Elsbeth is an American police procedural comedy drama television series that premiered on February 29, 2024, on CBS. It is a spin-off of The Good Wife (2009âÂÂ2016) and The Good Fight (2017âÂÂ2022), from which Carrie Preston originated the role of Elsbeth Tascioni, an unconventional attorney who ends up working as a de facto detective. In April 2024, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on October 17, 2024. In February 2025, CBS renewed the series for a third season which premiered on October 12, 2025. In January 2026, the series was renewed for a fourth season.
Most episodes of Elsbeth use the "howcatchem" mystery format rather than the traditional "whodunit", showing the audience from the start who the killer is and how and why they commit the crime, with the balance of the episode focusing on how they are caught, similar to the 1970s Columbo murder mystery series.
Premise
The series focuses on the offbeat Elsbeth Tascioni, an unconventional but astute attorney who, after a successful career in Chicago, uses her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner criminals alongside the NYPD. Ostensibly assigned by the United States Department of Justice to oversee a monitorship or consent decree after some controversial arrests, her real mission initially (revealed over the course of the first season) is to investigate Captain C. W. Wagner for corruption. Most episodes use the inverted detective story format.
Cast
Main
Recurring
- Danny McCarthy as Agent Fred Celetano (season 1)
- Fredric Lehne as Lieutenant Dave Noonan (season 1)
- Gloria Reuben as Claudia Payne, the wife of C. W. Wagner (seasons 1âÂÂ2)
- Danny Mastrogiorgio as Detective Bobby Smullen (seasons 1âÂÂ3)
- Molly Price as Detective Jackie Donnelly (seasons 1âÂÂ3)
- Micaela Diamond as Detective Samantha Edwards (seasons 1âÂÂ3)
- Daniel Oreskes as Detective Buzz Fleming (seasons 2âÂÂ3)
- Ajay Naidu as Martin Wali (season 1)
- Daniel K. Isaac as Lieutenant Steve Connor (seasons 2âÂÂ3)
- Christian Borle as Carter Schmidt (season 2)
- Ben Levi Ross as Teddy Tascioni, Elsbeth's son (seasons 2âÂÂ3)
- Hayward Leach as Roy, Teddy's boyfriend (seasons 2âÂÂ3)
- Michael Emerson as Judge Milton Crawford (season 2)
- Sullivan Jones as Cameron Clayden (seasons 2âÂÂ3)
- Jenn Colella as Captain Kershaw (season 2)
- Braeden De La Garza as Detective Rivers (seasons 2âÂÂ3)
- Bianca "b" Norwood as Officer Nikki Reynolds (seasons 2âÂÂ3)
- Lindsay Mendez as Officer Grace Hackett (season 3)
- Angus O'Brien as Officer Mike Summerville (season 3)
- Henny Russell as Winnie Crawford, Judge Crawford's widow (season 3)
- Brittany Inge as Julia Payne Wagner, Captain Wagner's daughter (season 3)
- Sarah Steele as Marissa Gold, Bloom's campaign manager (season 3)
- Ivan Hernandez as Alec Bloom, a NYC mayoral candidate (season 3)
- Britne Oldford as Detective Nina Taylor (season 3)
Guests
- Stephen Moyer as Alex Modarian, a respected drama instructor and professor (seasons 1âÂÂ2)
- Jane Krakowski as Joann Lenox, a high-end real estate broker (season 1)
- Linda Lavin as Gloria Blecher, a co-op board president (season 1)
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Skip Mason, the creator of Lavish Ladies, a popular reality TV show (season 1)
- Retta as Margo Clarke, a matchmaker (seasons 1âÂÂ2)
- Kelly AuCoin as Declan Armstrong (season 1)
- Blair Underwood as Cliff McGrath, the father and coach of a rising tennis star (season 1)
- Omari K. Chancellor as Hunter McGrath, a rising tennis star (season 1)
- Gina Gershon as Dr. Vanessa Holmes, a cosmetic surgeon (seasons 1âÂÂ2)
- Keegan-Michael Key as Ashton Hayes, the CEO of a financial firm (season 1)
- Geneva Carr as Poppy Hayes, Ashton's wife (season 1)
- Adam Kaplan as Rob, a dancer/dance instructor (seasons 1âÂÂ3)
- Elizabeth Lail as Quinn Powers, the creator of an app called "Cerberus" (seasons 1âÂÂ2)
- Arian Moayed as Joe Dillon, the owner of a cocktail bar (seasons 1âÂÂ2)
- Laura Benanti as Nadine Clay, a supermodel (seasons 1âÂÂ3)
