It’s Halloween week on Elsbeth and it appears this week’s guest star, Annaleigh Ashford, is anything but a fair lady.
In a DECIDER exclusive clip from the October 31 episode, “Ick, a Bod,” the Broadway actress turned Happy Face star is stepping into the role of a suburban housewife and concerned mother whom Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston) encounters on a trip to Sleepy Hollow. The clip sees Ashford giving herself up as Elsbeth is clearly hot on her trail, guiding the NYPD consultant out of a maze and raising suspicion.
According to an episode description, “Ick, a Bod” follows Elsbeth’s investigation into Ashford’s character and a neighborhood rivalry that will reach a “ghoulish climax.” That cannot happen, however, until Elsbeth — dressed in her best Eliza Doolittle costume from My Fair Lady — gets to the bottom of the case.
In the new clip, Elsbeth appears to test out a hunch by taking a phone call and faking out Ashford’s character by making her think the police are arresting her daughter just outside the maze. “Salutations,” Elsbeth says in her best Eliza Doolittle accent — post-transformation accent, that is — before mentioning that “they’re going to charge her” and “they’re cuffing her now.”
As a result, Ashford’s character springs into action and races out of the maze without a single misstep, proving that she knew her way out and could feasibly get in and out in a cinch.
“Let me just catch my breath and we’ll resume the maze,” Ashford’s character says. “No, not necessary, I got what I needed. You navigated your way in and out of that maze, no problem,” Elsbeth retorts, throwing some heavy suspicion on the beige-dressed neighbor.
“You big city cops are unbelievable,” Ashford’s character says as Elsbeth responds, once again resuming her Eliza Doolittle accent, “I’m not a cop, I’m a lady.”
Elsbeth fans know this is a departure from her typical line about how she’s not really a police officer, but rather someone who works alongside the police. It’s a fun Halloween switch-up! Watch the entire clip from Season 3 Episode 3 in the player above.
Ashford is the latest actress to join the Elsbeth guest star roster, after Season 3 Episode 2 featured Julia Fox, and the season opener included Stephen Colbert, Andy Richter, and Amy Sedaris. Also joining the cast for Season 3 is another Broadway leading lady, Lindsay Mendez, fresh off her Tony win for Merrily We Roll Along.
In fact, when DECIDER sat down with Preston just before the Season 3 premiere, she joked that — as a Merrily fan — she may be trying to get Mendez to put in a good word to Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe about stopping by their set for a future episode.
“‘Hey guys, I’m having a good time on this show,’” Preston said with a laugh of what she hopes Mendez tells Groff and Radcliffe. “We would love that. I mean, Jonathan Groff is very busy with his show and Daniel Radcliffe is pretty busy himself. These guest stars are so great that it’s a miracle that we’re able to even work out any of their scheduling. But of course, I would love that.”
Elsbeth airs on CBS Thursday nights at 10 p.m. and streams the next day on Paramount+.
