Carrie Preston first appeared as Elsbeth Tascioni when the hit CBS series,The Good Wife, debuted in 2010. She reprised her role in the Paramount+ spin-off,The Good Fight, and now the Emmy-winning star is back in a new city with a new job. The latest spin-off,Elsbeth, premiered in February 2024 and is currently airing its second season.
Formerly a Chicago-based lawyer,Elsbethsees its title character take a gig as a consulting detective for the NYPD, solving crimes every week with her unique blend of insight, quick thinking, and even quicker wit. The show wears itsColumboinfluence on its sleeve, with most episodes revealing the identity of the murderer at the beginning of the hour. Thus, the excitement comes not from deducing the identity of the killer, but unraveling their motives. Elsbeth discovers the truth with her trademark brand of heart, humor, and sense of justice.
Elsbeth Season 2 New Cast & Returning Character Guide
A guide to the characters and actors who are playing returning characters or who have first been added to the cast for Elsbeth season 2.
ScreenRantinterviews Preston about her role and what audiences can expect from the rest ofElsbethseason 2. The show recently brought in new characters in the form of Elsbeth’s long-discussed but never-before-seen son, Teddy, played by Ben Levi Ross, and tonight’s episode introduces a new nemesis for the detective, played byPreston’s real-life husband, Michael Emerson(Lost, Person of Interest). Preston discussed how these new characters shake up the series, reflected on playing Elsbeth for over 14 years, shared some fromElsbeth’sprevious incarnations, and hinted whether she might direct episodes in the future.
Preston Reflects On The Enduring Legacy Of Elsbeth Tascioni
“Our show brings joy, humor, curiosity, compassion, and a comforting sense of justice to the world.”
ScreenRant: You’ve been playing Elsbeth off and on since 2010. Do you have to find ways to keep her fresh and exciting, or is she the kind of delightful persona you may live with forever?
Carrie Preston: Luckily, the writers have such a great feel for her and have put her in not only a new city but a new job, so I’m able to find something interesting to dig into with each new episode. And I am learning more and more about her since I get to play her every day instead of every once in a while. Plus, it’s super fun to have basically a new cast each episode. While we have the incredible and wonderful Wendell Pierce and Carra Patterson each week, we trade out detectives and, of course, have new murderers and victims each episode.
The show is a spin-off of yourThe Good WifeandThe Good Fightcharacter, but it’s got a lighter tone, a more jolly sensibility, and it dances to its own drum, much like Elsbeth herself. When did the idea of an “Elsbeth Solo Show” come about, and was it always going to be the show as we know it today? Can you share some stories of howElsbethevolved and changed as it went from an idea to a proper series?
Carrie Preston: When I got the role 14 years ago, Robert and Michelle King told me that they envisioned Elsbeth as a female Columbo. And every so often they would reach out to me to see if I was interested in doing a show centered around Elsbeth. I mean the answer was always a resounding YES PLEASE! And then, in lockdown, they revisited that series and found that there was a path forward.
They wanted to pull her from the legal world since they had been in that world for 14 years, so they created the situation of Elsbeth coming into the NYPD on a consent decree. Then, after the pilot, they turned the reins over to our wonderful showrunner, Jonathan Tolins, and our fantastic writers. Columbo is a how-done-it and not a who-done-it, and while the writers are inspired by this model, they have also made it their own. I love it that our show brings joy, humor, curiosity, compassion and a comforting sense of justice to the world. I think we all need that right now.
Preston Discusses Elsbeth Season 2’s New Cast Members
“I loved the idea of Elsbeth having a chess opponent and not being quite sure what her next move is.”
Your real-life husband, Michael Emerson, looks like he’ll be Elsbeth’s nemesis this season, a crooked judge with a penchant for bludgeoning. You’ve co-starred several times in the past, so can you talk about having Michael as a scene partner and playing with your obvious real-life chemistry to have an adversarial relationship onscreen?
Carrie Preston: We’ve worked together many times, and usually it’s a situation where we don’t actively spar or dislike each other, so this was new. We definitely put aside the husband/wife roles and went right into Judge Crawford/Elsbeth. The writers gave him a meaty role, and he dug right in, and I loved the idea of Elsbeth having a chess opponent and not being quite sure what her next move is.
