Ok, so your dad is probably about ready to cancel Paramount Plus now that CBS has canceled CSI: Vegas and Blue Bloods. But have no fear, I’m sure as Tom Selleck hopes that Blue Bloods: The Next Generation or whatever it’s going to be called is set for next year or whatever. I mean, Criminal Minds ended in 2020 and then they had another spin-off with Criminal Minds: Evolution in 2022 which features most of the original cast. So, don’t fret all you dads out there, you still have those NCIS and Law & Order shows and Selleck looks healthy and I’m sure Donnie Wahlberg will be available to return.
But if you’re looking for a different police procedural show, I suggest you check out Elsbeth if you haven’t already. I was watching the first episode when I kept wondering who was Carrie Preston and where had I seen her before. I knew she was from something I had seen. A quick Google search revealed she had appeared in some good recent movies like The Holdovers and some bad ones like They/Them. The character of Elsbeth Tascioni that Preston plays originated on the TV show The Good Wife and its spin-off The Good Fight, two shows I never did watch or get into.
It’s probably for the best. Going in cold, Elsbeth on paper probably seems like an unrealistic quirky character. However, Preston, who won an Emmy for her portrayal on The Good Wife years ago, gives the character the three-dimensions that make her so appealing to watch. Originally a lawyer from Chicago, she’s been tasked with the Department of Justice to function as a consent decree of the New York Police Department after some controversial arrests. At first glance, Elsbeth looks like your typical middle-aged women from the Midwest. She dresses in bright colors and carries around a huge purse. Although she’s supposed to be from Chicago, she still looks around at everything with a “Wow!” excitement. Even for NYC, she sticks out.
Preston plays Elsbeth as a cross between Debra Jo Rupp’s Kitty Foreman, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Jeff Bridges’ performance as Starman. Everything she sees seems to excite her which helps her investigative skills but she has a Betty Homemaker type of demeanor that she brings baked goods to people during questioning. The format is an inverted detective story, otherwise known as a howcatchem in which we know from the start who the killer is. The rest of the episode focuses on how Elsbeth works to catch the killers in a lie or show how they can messed up.
One of the NYPD officers who assists her is Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson), a younger uniformed officer. Both of them report to Capt. C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce), the precinct supervisor. Wagner is a highly decorated veteran of the force who has been under scrutiny by the DOJ of illegal activities for which he denies. This gives the show a continual serial feel as Elsbeth and Kaya help investigate individual case, sometimes much to the chagrin of the police detectives who are quick to assume a death was a suicide or accident.
Most of the killers are recognizable actors guest-starring. Keegan-Michael Key plays the CEO of a wealthy financial firm who murders his new son-in-law when he uncovers illegal activities. Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays a narcissistic reality TV show director/producer who kills one of the main stars when she wants more power and profits. Gina Gershon plays a plastic surgeon who kills a younger, former colleague who is now more successful. The format is similar to Columbo as it had an eccentric investigator trying to catch some of high society of their high crimes. You could look at it as the NYC counterpart to Columbo as it was set mostly in the Los Angeles area.
It also helps that Elsbeth is piggy-backing off the popularity of Only Murders in the Building which blends dark comedy with the cold-blooded murders. There’s even an episode in which Jane Krakowski plays a high-priced real estate broker who kills a nagging co-op board president played by Linda Lavin. Sound familiar? What really makes the show is how Preston’s gullible attitude seems to irritate those in NYC. While the Big Apple is known for its rotten to the core attitude of people, Elsbeth never seems to even get frustrated when she hits a road block in her investigation.
I think this is what has made the show so popular and well-received. In the 2000s, the CSI and Criminal Minds shows themselves were piggy-backing off the grittiness of Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue by mixing science with street smarts. Along with The Wire, which Pierce starred in, these shows pushed the envelope giving us some of the most despicable people seen in a TV show. The first “Mr. Scratch” episode of Criminal Minds might be one of the most terrifying shows ever broadcast on network TV. The gruesomeness is what drove Mandy Patinkin to leave the show after the second season.
I think after Covid, more people are wanting shows with a lighter feel to them. There’s crime and murders in Elsbeth and Only Murders, but there’s also a sense of these are the types of shows you can watch with your parents or grandparents. Elsbeth’s demeanor resonates more with people who maybe don’t care for American Horror Story’s shock value. In the pilot episode, she gets splashed with water when a car drives past a puddle. And Preston just smiles. I think people want to see more of that. Elsbeth has already aired eight of its episodes. The pilot was shown on Feb. 29. But because of the State of the Union address and NCAA men’s basketball tournaments in March, the second episode didn’t air until April 4. Two are two more episodes set to air this season.
CBS renewed the show for a second season in April. Hopefully, it has a good run for many seasons to come.
What do you think? Please comment.
Zane Says 