show Matty's friendships with Olympia, Billy, and Sarah, the season as a whole struggled with how to handle other supporting characters. Matty only works directly with Julian a few times, as his storyline mostly surrounds the fallout of his divorce with Olympia, how they co-parent their kids, and their professional support and adversarial relationship on the partner track. There is no sense of emotional betrayal that Julian is responsible, as there would have been had Olympia been guilty, as Matlock did not spend as much time developing Matty and Julian's relationship. Meanwhile, Elijah, who had been suggested to be more important at the beginning of the season, became ignored in nearly every way as the season went on, as Elijah's role went from secret romantic partner to Olympia to an afterthought. Meanwhile, Senior floats in and out of the storyline without enough consistency to feel any sort of shock or sense of betrayal that he was responsible for the missing documents as well.
When it came to its core group of characters, such as Matty, Olympia, Sarah, and Billy, Matlock delivers in nearly every way. The professional relationships between the group, as well as the personal growing friendships, are a highlight of the series. Matlock works wonderfully to keep the tone in a light-hearted manner that also allows for emotional investment in the characters as individuals and their relationships with each other. They work together and learn from each other while continuing to develop an understanding that this group of people is a team, always learning and coming up with ways to win their cases. "Tricks of the Trade" remembers that in every instance, as it delivers a finale that highlights the best parts of its ensemble cast.
In the end, Matty still does not have confirmation of the answers, leaving Olympia and the audience a few steps ahead of her, which will make for a captivating second season. Will Olympia keep the truth from Matty? Will Julian join Matty's cause and turn the tables on Senior? There are many ways the second season could go, and Matty also has the emotional strife of dealing with Alfie's father showing up at her door, and whatever that may bring to the plot. Although season one's ending is fairly predictable, that does not take away from the joy and intrigue that the show's characters bring to the storylines.