How deadly serious and dark can their battle get while still remaining within the show’s lighter sensibilities? Or is he dangerous enough that darkening the tone is part of his threat?
Carrie Preston: Elsbeth the show is much like Elsbeth the character: colorful, fun, funny, but also deep, smart, and affected by the crimes going on around her.
The other new character this year is Elsbeth’s son, Teddy. I got to interview Ben Levi Ross, who was absolutely lovely. We’ve been hearing about Teddy for years, so what spurred the decision to finally bring Teddy into the fray?
Carrie Preston: Ben Levi Ross is such a delight, and I absolutely adore him and his talent. And it was a special, moving moment when we finally meet him - home for Christmas! Early on, the writers definitely did their research on all the years of Elsbeth, and Teddy had been mentioned on The Good Wife.
So we knew he would be a part of her new life in New York. And Jonathan Tolins, our showrunner, knew that seeing Elsbeth with Teddy would shed new light on her character. We get to see her maternal side and that very specific bond between mother and child.
Can you tease what we can expect from Elsbeth and Teddy as the season goes on? Might they get to work on a case together, perhaps?
Carrie Preston: The relationship between Elsbeth and her son has love and respect at its core. Audiences are going to love getting to see the two of them together even though there may be a rough patch or two, just like with any mother and child. Teddy is a professional in his own right, but there is a part of Elsbeth that wants him to follow in her footsteps in the legal profession. But is that what he really wants?
Preston Reveals Her Favorite Moment From The Good Wife
“If that teaser doesn’t make you want to watch that episode, ‘Old Spice,’ I don’t know what will.”
Do you have a favorite episode ofThe Good WifeorThe Good Fightthat you’d like to share? Especially for viewers who are fans ofElsbethbut might not have watched the previous shows?
Carrie Preston: Well, I would say that there is what I consider an iconic scene in The Good Wife with Elsbeth and Kyle McLachlan’s character, Josh Perotti, and it is a steamy-but-hilarious love scene set to Call Me Maybe. If that teaser doesn’t make you want to watch that episode, “Old Spice,” I don’t know what will.
You’ve directed several episodes of different shows in the past. Would you like to direct any episodes ofElsbethin the future? Or is it exhausting to direct when you’re also in practically every scene in the show?
Carrie Preston: I’ve loved directing episodes of The Good Fight and Your Honor With the Kings as producers, and I know how wonderful it is to be part of their universe in that way. But you used the word exhausting, and I think you’ve hit on it - my hat is off to any lead actor who directs. It just seems really daunting. Plus, I have gotten to work with some directing legends in the business these past two seasons of Elsbeth and I love that. So for now I think I’ll keep my head down and just try to be the best Elsbeth Tascioni that I can be.
Elsbethhas a legion of loyal fans, some of whom are probably discovering you and your work for the first time. Is there a project you’ve done in the past that you’d like to shout out to ScreenRant readers? Something you’re particularly proud of that maybe didn’t get the attention it deserved in its time?
Carrie Preston: I always say that Claws was underappreciated, even though we had ardent and devoted fans who were the best. That show was something special, and I had the time of my life filming it in New Orleans. It’s wonderful to see a diverse, women-led cast, and it’s truly got everything - drama, comedy, intrigue, adventure, romance. It’s very bingeable.
More About Elsbeth Season 2 On CBS
Based on the character featured in The Good Wife and The Good Fight
Emmy Award winnerCarrie Prestonis back as Elsbeth Tascioni, the astute but unconventional consent decree attorney working with the NYPD to catch New York’s most well-heeled murderers utilizing her unique point of view. Season two of the critically acclaimed series brings new cases and challenges when mistakes of the past come back to haunt Elsbeth, her boss Captain Wagner (Wendell Pierce), and detective in training Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson).
Check out our otherElsbethseason 2 interviews here:
Elsbethseason 2 airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS and is available to stream next-day on Paramount+.
Elsbeth
Elsbeth follows Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute attorney with a unique perspective, as she collaborates with the NYPD to tackle elusive criminals after a successful career in Chicago. Released in 2024, this series explores her unconventional methods in solving intricate cases.
