The star-studded and Broadway-flavored Elsbeth season 2 finale definitely didn’t skimp on fan service, but one guest star who seemed particularly suited to the episode in question felt shockingly underused. Plenty of former guests showed up for the Elsbeth season 2 finale, largely in the form of several killers from the first two seasons whom Tascioni encounters during her brief stint in prison. But they aren’t the only fun surprises, as the finale expands Elsbeth’s cast of characters with a couple of new additions as well.
When arriving at the prison facility, Elsbeth first meets Geoffrey Allen Murphy’s Rocco Bellini, a prison guard with dreams of working under Captain Wagner as an NYPD officer. Rocco’s dream of becoming a cop means that he could show up in Wagner’s precinct in the future, but he’s not the only character at the prison who stands a chance of appearing in Elsbeth season 3. If any character from the Elsbeth season 2 finale truly deserves a second chance to shine, it’s Donna Lynne Champlin’s Mama Martin.
Donna Lynne Champlin’s Elsbeth Season 2 Finale Role Explained
Her Character’s Name Is A Thinly Veiled Broadway Reference
Although Elsbeth’s Judge Crawford storyline wrapped up a couple of episodes ahead of the finale, that didn’t stop the season 2 closer from putting Tascioni in the crosshairs of a newer villain. This time, however, Donna Lynne Champlin’s Warden Mama Martin comes across as an ally when she first appears. But, as might have been one of the more predictable plot twists in an episode where most of the guest stars are already known criminals, the generous warden turns out to be a killer.
Mama Martin’s name references the same warden played by Queen Latifah in the film adaptation of Chicago, presumably in part because both characters’ corruption takes the shape of reciprocity. But while Champlin’s character primarily just sells contraband to inmates, she’s willing to murder first-season killer Alex Modarian to keep her low-level black market from being exposed. And while she plays the part of Elsbeth’s ally fairly convincingly until the final reveal, it’s not just her chemistry with Carrie Preston that makes it feel as if Champlin’s murderous warden could have been put to better use.
Elsbeth Season 2 Finale Never Makes Use Of Donna Lynne Champlin’s Vocal Ability
Her Singing Voice Would Have Been Perfect For Her Character
Different guest stars work for different reasons. For instance, fans who want to see more The Good Wife cameos in Elsbeth often simply wish to check in with a beloved character and see what they’ve been doing. But because the Elsbeth season 2 finale pays tribute to Chicago with the show’s own rendition of “Cell Block Tango,” it was important for the finale to cast guest stars who could specifically prove entertaining in a Broadway number. And since Mama Martin doesn’t participate in that number, it seems odd that Champlin in particular was cast in the role.
Champlin began her acting career on the stage, but her true breakout role was Paula Proctor in the musical CW series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Throughout her numerous songs on the show, Champlin established an especially notable prowess for songs that involved Broadway-style belting, something shared with most portrayals of Mama Morton in Chicago. Not only does Champlin’s history of onscreen singing more than qualify her to have sung in a musical episode of Elsbeth, but even her character name suggests that she would have been perfect had the finale leaned further into its Chicago inspirations.
How Donna Lynne Champlin Could Return In Elsbeth Season 3
Every Other Elsbeth Season 2 Finale Guest Star Already Knows
All of the prison inmates in the Elsbeth season 2 finale should make it clear already that getting arrested for murder doesn’t prevent a character from returning later, but sending Tascioni to prison might not be necessary to ensure her next brush with familiar faces. Just as Carra Patterson’s Kaya Blanke leaving Elsbeth as a main cast member doesn’t mean she won’t occasionally return, there are numerous ways to write back a character like Mama Martin in Elsbeth season 3. Another Elsbeth season 2 finale guest star even makes reference to the most obvious way of doing so.
Toward the beginning of the finale, season 1 suspect Joe Dillon suggests to Elsbeth that her arrest should warrant throwing out his case. This never comes to pass since the charges against Tascioni are dropped, but it does raise the question of what might happen the next time an Elsbeth villain threatens her consent decree. Former suspects could try to appeal their cases, and it’s even possible a new corrupt judge could allow some of them to be released. If Mama Martin has a musical future in the series, it could be on an even higher-stakes finale.
