Elsbeth is getting the guest star fans have wanted! Who is Michael Emerson playing in the series?

Fans of Elsbeth are getting the dream guest star they’ve been waiting for! Find out who Michael Emerson is playing on the hit CBS series!

For years, Carrie Preston has been a regular face on TV series, often in brief guest star roles. The redhead stands out with her nice humor and great talents that have earned her some nice accolades. Preston has had regular roles in series such as Arlene on True Blood and Polly on Claws. 

Preston’s most notable role is easily Elsbeth Tascioni, the quirky lawyer she played in The Good Wife and its spinoff The Good Fight. Preston won rave reviews for her performance and received an Emmy award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama. 

She’s now taken Elsbeth to her own series as the lawyer works with the NYPD where her unique mindset helps her solve murders. The show is notable first for being a “howdunnit” where the audience sees from the start who the killer is. It’s also notable for a terrific bevy of guest stars, usually as the killers. That’s continued in Season 2 as the premiere starred Nathan Lane as an opera lover going to extremes when a boorish person interrupts his performances. Future guest stars will include Vanessa Williams and Rob Riggle. 

Who do Elsbeth fans want to see on the show?

However, there’s one guest star Elsbeth fans have been dying to see: Michael Emerson. The TV veteran is best known for his Emmy-winning turn as Benjamin Linus on Lost. He’s added more roles since such as Person of Interest and Evil, which was produced by Elsbeth creators Robert and Michelle King. 

Fans want Emerson thanks to his compelling acting skills. However, the real reason is that Emerson and Preston have been married since 1998, and seeing the spouses share the screen together would be fun. 

Welp, the prayers are answered as we know who Emerson is playing on Elsbeth!

Who does Michael Emerson play on Elsbeth?

TVLine broke the news that not only is Emerson appearing on Elsbeth but better yet, it’s not a one-off guest star role. Instead, he’ll portray Judge Milton Crawford, described as “a haughty, soft-spoken and bespectacled man from an old New England family of public servants who sees his place in the nation’s elite as a birthright.” He’ll make his debut on the Thursday, Dec. 12th episode. 

Preston and Emerson have worked together before, notably Preston playing Emerson’s love interest on Person of Interest. Preston had discussed the possibility of Emerson coming in and hoped it wouldn’t be as a killer but rather a regular face.

The role seems suited for Emerson playing an arrogant man no doubt thrown off his game by Elsbeth’s antics. Being a judge likely means he handles some of the cases Elsbeth works on, and while it’d be fun to imagine he turns out to be a murderer, it’s likely better if he just banters with Elsbeth. 

Thus, fans can finally see the real-life spouses sharing the screen to make Elsbeth sparkle even more. 

Elsbeth Season 2 airs Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS.