Kathy Bates' Matlock welcomes new addition for season 2 — and you'll recognize her from beloved show

Matlock is welcoming some new cast members ahead of its highly-anticipated second season.

The CBS breakout hit legal drama starring Kathy Bates first premiered in September 2024, and has since received a slew of accolades, including an Emmy win for its lead.

Now, ahead of the season two premiere on Sunday, October 12, we're finally getting a look at what new characters the new season will bring us.

© Sonja Flemming

CBS confirmed over the weekend that among them will be Justina Machado, known for her roles in One Day at a Time and Jane the Virgin.

Per the network, she will play Eva, a formidable, smart, and ambitious attorney, and Jacobson Moore managing partner Howard "Senior" Markston's (Beau Bridges) 4th ex-wife, "the one who made him swear off marriage."

Justina's character runs Jacobson Moore's Miami office, and she arrives in New York for an emergency meeting… which she uses to her advantage.

© Getty

Her addition to the cast makes for a Jane the Virgin meeting in more ways than one; she is reuniting with creator Jennie Snyder Urman, who also worked on Jane the Virgin, as well as fellow Jane the Virgin alum Yael Groblas, who joined Matlock last year as Shae Banfield, aka "the Meerkat," the law firm's insightful jury consultant, known as a human lie detector, and for her ability to suss out character and sniff out the truth using her mastery of body language.

Of the special reunion, HELLO!'s resident TV expert Abby Allen told me: "It's so exciting to see Justina Machado reuniting with Jane the Virgin creator Jennie Snyder Urman on Matlock season two."

© Getty

"Not only does this collaboration promise the same smart, layered storytelling fans know and love, but with her joining such a powerhouse ensemble – including Yael Grobglas, another Jane The Virgin alum – this season is bound to be unmissable."

Justina was most recently starring in Real Women Have Curves on Broadway, which earned her a Tony nomination, plus she also recently starred in Netflix's medical drama series Pulse.

© Getty Images

Matlock, which is based on the 1986 series created by Dean Hargrove and starring Andy Griffith, also features Leah Lewis, Jason Ritter, Sam Anderson, David del Rio, Skye P. Marshall, and John Ducey, among others.

Among its executive producers is Eric Christian Olsen, who previously starred on NCIS: Los Angeles for its 14th season, and who is the CEO of Cloud Nine Productions, which developed Matlock.