Elsbeth season 3 has to address an annoying inconsistency that keeps the show from reaching its full potential. The sunny CBS procedural is led by Carrie Preston, who reprises her Emmy-winning role as the unconventional Elsbeth Tascioni and sees the titular character move from Chicago to New York to oversee the work of the NYPD after several controversial arrests.
Preston originated the role of Elsbeth on The Good Wife in a recurring capacity and would continue to recur on The Good Fight spinoff. The crime dramedy exists in the same universe as the two previous legal dramas, though, heading into Elsbeth season 3, it’s never clear about the connection that it has to its predecessors.
Elsbeth Is Inconsistent About Its Character Ties To The Good Wife & The Good Fight
It Can’t Seem To Decide One Way Or The Other
Robert and Michelle King, who co-created the series, told The Hollywood Reporter in a March 2024 interview that they don’t think of Elsbeth as a spinoff, saying in part, “It was a separate show, and it’s such a completely different world.” However, that approach has kept the procedural from getting to the next level.
The premiere episode of Elsbeth does a good job of linking it to The Good Wife. Cary Agos (Matt Czuchry) is namedropped several times as someone from the main character’s past who could replace her if she doesn’t do a good enough job in her oversight of the NYPD. But there are almost immediate cracks in that linkage.
Linda Lavin played parole officer Joy Grubick on The Good Wife, appearing in three episodes during season 6. She then played a different character, Gloria Blecher, in the second episode of Elsbeth season 1. This break with The Good Wife carried on into Elsbeth season 2, with veteran actor Nathan Lane playing a murderer that Tascioni slyly puts away.
Lavin, an Emmy nominee for her role in Alice, passed away in December 2024.
Lane had already played Clarke Hayden, a recurring character brought in to help The Good Wife’s central law firm during a difficult period. It would be one thing if the CBS procedural made a clean break from previous shows, but it brought back Christian Borle, who played the antagonist Carter Schmidt on The Good Wife and The Good Fight, to antagonize Elsbeth about her work as a lawyer.
Elsbeth can either erase its Good Wife ties for the most part or it can embrace those ties. However, picking and choosing which characters are canon across all three shows will be confusing, keeping the show from tapping into a valuable resource of talented guest stars.
Elsbeth’s Character Inconsistency Restricts It From Fully Tapping Into Being A Part Of A TV Show Universe
It’s Leaving Options On The Table
Part of the fun in having a spinoff to a television franchise that began in 2009 is that Elsbeth could call upon several of The Good Wife’s impressive cast members for an appearance. They could be visiting New York or they’re there on business. The specifics are less important than what it would mean for the series in the long run.
Even for those who enjoy the procedural, there is no denying the formula can get a little repetitive. Elsbeth quickly identifies a murderer and reliably breaks them down until they are arrested, having to rely on her gut feeling. Bringing in characters from The Good Wife and The Good Fight ties these one-off stories to something larger.
It also ties Elsbeth herself to greater continuity. The character appeared in 14 episodes of The Good Wife and five episodes of The Good Fight, making friends and enemies along the way. It would be rewarding for fans to see that history acknowledged as opposed to just casually applied.
How CBS Can Fix Elsbeth’s Canon Issue In Season 3
Bring In The Big Guns
Showrunner and executive producer Johnathan Tolins has been non-committal about bringing in the main actors from The Good Wife and The Good Fight for cameos. Opening up those possibilities would reaffirm to audiences that, despite deviations, all three shows are part of the same world.
Elsbeth season 3 doesn’t currently have a premiere date.
Even bringing in Michael J. Fox could accomplish the goal. He received five Emmy nominations for his guest performance as bbc Louis Canning, and it would be fun to see him square off with Preston. It’s also proof that Elsbeth shouldn’t ignore its predecessors’ enviable roster of performers.
