The show is due to change in a big way once Elsbeth season 3 rolls along. Things have already been a lot different since Kaya’s promotion to detective, but season 2, episode 19 introduces an even newer promotion that promises to change Kaya’s role for the rest of the series. And this comes at a terrible time for Elsbeth, who is only just learning that Judge Crawford’s death didn’t remotely put her out of harm’s way.
Kaya’s Twist Promotion In Elsbeth Season 2, Episode 19 Explained
Her Job Is About To Become Much More Difficult
Kaya’s initial promotion to detective already brought several changes to Elsbeth’s structure. With Blanke often pursuing her own investigations, Elsbeth has now had to explore her professional relationships with new partners such as Ethan Slater’s Officer Chandler. Wagner and Connor both recognized that Kaya’s promotion would mark a major shift in her relationship with Elsbeth, and there have indeed been many episodes since in which the two have barely shared any time onscreen with one another. But things take a much bigger turn in season 2, episode 19.
Captain Kershaw already presented the notion of Kaya transferring precincts earlier in Elsbeth season 2, but Kaya didn’t feel good about leaving Wagner right after he promoted her. In the end, however, Wagner convinces Kaya that joining Kershaw’s newest task force is the best move for her career. Kaya agrees to accept the promotion and join the task force, despite lamenting that she’ll be breaking the news to Elsbeth right as Tascioni’s struggling with dark feelings toward the legal system following her failure to bring Crawford to justice.
Kaya’s Detective Promotion Is Good For Elsbeth & The Officers
More Characters Can Now Feature In The Series
Earlier in season 2, it became clear that Elsbeth has struggled with maintaining true independence. She had worlds of trouble accepting reality when Kaya moved out after their brief time living together, and she broke down at the sheer thought of her son Teddy not falling in love with New York. Now that Cara Patterson is leaving Elsbeth as a series regular, Kaya’s reduced role as an occasional guest star will give Elsbeth more chances to work with others. She previously investigated with Wagner in season 2, episode 18, and it brought a welcomely fresh tone to the series.
Tascioni isn’t the only character who benefits from Kaya’s absence. Officer Chandler, Officer Reynolds, and Detective Rivers are all new characters from season 2 who have the chance to make further appearances after Kaya leaves. Also worthy of consideration is the fact that Kaya becoming a detective led to fewer appearances by other detective characters such as Buzz and Samantha, which left something of a hole given how much charm every detective brought to their respective episodes. With Kaya largely out of the picture, their return will be all the more welcome.
How Elsbeth Can Still Make The Most Of Kaya’s Reduced Role In Season 3
Kershaw And Wagner Have Already Teamed Up Before
With all of the changes to Elsbeth’s procedural format that have occurred in season 2, such as the inclusion of at least one episode in which the killer is unknown and an episode in which Elsbeth’s suspect dies before she can prove his guilt, Kaya’s new role on Kershaw’s task force has the potential to change the series’ format even more. Wagner and Kershaw have already proven they have a solid working relationship, with Wagner taking on the problematic Detective Rivers in exchange for Kershaw reopening the Mertens case. That sets up a brilliant potential future for the show.
Not too much has been established about Kaya’s task force as of yet, but it’s known that she’s receiving what appears to be federal training and will occasionally have to take on undercover assignments. If Wagner and Kershaw continue working together, there’s a chance this task force could eventually team up with Elsbeth as well. Although she can sometimes be deceptive, there’s never been an episode of Elsbeth in which Tascioni goes deep undercover. Thanks to Kaya’s promotion, that’s now an extremely promising possibility.
