There was no shortage of fun to be had in the Elsbeth season 2 finale, but it also left behind some head-scratching mysteries that are sure to leave fans on the edge of their seats until the series’ return. Despite its more upbeat nature, The Good Wife spinoff has gone down some dark roads and just recently said some tearful goodbyes. It’s never a dull time when spending an hour with Elsbeth’s cast of characters, and their heartfelt portrayals excel at drawing viewers into the story of Tascioni’s world of high-end Manhattan criminals.
It’s hard to say just how exactly creators Robert and Michelle King intend to raise the bar even further for Elsbeth season 3, considering how high they kept pushing it throughout this season already. But looking outside the quirky humor and impeccable guest stars, Elsbeth succeeds because it has enough heart to care about where even its smallest characters wind up. That’s exactly why the next season shouldn’t leave any of this season’s hanging threads unpulled.
8. Can Elsbeth’s Cases Really Be Thrown Out?
A One-Off Remark Raises A Valid Concern
When Tascioni first arrives at prison in the Elsbeth season 2 finale, she has to walk through the men’s wing. On her way through, Arian Moayed’s Joe Dillon (a suspect from the first season), opines that his case should be dropped because Elsbeth’s arrest without bail means that any cases she worked should be thrown out. This seems backed up by the fact that she’s specifically arrested for harassing a witness, which would call her investigative method into question.
For the purposes of the episode itself, this is something of a null point. Judge Dousant ultimately drops the charges against Elsbeth after Wagner and Chandler convince him of Crawford’s guilt, so the matter wouldn’t be worth investigating any further. However, the case could be much different if it were specifically Elsbeth’s consent decree that came under fire, as it would call doubts upon her competence in performing the one job she was actually sent there to perform. A season 3 villain with enough power could arguably make that exact thing happen.
7. Will Judge Dousant Return In Elsbeth Season 3?
Elsbeth Could Use An Ally On The Bench
Springing Elsbeth from prison wasn’t exactly an easy task for Wagner. Barring any possible future plans for The Good Wife cameos in Elsbeth, Tascioni remains the most competent defense attorney on the series. Wagner tried to reason with Dousant as a professional, but Dousant wanted Elsbeth in prison because he blamed her for the death of Judge Crawford, who Dousant still believed to be a just and noble man.
Dousant dropping Elsbeth’s charges…shows him to be the man he thought Crawford to be, which could make him a useful ally in future battles against corruption.
With help from Elsbeth’s son Teddy and Officer Reese Chandler, Wagner eventually convinces Dousant that Crawford used him to take over the Mertens trial so he could cover up his own murder. Dousant dropping Elsbeth’s charges in response shows him to be the man he thought Crawford to be, which could make him a useful ally in future battles against corruption. That opens the possibility for John Carroll Lynch to reprise his role as Judge Dousant, but this time as an ally to Tascioni rather than a threat to her freedom.
6. Does Detective Rivers Still Work At Wagner’s Precinct?
He Wasn’t Just There For The Mertens Case
Detective Rivers didn’t so much join Wagner’s precinct as he was thrust upon Wagner by Kershaw as punishment for asking her to reopen the Mertens case. And while he was technically working with Elsbeth and Kaya because he was the original lead on that case, Kershaw made it very clear to everyone that he was partly at Wagner’s precinct to become a better detective. He hasn’t been seen since the Mertens case was closed in the wake of Crawford’s death, so it’s unclear whether Kershaw still wants him working under Wagner.
He doesn’t appear with the other detectives during Kaya’s going-away party, but that doesn’t mean much. Also absent is Molly Price’s Detective Donnelly, who presumably still works there. And while Detective Rivers made some large strides during the final investigation into Judge Crawford, he still has a lot of room to grow. Kershaw letting him work with Wagner and Elsbeth for a little longer might not be the worst thing for his growth as a detective.
5. Will Rocco Get A Job At The NYPD?
He Could Have Earned It With His First Arrest
The first person Elsbeth meets in prison is Rocco Bellini, a kindhearted prison guard who very quickly helps Tascioni get the lay of the land while conveniently walking her past the cells of everyone in there she’s gotten arrested. But the most interesting detail about Rocco is that he’s a huge fan of Captain Wagner and has studied him extensively in his dream of working for the NYPD. When he learns that Elsbeth and Wagner work together, his interest is more than a little piqued.
