Spoilers ahead for the Season 2 premiere of Elsbeth, called "Subscription to Murder."
The long wait for Elsbeth to return in the fall 2024 TV schedule following the emotional Season 1 finale ended on October 17, with a Season 2 premiere that featured Nathan Lane as the killer of the week, moved to murder due to one man's very poor theater etiquette. The kicker came at the very end after the case had been closed, however, as Elsbeth was approached by a car. The scene didn't show the face of the person inside, but he said "Get in, Miss Tascioni" and she looked shocked to see him. When I spoke with showrunner Jonathan Tolins and star Carrie Preston, I got their thoughts on the cliffhanger.
It seemed likely that this mysterious ending wasn't tied to the serialized story from Season 1 (available streaming via Paramount+ subscription), since Elsbeth and Co. guaranteed the downfall of Noonan. After showrunner Jonathan Tolins explained why Nathan Lane was the first choice to play the "Subscription to Murder" killer, he shared:
The story with the man in the car is new to Elsbeth, but – based on Tolins' mention of Chicago – seems tied to the character's time on The Good Wife and The Good Fight. Since those two shows aren't required viewing to enjoy Elsbeth, it seems like a safe bet that not everybody who tuned into the second season premiere following Matlock could immediately guess who it was. Even for fans of the two original shows, a rewatch might be necessary to catch the clue in the opening credits.
Because the name from The Good Fight and The Good Wife that appeared in the credits? Christian Borle, who played Carter Schmidt in the two shows and isn't debuting on Elsbeth in a different role like Nathan Lane did. Carrie Preston also addressed the Season 2 premiere cliffhanger, saying:
This also isn't a storyline that Elsbeth is going to drop ASAP. Not only does the Episode 2 description courtesy of CBS preview that "Elsbeth’s day is turned upside down when she is reunited with a former colleague from Chicago" next week, but Carrie Preston went on in our interview to say this when I asked if there would be serialized elements of Season 2 to go along with the cases of the week:
Well, it seems that we'll have at least two episodes with Christian Borle this season, if the voice cameo at the end of "Subscription to Murder" counts! For his part, Jonathan Tolins clarified how the Elsbeth team is approaching serialization for Season 2 compared to the 10-episode first season, saying:
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Elsbeth had to find the right balance between serialization and cases of the week in Season 1, not least because there tended to be more shenanigans with Elsbeth's weekly investigation than in the ongoing storyline, which led to Wagner feeling deeply betrayed by her. I asked the showrunner, an opera lover who also wrote the Season 2 premiere, if it's fun for him to combine the two, and he shared:
Season 2 may be going well for the showrunner, but is it going "very well" for Elsbeth herself after the premiere cliffhanger? Keep tuning in to find out! New episodes of Elsbeth will continue airing on Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, following Kathy Bates' Matlock Season 1. You can also revisit the full first season of Elsbeth as well as The Good Wife and The Good Fight streaming on Paramount+.
Laura Hurley
Senior Content Producer
Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).
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