The BEST episodes of Matlock season 4

Every episode of Matlock season 4, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Matlock season 4!

Don't be fooled by his down-home demeanor and country-boy ways; criminal defense lawyer Ben Matlock is worth every penny of his fee. Count on Matlock to visit the crime scene, scope out the clues everyone else missed, and dramatically reveal the real criminal during a climactic trial sequence.

Last Updated: 11/6/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
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The Hunting Party
star
7.56
45 votes

#1 - The Hunting Party

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/19/1989

Spencer Hamilton came to Manteo, North Carolina, as soon as he could to locate the man who killed his brother, Frank, in a supposed duck-hunting accident. When Ryan Bartell (the shooter) is found dead, Matlock heads to North Carolina to defend Hamilton, and finds an unlikely ally in local deputy Conrad McMasters.

Writer: Anne Collins
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.47
51 votes

#2 - The Student

Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/9/1990

Matlock goes back to school for a little more education, and while there, one of his students is accused of murdering the professor she was having an affair with. Matlock soon learns that love wasn't the motive; cheating on tests was.

Watch Now:Amazon
The Scrooge
star
7.44
48 votes

#3 - The Scrooge

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/19/1989

When a scrooge of a store owner is accused of murdering his partner for being 'good' at Christmas, Matlock agrees to take the case, but Steven Abbott is furious when part of Matlock's fee involves Abbott having to be a 'good' guy.

Writer: Anne Collins
Watch Now:Amazon
The Buddies
star
7.37
51 votes

#4 - The Buddies

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/12/1989

After an old friend from college dies, Matlock has to investigate three college chums on the charge of murdering a hitchhiker thirty years earlier.

Directors: Frank Thackery
Writer: Phil Mishkin
The Prisoner (2)
star
7.37
49 votes

#5 - The Prisoner (2)

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/21/1989

While Matlock finds the weapon inside the prison, Conrad works on the outside to clear the guard and keep Matlock safe.

The Blackmailer
star
7.37
49 votes

#6 - The Blackmailer

Season 4 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/1/1990

Cartoonist Ron Winfield has kept Atlanta enthralled with his recent storyline in ""The Peach Pit"" involving an affair by Senator Peter Dolan. Just before the woman in the affair can be named in print, the strips disappear.

The Informer (2)
star
7.35
48 votes

#7 - The Informer (2)

Season 4 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/27/1990

With Angela's help, Conrad tries to track down an informer they believe holds the key to Sam Chandler's murder.

The Fugitive
star
7.32
44 votes

#8 - The Fugitive

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/28/1989

Matlock takes the case of Drew Carey, a young man he has known since childhood, who is accused of murdering his uncle in a fit of drunken rage. Unfortunately, Drew has grown up into a spoiled, self-centered young man who refuses to listen to anything Matlock tells him and is determined to prove that the killer is his uncle's wife Valerie who was much younger than her husband and was having an affair with a construction worker. Despite everyone trying to tell Matlock that Drew is no good, he is convinced that somewhere inside is the sweet boy he once knew, and he truly believes that Drew is innocent.

Directors: Tony Mordente
The D.A.
star
7.30
47 votes

#9 - The D.A.

Season 4 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/20/1990

Julie becomes the target of a witness with psychological problems, leaving Matlock and Conrad to learn who is threatening her, and why.

Directors: Russ Mayberry
The Best Seller
star
7.29
48 votes

#10 - The Best Seller

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/10/1989

When Elizabeth, a friend of famous novelist Cynthia Slayton, is found dead after taking Cynthia's prescribed allergy medication, suspicion falls on Cynthia's long-suffering husband Philip, a friend of Julie's. While trying to clear his name, Julie realises that not everything is as it seems in the Slayton house.

star
7.29
48 votes

#11 - The Witness

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/2/1990

Sandra Townsend is senior counsel with Drexel, Harris and Townsend. But when she's off work she likes to let her hair down and go to the bars. When her lover threatens to expose her nightlife to her bosses, she murders him. Michelle takes the case when Matlock's former paperboy Jimmy Newton is arrested for murder (Matlock's off to California), but soon realises that Sandra, who is supposed to be the star witness, is really the killer. The problem is that Sandra Townsend is a former classmate and good friend, and Michelle just doesn't want to believe that she's lying.

