Elsbeth to "mix up" its how-done-it structure in season 2

Elsbeth season 2 might play around with its formula, but star Carrie Preston promises the CBS hit will keep its fun drive! Here’s more to know!

The procedural was one of the best surprises of the 2024 TV season. The series has Preston reprising her Emmy-winning turn from The Good Wife and The Good Fight as Elsbeth Tascioni, an incredibly eccentric but brilliant lawyer who was a fantastic scene-stealer on those shows.

The series has Elsbeth moving to New York City as part of a “consent decree” examining the NYPD. She soon gets involved in murder cases where her quirky mind allows her to pick up on clues. 

What makes the show notable is that it’s a “reverse whodunnit” where the audience sees from the start who the killer is. The fun then becomes Elsbeth stumbling onto things and playing a cat and mouse game to unmask the killer.

Some may be worried this will quickly become old hat and make it harder to keep fresh. But, while speaking to Deadline at the Monte Carlo TV Festival, Preston hinted that season 2 will keep things exciting.

"You’re going to be able to enjoy the structure of the how-done-it, but they’re going to mix that up, so don’t be thinking you know exactly what you’re going to get each time. They’re trying to make sure that there’s some freshness so that people don’t get too comfortable, and also, you know, this is Elsbeth, so there’s going to be some surprises."

The show has played with the formula a bit already. One episode had a turn in how the killer had a secret accomplice Elsbeth unmasked. Another had the twist that the murderer accidentally killed the wrong person. The season 1 finale notably did not show the audience who the killer was, so they had to figure it out with Elsbeth. 

So the writers already know how to twist audience expecations and keep viewers on their toes. That can be a fun turn, especially with the right guest stars.

What else can come in Elsbeth season 2?

Preston teased a few more bits for season 2, like delving into Elsbeth’s personal life as she adjusts to New York City and maybe getting a visit from her son. She also touched on the show’s great record of landing guest stars for the killers from Jane Krakowski to Blair Underwood and more. 

"It’s been great to see who we’ve gotten so far. I think now that the show has done well, other actors who might have been like: ‘Oh, I don’t want to do a procedural,’ might say: ‘Well, this is one I might do because the writing is great.’"

When asked by Deadline who her dream guest star would be, Preston had one name in mind: “Meryl Streep, if you’re around and you want to come and be on CBS, we’d love to have you.”

That might be a bit much but Preston's tease that Elsbeth season 2 will have some nice turns on the season 1 formula, while keeping the fun that’s made the show a hit, sounds promising.

Elsbeth season 2 will air Thursdays at 10/9c this fall on CBS.