Matlock

The Stripper

Season 1, Episode 4, Aired 9/30/86

Episode Summary

Years ago, Matlock represented Jason Hardiman in his divorce proceedings, and upon his instructions, offered Carla a small fortune to relinquish custody of their son. She refused, and eventually won. Now Carla can only find work as a stripper. Jason goes to her work and again threatens to take their son Jimmy from her. When he is found at the edge of death, Carla is the immediate suspect. He is murdered while in the hospital, and Carla is the prime suspect. Matlock's suspicions soon turn to a woman named Helen Shelly, but unfortunately, it's hard to find her. Doug Templitt seems to be the only one who knows where she is.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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Andy Griffith

Ben Matlock
Kene Holliday

Tyler Hudson
Linda Purl

Charlene Matlock

Fan Episode Reviews (2)

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Matlock defends a single mother, who works as an exotic dancer, from charges that she killed her ex-husband. The investigation into the crime, ends up revealing a crazed transvestite killer.

8.0

"Great"

By johndoe70, Feb 09, 2010 Report Abuse

"Matlock", like "Murder She Wrote", was one of the greatest murder-mystery series of the 1980s. It is not certainly not easy to come up with good murder-mysteries ever week, but this show managed to do it, most of the time.

Here Matlock is helping out a single mother, who he had been previously been working against during her messy divorce case. Her ex-husband is a bully of the highest degree, which makes you wonder why Matlock agreed to be his divorce lawyer, and when he is badly beaten up and later killed, the poor single mother/exotic dancer
is wrongly accused.

It is pretty obivious that the real killer is a woman named Helen Shelly and that this woman is really a violent transvestite who is known to most people as nightclub employee Doug Templitt.

The writers were probably doing a little homage to the classic horror film, "Pycho", but it is too obvious to surprise and comes off as being a bit explotitative.

For the most part, the episode ignores any actual medical terms with regards to gender identity or multiple personalities. After the killer transvestite is exposed in open court, nothing more is said about her or her legal fate. Did she go to prison or a mental institution?

Last, but not least, the killer transvestite theme
is something of a malicious cliche. One can overlook it with Hitchock, but here it comes off as something written by Archie Bunker.

The series never again dealt with transgender issues and Matlock most certainly never had a gay or lesbian client. I can guess why the series avoided these issues, but this episode would have looked much better had someone demonstrated a bit more wisdom and courage behind the scenes.moreless

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Dude looks like a lady.

5.8

"Mediocre"

By jamoon2006, May 02, 2008 Report Abuse

Though it starts out with a good hook (to make up for putting the screws to her in a divorce proceeding, Matlock agrees to represent a stripper accused of murder pro bono), this episode falls flat thanks to one of the worst endings of all time.

I won't spoil anything here, though the cast list for this episode gives away the "surprise" ending. Suffice it to say, someone has a secret which confuses everyone in the cast but won't sneak past any viewer who's even halfway paying attention. Then the wrap-up attempts to work in some psychology which comes off more awkward than the Simon Oakland coda to "Psycho." It makes sense that the producers wanted to mix up the formula to keep the series from falling into a rut, and I give them credit for what could have been a strong ending. Unfortunately, the actors aren't up to the task here and the whole thing feels like a warmed-over soap opera.moreless

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Notes
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- Richard Newton is well known in the recurring role of Richard Cooksey, but in this episode, the judge he plays is named Alvin Roundtree. Edit
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