I hate most Halloween episodes.
As far as I’m concerned, they’re a waste of time with stupid dream sequences or ridiculous stories that make me eager for the episode to end.
Elsbeth Season 3 Episode 4 was nothing like that, though. Instead, we got an entertaining mystery that happened to take place around Halloween.
Elsbeth’s Costumes Were Just Another One Of Her Quirks
Elsbeth decided to celebrate “Halloweek” by wearing a different My Fair Lady-inspired outfit every day, even though it wasn’t exactly aligned with the dress code at the precinct.
The Cockney accent was silly, and I was glad she dropped that, but her Halloweek costumes were in line with all the other eccentric things Elsbeth has done, and it was fun to find out what she was wearing next.
It also got her immediate attention from her main suspect, so it was another way of making herself seem like the harmless weird lady instead of the sharp investigator who knew everything.
Other than the Halloween maze murder, Elsbeth’s outlandish outfit changes were the only sign of the holiday. I can live with that, though I did wonder where her trademark bags were.
This Murder Was Like An Episode of American Housewife That Went To The Dark Side
I loved American Housewife because it satirized suburban life with characters who only cared about dieting, were vegan because it was trendy, and pretended to be all-inclusive while secretly being the most judgmental people on the planet.
Both the neighborhood where the murder took place and the prime suspect gave off the same kind of vibe.
Sharon fought with Beryl and eventually killed her for the pettiest of reasons.
She didn’t like Beryl’s art, her interest in eating food that wasn’t gluten-free or vegan, or Beryl’s lack of respect for her tree.
And worst of all, she hated that the other women in the neighborhood all gravitated toward Beryl, not her.
Jealousy is an ugly emotion that can cause people to do crazy things, and Sharon took it to new heights with this elaborate murder scheme.
This One Wasn’t Columbo Style, But The Killer Was Obvious
Although we didn’t know from the start exactly who had decapacitated Beryl, it wasn’t hard to guess, considering who her worst enemy was.
The cold open dragged on a little too long, depicting all the major battles between the neighbors and Sharon’s husband being caught in the middle.
If only Lucas hadn’t been Avery’s alibi, he would have been the perfect suspect. Nobody thinks of the mild-mannered husband as a murderer!
But it was clear from the start that someone in Sharon’s family was guilty, and she was the most likely to have killed Beryl since she hated her from the moment they met.
It’s not always fun for Elsbeth to play catch-up with what the audience already knows, but this time was entertaining.
Sharon did a great job of pretending to be a concerned resident, but she wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all Elsbeth. But she also wasn’t making it easy for Elsbeth to prove her guilt, either!
That’s the kind of opponent that makes Elsbeth fun. More of this, please.
Elsbeth Did a Great Job of Using Her Wits To Outsmart Sharon
One of my favorite things about Elsbeth is how she often plays dumb to get criminals to tell on themselves. She pulled one of her best tricks wth Sharon in the maze.
I knew as soon as the phone rang that Elsbeth wanted to see if Sharon really knew her way around the maze.
Up until then, Sharon had also been playing dumb, pretending not to be sure which way to go, but when she thought Avery was being arrested she got a move on.
That trick was so obvious that it shouldn’t have worked, but Sharon fell for it immediately.
I guess if you’re a killer who is terrified your daughter will take the fall for your crimes while also trying to impress everyone around you, you aren’t going to think clearly enough to pick up on it, though.
Sharon also thought she was clever by staying just off-camera throughout the night so that nobody could prove she’d wandered off from the party.
I’m not entirely sure why she didn’t get away with it.
The scarecrow’s rubber glove being in the garage could have just proven that she put it away after the party, not that she didn’t really shake little Tommy’s hand.
I’ll take it, though.
Anything that knocked Sharon down off her overly-high horse was worth it.
The Theme of Control Was Interesting
Sharon rejected Elsbeth’s claim that you can’t control your adult or nearly-adult children.
I would have LOVED to have had Teddy’s reaction to that one!
Captain Wagner’s subplot also reflected the same theme, with Wagner trying to control who Julia dates, though he was right that she shouldn’t be dating someone who is committed to someone else, even if Kaya is MIA.
I liked Julia a lot, though I can’t remember if she’s been on before or if she’s a brand-new character that Elsbeth is supposed to have known for years.