- Andre de Shields as Matteo Hart, a designer (seasons 1âÂÂ2)
- Daniel Davis as Dr. Yablonski (seasons 1âÂÂ3)
- Nathan Lane as Phillip Cross, a former lawyer obsessed with opera (season 2)
- Rob Riggle as Neal Dorsey, a paint billionaire (season 2)
- Brittany O'Grady as Mackenzie Altman, a former child actress (season 2)
- Ryan Spahn as Danny Beck, a talent manager (season 2)
- Vanessa Williams as Roslyn Bridwell, a socialite with financial struggles (season 2)
- Becky Ann Baker as Judith, a jewelry store sales associate (season 2)
- Jenn Lyon as Celeste, Roslyn's best friend (season 2)
- Pamela Adlon as Genevieve Hale, a chef with a notorious temper (season 2)
- Jack Davenport as Sam, the maitre d' of Genevieve's restaurant (season 2)
- Vanessa Bayer as DeeDee Dasher, a Christmas curator who is secretly fed up with her life (season 2)
- Laurie Metcalf as Regina Coburn, a TV actress best known for her detective television series (season 2)
- Dominic Fumusa as Jack Wilson, a lead actor in the fictional TV show Father Crime (seasons 2âÂÂ3)
- Eric McCormack as Tom Murphy, an alternative medicine guru (season 2)
- Alan Ruck as Bill and Peter Hepson, twin brothers who are businessmen in finance (season 2)
- Ioan Gruffudd as Angus Oliphant-Donnachaidh, a Scottish man who helps Elsbeth catch a murderer (season 2)
- Matthew Broderick as Lawrence Grey, an owner of a college admissions coaching company (season 2)
- Jordana Brewster as Chloe, a lifestyle consultant (season 2)
- Victoria Clark as Deborah Jordan, wife of a real estate developer (season 2)
- Alyssa Milano as Lisette "Pupetta" Del Ponte, a restaurant owner (season 2)
- Tracey Ullman as
- Marilyn Gladwell, a famous psychic (season 2)
- Betty Heymouth, a veteran gossip columnist (season 3)
- Mary-Louise Parker as Freya Frostad, a professional organizer (season 2)
- Jessica Darrow as Taylor, a member of Freya's throuple relationship (season 2)
- David Alan Grier as Arthur Greene Jr., a funeral director (season 2)
- Ethan Slater as Reese Chandler, a police officer (seasons 2-3)
- Billy Magnussen as Rod Bedford, an entitled, rich thrill seeker (season 2)
- John Carroll Lynch as Edwin Dousant, a corrupt judge (season 2)
- Donna Lynne Champlin as Mrs. "Mama" Martin, a prison warden (season 2)
- Stephen Colbert as Scotty Bristol, a late-night host who is the source of a toxic workplace (season 3)
- Amy Sedaris as Laurel Hammond-Muntz, a producer of Bristol's late-night show (season 3)
- Andy Richter as Mickey Muntz, Laurel's husband and Scotty's punching bag (season 3)
- David Cross as Nolan Hurst, a hapless ex-con (season 3)
- Campbell Scott as Captain Cyrus Tully (season 3)
- Julia Fox as Raquel Drabowski, a social media influencer (season 3)
- Cathy Moriarty as Marie Drabowski, Raquel's mother-in-law (season 3)
- Annaleigh Ashford as Sharon Norman, a high-strung suburban housewife (season 3)
- William Jackson Harper as Gary Pidgeon, a director of an artistic nonprofit (season 3)
- Lois Smith as Delores Feinn, one of Gary's longtime donors (season 3)
- Tony Hale as Craig Hollis, a billionaire with a panic room (season 3)
- Dianne Wiest as Constance Mary Cabot, Mother Superior of a convent (season 3)
- David Rasche as Monsignor Frank, Monsignor of the convent (season 3)
- Lindsey Normington as Alaïa Jade, a pop star (season 3)
- Sam McMurray as Coach Russell Willoughby, a high-profile basketball coach (season 3)
- Lana Condor as Peyton Ramsey, Coach Willoughby's girlfriend/wife (season 3)
- Jaime Pressly as Tiffany "Tiff" Ann Giles, a retired supermodel (season 3)
- Andrew Rannells as Harris Monroe, a ballet company board member (season 3)
- Mike Doyle as Rich Bennett, Harris's husband (season 3)
- Hamish Linklater as Archer Kopunek, a biohacker (season 3)
- Case Walker as Tyler Hollis, Archer's trainer (season 3)
- Jeff Hiller as Felix West, a wigmaker (season 3)
- Al Sapienza as Domenico Cappelli, a wigmaker (season 3)
- Ali Wentworth as Lina Vyanti, a daytime television host (season 3)
- Steve Buscemi as Simon Carroll, a crossword champion (season 3)