Elsbeth isn’t shown putting in a good word for Rocco with Wagner, but he’s arguably earned it. Given her values, Elsbeth’s likely to appreciate that Rocco’s maintained his honesty despite working under a corrupt warden, and the fact that he’s the one who actually puts the cuffs on Mama Martin after Elsbeth figures out her scam doesn’t hurt. Moreover, Wagner knows that Elsbeth works best with people she likes, so it wouldn’t be outlandish for him to bring on Rocco for that reason alone.
4. How Will Kaya Leaving Affect Her Relationship With Cameron?
Wagner Warned Her The Job Could Have An Impact
Along with the recent reveal that Carra Patterson’s Kaya Blanke is leaving Elsbeth as a series regular to work with Kershaw’s task force instead of continuing under Wagner, she also received grounded advice from the good captain who got her that promotion. Wagner warned Kaya that her frequent undercover assignments could strain her relationship with Cameron Clayton, the charming medical examiner currently occupying dual roles as both her tenant and boyfriend.
Cameron can’t ultimately say how well he’ll handle Kaya’s undercover assignments until she’s actually taken one.
Kaya didn’t seem worried about it, and Cameron was incredibly supportive in his toast at Kaya’s farewell party. However, it’s easy to be supportive of a change when it hasn’t happened yet. It’s impossible for Cameron to assess how Kaya’s job will affect their relationship when she hasn’t even started training, something that will already take her away to D.C. for a while. Cameron can’t ultimately say how well he’ll handle Kaya’s undercover assignments until she’s actually taken one. It might be harder than either one of them expects.
3. Who Will Replace Kaya As Elsbeth’s New Partner?
She Might Just Keep Rotating
Unlike procedurals in which detectives only deal with uniformed officers in passing, Elsbeth traditionally pairs Tascioni with one patrol officer while the pair of them rotate working under various solo detectives. Since Kaya’s promotion, both the officers and detectives have been rotating while Wagner and Connor try to find Elsbeth a suitable partner. It’s possible that Elsbeth season 3 might just keep up the rotation in order to facilitate more talent, which would allow Elsbeth to continue working with Officer Reynolds, Officer Chandler, and possibly more.
With Rocco’s introduction and possible transition to the NYPD, he could join the rotation as well. At the same time, it’s possible that Rocco’s desire to be a cop was a backdoor method of introducing Elsbeth’s next uniformed partner. There’s been no indication as to whether they plan on replacing Kaya with a new series regular, but Connor did suggest as much when he promised Wagner they’d find someone. At this point in the game, it could go in either direction.
2. How Frequently Will Kaya Appear In Elsbeth Season 3?
And What Will Her Role Be When She Does?
It may have been confirmed that Carra Patterson will reprise her role as Kaya Blanke in a guest star capacity in Elsbeth season 3, but there’s not much word yet on how often fans can expect to see her. Assuming the series keeps the increased episode count that it got with season 2, there should be plenty of chances for Kaya to meet up with Elsbeth and Wagner in future episodes. She already promised Elsbeth twice that their frozen yogurt dates weren’t over forever, so there’s hope that she’ll turn up at least once every couple of months.
There still remains the question, however, of what those appearances may look like. Kaya’s always welcome to just hang out and offer advice or emotional support, but the most interesting way to bring Kaya back is for an episode involving Kershaw’s task force. Elsbeth trying to go undercover could lead to no end of entertainment, and it would be a new way of exploring some of the changes to Elsbeth’s procedural format they’ve experimented with in season 2.
1. When Will Elsbeth And Angus See Each Other Again?
They Need To Reunite Formally Onscreen
Ioan Gruffudd’s Elsbeth character Angus Oliphant-Donnachaidh is not only the first character besides Elsbeth who’s ever had to spell his name out verbally, but also Tascioni’s first real love interest in the series. She’d been hit on by firefighters who mostly liked Elsbeth for her hair, but Angus immediately takes legitimate interest in Elsbeth’s personality and fashion sense. It’s only revealed at the end of his first episode that he, too, happens to be a firefighter. But because he lives in Scotland, he and Elsbeth haven’t seen each other since Valentine’s Day.
However, Angus is the very definition of “gone but not forgotten.” He’s come up frequently in the series, and Detective Edwards even mentions his name in the season 2 finale when Elsbeth reveals that she’s considered leaving New York. Since he’s already flown to see her, it would only be fair if Elsbeth season 3 featured an episode in which she returns the favor by going to Scotland (and likely finding a body there). However or whenever they reconnect, most fans would forgive his long absence for just one chance to hear him sing again.
