‘Elsbeth’ is the Best Kept Secret on CBS
Carrie Preston is the funniest “not cop” cop on tv
If you have been living under a rock (like me), then you would have no idea that the best kept secret on CBS is the hilariously witty police procedural dramedy, Elsbeth. Starring Carrie Preston as the titular character, Elsbeth, and Wendell Pierce as Capt Wagner, Elsbeth shakes up the monotony in the legal drama world with her non-traditional problem solving and her bubbly personality—putting criminals in jail one heinous crime, and 3 tote bags, at a time.
Unlike most police dramas that reveal the suspects when the cops solve the crime, Elsbeth is a “howcatchem” series—the suspects are shown to the audience at the beginning of the episodes and we follow Elsbeth and the police department down the path to an arrest. This approach appears in similar shows like USA Network’s Monk, and CBS’s Murder, She Wrote. However, what makes Elsbeth stand out from her predecessors is the light tone driven directly by the characters’ bright and sunny disposition. These character traits shape the overall dynamic and feel of Elsbeth, making it a fun time with every watch and rewatch.
Carrie Preston first appeared as Elsbeth Tascioni in The Good Wife in 2010. Elsbeth is a brilliant, yet unconventional, attorney who defends her clients in the courtroom using her personality as her strength. Her portrayal was so beloved and successful that it landed Carrie an Emmy Award for her performance and a spinoff series.
Now a transplant in New York City from Chicago, Elsbeth brings her background and skills as a lawyer directly to the precinct in order to find the truth at its core instead of during a battle of manipulation inside the courtroom. In her past experience, she learned that often times justice was not about right and wrong, but about who could tell the best story in favor of their client. Fueled by integrity and injustice, Elsbeth uproots herself from all she knows to team up with Captain Wagner (Pierce) and his team at the NYPD to clean up crime in the city (but there’s a catch…watch season 1 to find out).
On the surface Elsbeth is zany, quirky, and (somewhat) chaotic. But underneath the silliness and the bold outfits is a show that tackles central themes of corruption and injustice as well as family and second chances. Elsbeth’s friendship with Officer, now Agent, Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson) allows her the space to open up about her experiences in Chicago, how she feels about being a criminal defense lawyer, and how she feels about her role as a mother. This friendship is also the catalyst that fuels Elsbeth to go head to head with a powerful and influential opponent who is set on ruining her career and the lives of those she loves. These themes not only make Elsbeth worth watching, it’s what makes it a show with longevity.
Elsbeth is currently on its third season and not letting up any time soon—diving into cases involving the late-night comedy world, a panic room mystery, art world crimes, and crimes across the pond. Season 3 continues its streak with special guest stars as it did in previous seasons, with actors such as Vanessa Williams, Linda Lavin, Blair Underwood, Nathan Lane, David Alan Grier, Alyssa Milano, Stephen Colbert and many more.
All new episodes of Elsbeth air Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS. Tune in weekly for something light, something fun, and something extremely pink!
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