While it hasn’t been big on The Good Wife cameos so far, Elsbeth is set up for a major appearance thanks to one significant update. The Elsbeth season 2 finale left a lot of balls in the air as it moved away from the recent Judge Crawford storyline to do something different. But that could spell big opportunities for Elsbeth season 3.
It really can’t be said enough that Elsbeth’s cast of characters are largely responsible for the show’s charm, but it’s only natural for fans to wonder when it might cross over more substantially with The Good Wife than it has. Elsbeth has only featured one minor The Good Wife cameo to date, but there’s now justification for bringing in another.
Elsbeth Season 3 Will Address The Consequences Of Judge Crawford’s Corruption
Crawford Caused A Lot Of Issues That Haven’t Been Resolved
Judge Crawford’s death left a lot of unanswered questions in Elsbeth season 2. It’s never clear if he undid the actions he took against Elsbeth’s friends and family, such as setting Internal Affairs against Captain Wagner and trifling with the precinct’s staffing budget for detectives. As showrunner Jonathan Tolins tells TVLine, Crawford’s influence on the ongoing story remains in play:
“That is certainly something we are going to be talking about Day 1 in the writers’ room for Season 3. We like to have a show where we don’t just throw out things and never think of them again. We like the idea that things are constantly having repercussions moving forward.”
Some of Crawford’s lingering influence has already been depicted in the show, particularly in the Elsbeth season 2 finale. Judge Dousant openly declares that he only wants Elsbeth in prison for her perceived role in Crawford’s death, and he likely isn’t the only judge who feels that way.
This spells pretty big problems for Elsbeth and her friends moving forward. Most of the schemes Crawford set in motion will require judges to carry them out, and just because Wagner’s convinced Dousant of Crawford’s corruption doesn’t mean the late villain’s other friends will be as easily swayed. This could affect at least one character from The Good Wife.
Elsbeth Season 3’s Update Sets Up An Appearance By Will Patton’s Mike Tascioni
He Could Be The Most Meaningful The Good Wife Cameo So Far
When CBS began promoting its mile-long list of Elsbeth season 2 finale guest stars, there was some speculation among the hopefuls in the online fan community that they were secretly hiding more. But the finale’s closest thing to a Good Wife cameo was Elizabeth Lail playing a different character than she did on The Good Fight, something Elsbeth does frequently.
Tolins’ update means that Elsbeth season 3 could have a more meaningful The Good Wife cameo than any other thus far. Rather than recasting actors like Nathan Lane or bringing in a minor Good Wife character for a few car scenes, Elsbeth can follow up on the fact that Crawford took steps to have Elsbeth’s ex-husband disbarred from legal practice.
It’s pretty hard to pump the brakes on something like that from beyond the grave. And, since a judge outside of Crawford’s legal jurisdiction would need to have pushed it forward, Elsbeth season 3 could bring back Will Patton as Mike Tascioni to investigate how Elsbeth landed him in this mess. This development could prove highly beneficial to the series.
Why Mike Tascioni Appearing In Elsbeth Season 3 Is So Great
Teddy’s Relationship With His Father Could Be Better Explored
Up until now, there hasn’t been much reason for Elsbeth to bring Mike all the way to New York from Chicago. He and El didn’t even appear as if they interacted frequently when they were sharing custody of their Chihuahua, and Tom’s illness at the end of Mike’s run on The Good Wife appears to have killed even that arrangement.
However, there hasn’t been very much exploration regarding the relationship between Mike Tascioni and Elsbeth’s son Teddy. We know Teddy traditionally spends every other Christmas with Mike and recently canceled a trip when his mom needed company, but Mike and Teddy have yet to appear onscreen together. Uniting the two in Elsbeth season 3 could shed light on their interactions.
Mike’s appearance also provides a chance to revisit the odd chemistry between him and his ex-wife. As seen in his first episode of The Good Wife, Mike brings out a flavor of sexual tension that seems almost uncharacteristic for Elsbeth. Given she has a new potential beau after season 2, this would be an intriguing time to bring that back.
How Mike Tascioni Can Pave The Way For More The Good Wife Cameos In Elsbeth
Mike May Still Have Direct Connections To Eli Gold
Chris Noth being written out of The Equalizer following his sexual misconduct allegations was a pretty good sign that CBS won’t be bringing Peter Florrick to Elsbeth any time soon, and The Good Fight revealed that the character’s probably going to die in jail anyway. But it remains unclear whether Mike and Eli maintained contact after Mike left Peter’s case.
Eli’s already one of the easiest The Good Wife cameos on Elsbeth to justify, since his work as a political consultant could theoretically take him anywhere. If they’ve stayed in contact at all since Eli initially hired him, Mike could give Elsbeth the inside scoop on if Eli’s been in New York recently and what might have brought him there.
This could spark a chain of cameos by other characters close to Eli, but he’d serve a significant purpose on his own. If Elsbeth season 3 is set to explore the fallout from its latest villain’s corruption, Tascioni might find herself up against politicians next. Mike being the one to warn her would make his cameo that much more impactful.