- Mo Rocca as the radio host of the crossword championship (season 3)
- Samantha Mathis as Elaine McClusk, a contestant at the crossword championship (season 3)
- Ann Harada as Trudy, a contestant at the crossword championship (season 3)
- J. Smith-Cameron as Isadora "Izzy" Lancaster, the director of a debutante ball (season 3)
- Beanie Feldstein as Rachel Withers, a frequent bridesmaid (season 3)
- Griffin Dunne as Elliott Pope, an egocentric novelist (season 3)
- Mark Linn-Baker as Barney Corman, a bookstore owner and literary critic (season 3)
- Didi Conn as Beverly Corman, Barney's wife (season 3)
- Joanna Gleason as Maura Davidoff, Elliott's first wife (season 3)
- Constance Wu as Dr. Mallory Ryan, a wealth therapist (season 3)
- Anna Camp as Juliet Woodbent, a tradwife influencer (season 3)
- Erich Bergen as Otis Langley, a celebrity reporter (season 3)
- Michael Urie as Monty Blakemont III, an art connoisseur (season 3)
- Patti LuPone as Ruby Lane, a cabaret singer (season 3)
Episodes
Series overview
Season 1 (2024)
Season 2 (2024âÂÂ25)
Season 3 (2025âÂÂ26)
Production
Development
CBS ordered a pilot in January 2023. It was a straight-to-series order, with CBS Studios joining the production of the series. Shortly after the premiere, creators Robert and Michelle King stated that, although the character of Elsbeth Tascioni originated on The Good Wife, they do not consider Elsbeth to be a spin-off but a "separate show" inspired by Columbo that happens to use a "character in [their] wheelhouse". On April 18, 2024, CBS renewed the series for a second season. On February 20, 2025, CBS renewed the series for a third season. On January 22, 2026, CBS renewed the series for a fourth season.
Casting
Carrie Preston reprises her role as Elsbeth Tascioni from The Good Wife and The Good Fight. Also, Wendell Pierce joined as C.W. Wagner, and Carra Patterson joined in the role of Kaya Blanke.
The Kings have indicated that, while they avoided recycling actors for different characters on The Good Wife and The Good Fight, Elsbeth would not adhere strictly to the Good series' shared universe, and therefore some guest stars from the earlier series, such as Linda Lavin, would appear as different characters in Elsbeth. On May 1, 2025, it was reported that Patterson would exit as a series regular, but was set to return in a guest star capacity for the third season.
Filming
After the show was ordered to series, the rest of the first season began shooting in January 2024 and wrapped in late April 2024. The first season of the series was filmed in New York and consists of 10 episodes.
During a conversation with the press and an open audience to promote the Spanish release of the whole first season, Preston stated that season 2 consists of 20 episodes. Filming on the second season started on July 23, 2024.
Release
The first season of Elsbeth premiered on February 29, 2024, on CBS, though due to programming conflicts, subsequent episodes did not begin airing weekly until April 4. The show is available to stream on Paramount+. The second season premiered on October 17, 2024, on CBS. The third season premiered on October 12, 2025.
In Canada, the series airs on Global and is streaming on StackTV.
In Australia, it premiered on Paramount+ on April 26, 2024.
In the UK, it premiered on Sky Witness on July 23, 2024, and Germany on Sky One on August 6, 2024.
In Southeast Asia, it premiered on AXN Asia on January 30, 2025, and in Italy on Rai 2 on February 1, 2025.
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 94% approval rating with an average rating of 7.2/10, based on 31 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Carrie Preston's standout character from The Good Wife makes for a great detective in this amiable and clever spinoff." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 71 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Ratings
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Accolades
Notes
References
External links