Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
That was just about the most Elsbeth opening to an episode ever! We’re back, baby, and the skies have never been campier.
It’s wild to think it’s been over seven months since the titular character sashayed onto TV screens with her own series. It’s like no time has passed.
Hats off to the Elsbeth writers for the meta-approach to acknowledging the break between seasons.
Did you catch Kaya and Elsbeth talking about how surprisingly slow the last few months had been? I love a tip-toe take on breaking the fourth wall.
And a big round of applause for Elsbeth bringing back familiar faces.
Elsbeth Brings Back Familiar Faces For A Surge Of Nostalgia
One of my biggest pet peeves with procedurals is how many characters are treated like throw-a-way plot devices. They’re there for one episode and then never seen again.
So, you can imagine how excited I was to see multiple familiar faces from Elsbeth Season 1. For starters, Daniel Davis returned as Dr. Yablonski.
That sweet old man was first seen in Elsbeth Season 1 Episode 6, “An Ear for an Ear’ alongside Gina Gershon. Remember the death by off-brand Botox? Yeah, that one.
As campy as that episode was, it doesn’t come close to “A Classic New York Character.” For eagle-eyed viewers out there, you may have spotted a particular blonde high-end realtor.
I’m talking about the one and only Jane Krakowski, who played Joann Lenox in Elsbeth Season 1 Episode 2. The hilarious character’s face can be seen on a bench as Elsbeth walks through the city.
However, there’s only one character from last season that’s worth seeing, and that’s Gonzo. The adorable dog found its forever home with the lawyer turned sleuth in Elsbeth Season 1 Episode 8.
The pilfered pooch even helped solve the case of his murdered owner. That’s a police dog in the making if there was ever one. Possible animated spinoff idea? I’d watch it.
Some Shake-Ups Are Going Down With Elsbeth’s Team
However, it’s not all familiar faces this season of Elsbeth. We were introduced to Lieutenant Connor, Noonan’s replacement from Season 1.
So far, we can tell the squeaky-clean cop is not there to make friends. Much to Kaya’s dismay, he’s there to live and breathe protocols and guidelines. We’ll get to that in a minute.
This new killjoy is played by Daniel K. Isaac, known for projects such as Billions, The Other Two, and The Deuce.
With less than ten years in the industry, the actor chose a good show to get his face into homes worldwide. Who isn’t watching Elsbeth at this point?
As for the character, he wasted no time raining on Kaya’s parade. Granted, it’s hardly his fault that Kaya was misinformed about her detective requirements.
However, I love that the writers found a solid arc for Kaya (Carra Patterson). It’s better than her following Elsbeth around in every scene.
And, of course, we have to talk about the newest detective on the show, Detective Fleming, or, as I will call him, Detective Grandpa. I love this guy.
He is so kind and won me over instantly, mainly when he stuck up for Kaya and why she deserves to be made detective. Fingers crossed, he’s a permanent fixture.
Nathan Lane Leads Viewers Into One Of The Campiest Episodes Of Elsbeth
We’re far enough into the review that we can finally talk about the episodic killer. Elsbeth swung big and knocked it out of the park with Nathan Lane.
The actor is the perfect intersection between camp and drama. The man has more versatility than a chameleon.
Just his role in The Birdcage was enough to solidify him as comedy gold, but he’s also made his rounds on the TV circuit. He gave an incredible performance in Only Murders in The Building Seasons 1 and 2.
He was also just in the provocative Netflix series Monsters. From Penny Dreadful: City of Angels to Modern Family and The Blacklist, this man can do any genre.
So, seeing him play an opera aficionado who murders an annoying attendee is chef’s kiss perfection.
There’s just one more little trend that has carried over from Elsbeth Season 1. If you kept up with the reviews from last season, you’ll remember that each episodic killer is played by an actor who had worked on either The Good Wife or The Good Fight.
The trend continues because Lane was a regular figure on The Good Wife from 2012 to 2014. If this indicates how the rest of Elsbeth season 2 will be, we are off to a good start.
Elsbeth Struts Her Stuff Back Onto The Small Screen And Delivers A Perfect Premiere With Pep In Her Step
Now we get to the woman, the lawyer, the sleuth, Elsbeth Tascioni. No one can rock an insult to the eyes like everyone’s favorite tote-bag-toting attorney.
I must have developed a tolerance for Elsbeth’s wardrobe because I’m typically floored, but I found some of her choices in this episode nice. Oh god, what has happened to me?
Carrie Preston strutted back onto the small screen with all her usual charm and charisma wrapped up in the brightest pink known to man.
Can you imagine what she’d wear if she went jogging at night? Probably a fog light on her forehead. Not to worry, because, her knees, right?
I was glad to see this episode was grounded in reality, unlike Elsbeth Season 1 Episode 10. Listen, Mateo was a sweet old man, but he was wrong for creating a fashion line based on Elsbeth’s style.
R.I.P. to the huge, pink, fuzzy bucket hat. That thing needed to die in a fire. Still, it was a cute little callback to connect the two seasons.
Now we need to know who was waiting for Elsbeth in the big, black SUV that showed up right at the end.
It seems like the writers didn’t miss a beat between Seasons 1 and 2. The story is still fun and refreshing. Let’s see if they can take something great and make it even better.
Starting the count of means of murder, that’s one for stabbing, but I still think we’re going to see a lot of blunt-force trauma again.
From the episodic killers to the campy means of murder, CBS‘s Elsbeth is the police procedural for viewers who like a lighter side to their crime-solving. Save the gritty stuff for True Detective.
Who do you think was in the SUV at the end of the episode?
Which actor from The Good Wife universe do you hope makes a cameo?
Please drop a comment below to let me know what you liked about this episode, and join me again when I review the next episode of Elsbeth.
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