One of the biggest surprises of the last TV season had to be CBS's procedural crime drama Elsbeth. The subject matter, mixed with its initial billing as a spin-off of The Good Wife, initially suggested a series very similar in tone to the other spin-off of the hit drama, The Good Fight. Instead, what we got was a refreshing, upbeat, borderline comedic take on the murder mystery. The cases were always serious in nature, but Elsbeth's (Carrie Preston) human sunshine rapport with everyone around her, and their inevitable softening in the face of such relentless kindness, put a much cozier spin on the series than might have been possible with a similar premise in different hands. Now, with Season 2 set to premiere on October 17, audiences are in for more of the same energy, this time with new emotional stakes that keep the story closer to home.
'Elsbeth' Season 2 Keeps Its Tried and True Format Intact
It is admittedly hard to make a declarative statement about Elsbeth Season 2 overall, as only one episode was made available for review prior to release. However, if that one episode is any indication, then Season 2 is changing things up where necessary while also retaining the format that serves the show so well. The premiere, "Subscription To Murder," follows Elsbeth and her NYPD partner Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson) as the two are tasked with investigating another murder, this one of a young Wall Street type, where their primary person of interest appears to be an obsessive opera patron played by Nathan Lane, the first in a string of big-name guest stars set to appear.
Like most episodes in the first season, save the finale, the episode kicks off with the murder taking place, and with the perpetrator known to the audience right away. Though this method of mystery storytelling is by no means unique to Elsbeth, it's still rare enough, especially in procedural TV, to make the entire series a breath of fresh air. It injects an extra level of suspense for the audience, who have significantly more information than the characters do and must now watch them try to catch up. While the questions for those onscreen firmly remain "who" and "why," the narrative tension rests in the "how," which truly serves to set the show apart. While, again, this assessment is made based only on the season premiere, it is a promising sign that the show returned to format right away after breaking it in the Season 1 finale, showing it knows where its strengths are and is happy to continue playing in that sandbox.
'Elsbeth' Shouldn't Work, But It Does
A throwback to television's past is one of television's present success stories.
'Elsbeth' Season 2 Shakes Up the Emotional Stakes
When a series sets itself up with both time-sensitive stakes and premise, as it goes on, the challenge becomes about heightening those stakes enough to not feel contrived and to keep the audience invested in said premise. In Elsbeth's case, the cheerful attorney was sent to New York from Chicago under the orders of the Department of Justice, ostensibly to oversee a consent decree, but really to investigate Captain Wagner (Wendell Pierce), who is suspected of corrupt behavior. As this investigation is wrapped up at the end of Season 1, with the now-cleared Wagner inviting Elsbeth to stay at the NYPD, this left the question of what the emotional stakes in Season 2 would be, without the ticking clock of her imminent return to Chicago.
That question is answered right away in the first episode with the introduction of Lieutenant Connor (Daniel K. Isaac), who is brought on board by Wagner to fill the void left by the corrupt Lieutenant Noonan (Fredric Lehne). While not outwardly hostile to anyone, Connor takes his mandate to root out corruption and discrepancies in the precinct very seriously and declares his intention to make it so Elsbeth won't have to be with the precinct long, as they will ideally not need her anymore. His thoroughness also winds up throwing a wrench in Blanke's goal of making detective, setting her up for a compelling personal arc this season as well.
And then as always, there's the star of the show herself, Carrie Preston. Elsbeth's relentless positivity in another actor's hands would run the risk of being just this side of too much. But as portrayed by Preston, she is a ray of sunshine that continues to shine brightly in the first episode and will hopefully continue to do so in the rest of the season. With the premiere so brilliantly kicking things off, Elsbeth fans are sure to be in for a treat as the series airs this fall.
Elsbeth Season 2 premieres on CBS on October 17. Past episodes are streaming now on Paramount+.
Review
Elsbeth Season 2 elevates the show's emotional stakes while keeping both its heart and unique format intact.
- Carrie Preston is, as always, a delight as Elsbeth Tascioni.
- The show returns to the "howcatchem" format for Season 2, putting a fun spin on the procedural.
- The emotional stakes are elevated for the characters, keeping things closer to home for them.
Watch on Paramount+
Comments
Post a Comment