A change in wardrobe, how many spaces you add after a period, a choice in deodorant or tone of voice are examples of small things that may not have much impact on your life. All the same, those small characteristics may just be the key to solving bigger problems — or so is the premise of “Elsbeth,” a new detective-style series from CBS. The show stars Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni, an unconventional attorney who reads between the lines to help the NYPD solve unique crimes. The series premiered as a special preview on Leap Day 2024, Feb. 29, as a spinoff of CBS’ “The Good Wife.”
In fact, this show is a second spinoff after 2017’s “The Good Fight,” but switches out legal drama for a crime procedural. Preston appeared in both series, portraying Elsbeth, a fan-favorite character. The new format definitely fits, prompting comparisons to cult-classic shows “Columbo” and “Monk,” both with offbeat main characters that use their unique intuition to uncover serious crimes.
The pilot episode opens with a confrontation between a college acting teacher (guest played by Stephen Moyer) and his lead actress (Alex Costello) — who reveals she’s about to go to the Dean to expose their secret relationship. Acting quickly, he switches out the student’s medicine for a lethal dose behind her back, resulting in her death. To try and avoid being caught, he breaks in and frames the ordeal as a suicide. A highlight of the format and another point of inspiration from “Columbo” is that the audience sees the crime unfold and knows exactly who the culprit is, making Elsbeth’s deductions and the wrongdoers’ lies all the more enjoyable to watch.
The featured cast includes Wendell Pierce as Police Captain Wagner and Carra Patterson as Officer Kaya Blanke, who are both skeptical of Elsbeth’s upfront and seemingly scattered methods until they turn out to reveal the truth. Every episode will most likely show a different criminal and setting, with guest stars like Keegan Michael-Key and Linda Lavin announced, amongst others.
As a viewer who has not yet watched “The Good Wife,” I did not feel alienated from the plot. Some expositional dialogue that explains why Elsbeth was uprooted from Chicago, where the first two shows were based, and where these characters come from. The characters explain that after wondering why a person like Elsbeth was chosen, her former boss in Chicago tells Captain Wagner, ”she’ll grow on you.”
In a 2014 Huffington Post interview on how she started to shape the character of Elsbeth, Carrie Preston reflected that “…it feels to me that she is somebody who is highly capable of thinking about 500 things at the same time, and her brain is working a lot faster than her mouth is. So, the mouth’s trying to keep up with the brain juggling the 500 things equally well.” Preston still embodies the character with uniquely written elements that may make viewers reconsider the little things they encounter in daily life.
For those looking to enjoy a detective unraveling crimes before our eyes or a strong, independent female story, this weekly drama is a good watch. Produced by King Size Productions and CBS Studios, you can watch “Elsbeth” every Thursday at 10 p.m. on CBS (local WFSB channel 3 — Huskyvision channel 3) or on-demand the next day with a Paramount Plus subscription.
You can also watch “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” with a Paramount Plus subscription and “Columbo” every Saturday at 8 p.m. on Cozi TV (local EVIT channel 30.2 — Huskyvision channel 4.2, and ESHM Springfield channel 33.2) or on-demand for free through Fox’s Tubi.
Rating: 4/5 “Just one more thing”