Directors: Tony Mordente
The Cookie Monster
star
7.26
43 votes

#12 - The Cookie Monster

Season 4 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/8/1990

When cookie maker Katie White announces her plans to take over a number of smaller baking companies, any one of them could be the killer. After she dies from an allergic reaction to hazel nuts, Matlock defends cookie maker Bobby.

Directors: Harvey Laidman
The Clown
star
7.25
52 votes

#13 - The Clown

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/24/1989

Matlock agrees to defend aging clown Homer Fleming after he's charged with the murder of his long-time partner, Simon. After asking Conrad to go undercover as a roustabout at the circus, Matlock starts to realise that everyone had a very good reason to hate Simon Le Simple.

Directors: Leo Penn
The Informer (1)
star
7.23
44 votes

#14 - The Informer (1)

Season 4 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/20/1990

When Sam Chandler is found murdered, his lawyer David O'Malley is the prime suspect...in part because John was sleeping with David's wife.

The Kidnapper
star
7.22
50 votes

#15 - The Kidnapper

Season 4 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/6/1990

When Matlock is kidnapped, Michelle and Conrad go through Ben's old cases to try to figure out who is holding him hostage.

Directors: Frank Thackery
The Prisoner (1)
star
7.20
49 votes

#16 - The Prisoner (1)

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/14/1989

When a prison guard is accused of murder, Matlock actually goes into the prison itself to defend the man.

The Ex
star
7.20
51 votes

#17 - The Ex

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/17/1989

Julie heads to Baltimore to defend a man accused of killing the newspaper editor who dragged his name through the mud. Matlock comes to town to help her because Conrad is busy on another case, and helps Julie out when the prosecutor, who just happens to be her ex-husband, does whatever he can to trip Julie up.

Directors: Harvey Laidman
The Victim
star
7.20
46 votes

#18 - The Victim

Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/23/1990

Matlock tries to prove that someone other than his client had a motive to murder his lover. His best bet? The victim's paraplegic husband.

Directors: Robert Scheerer
The Pro
star
7.15
46 votes

#19 - The Pro

Season 4 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/13/1990

Matlock has to defend an arrogant young tennis professional (Dave Travis) against a charge of murdering his rival on and off the court (Victor Tomassio).

The Talk Show
star
7.14
50 votes

#20 - The Talk Show

Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/16/1990

When talk show host Dan Galloway is murdered after publicly humiliating three woman on the air and firing his executive producer, there is no shortage of suspects. Nearly everyone who ever met the man wanted him dead, but it's up to Matlock to prove whether Marla, Leanne or Katherine committed the crime as he tries to prove that his own client, Lisa, did not.

Directors: Robert Scheerer
The Good Boy
star
7.09
33 votes

#21 - The Good Boy

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/26/1989

After her husband's death she never thought she'd love again, but it Bonnie soon found her future with Cal Ritter. The only problem is that her son, Tony Morgen, hates Cal. When Tony kills Cal and frames his mother for her murder, Matlock takes the case to prove that Bonnie is innocent, but to prove her innocence, he will have to destroy her son.

The Con Man
star
7.00
49 votes

#22 - The Con Man

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/7/1989

After he's conned by a group of con men, Brian Davis is accused of murdering one of them. Matlock agrees to take on the case, and while Michelle tries to get close to one of the remaining con artists, Matlock tries to prove that a previous scheme is responsible for the current predicament.

Directors: Leo Penn
The Star
star
7.00
49 votes

#23 - The Star

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/31/1989

Catherine McKay is an aging prima donna who only had one hit movie in her career. When she's found dead, stabbed in the chest with the knife that made her famous, suspicion lands on Noel Bishop, the horror film director that wanted her off his picture.

Writer: Anne Collins