Matlock on David Del Rio Exit, Midseason Premiere

Billy Martinez won’t be returning to Jacobson Moore.

More than four months after David Del Rio was fired from Matlock amid sexual assault allegations, the Kathy Bates-led series addressed his exit with a joke about layoffs at the law firm in the season two midseason premiere.

As staff at Jacobson Moore prepare to merge with Lamar and Olson, the latter’s head of personnel Gwen Easton (Sarah Wright-Olsen)—who Sarah Franklin (Leah Lewis) succinctly nicknamed Layoff Barbie—introduced herself to Sarah and Matty Matlock (Bates) in episode nine.

“Trying to get a sense of the who’s who and the what’s what as we combine into one lean, mean legal machine,” she told the pair in the Feb. 26 episode. “I promise I am not here to fire anyone. I just make recommendations based on observable redundancies.”

When she asked about Billy Martinez’s whereabouts, Sarah quickly explained, “Out sick. Very, very sick. Vomiting, and he—,” before Matty interjected, “And we’ve got him covered.”