Following the renewal of Elsbeth, I've been getting hyped for Season 2's premiere on the 2024 TV schedule, and all the fun surprises it might hold. The Good Wife spinoff became a breakout hit on CBS last season, with Carrie Preston reprising her beloved titular role, and I can't wait to see her again. On top of that, the series has already brought on an impressive lineup of guest stars, and that will only continue for Season 2. Now, Preston’s husband, Michael Emerson, is throwing his hat in the ring, which I love. However, he has one condition.
Preston and Emerson have been married since 1998, and they have worked together on numerous occasions, including on Lost and Person of Interest. So, with Elsbeth including guest stars in every episode, it feels like the perfect opportunity for them to collaborate again.
This is especially relevant since he just wrapped up a four-season run on Evil, and both shows were created by Robert and Michelle King. Emerson expressed interest in an appearance on his wife's show while speaking to Collider, but he has one condition:
Obviously, I can't play the villain — it's too on the nose.
Emerson has played the villain on more than a few occasions. When he joined Lost as Ben Linus in the second season, he started as the antagonist before gradually becoming somewhat of an ally.
On Evil, he played Dr. Leland Townsend, a forensic psychologist who was secretly an expert in the occult and obsessed with encouraging others to commit evil acts.
On top of all that, he played Siggi Wilzig on Fallout. While he wasn't necessarily evil on that show, the research he was doing was mysterious and he ultimately fled his job.
He’s also had a few other roles that were more or less on the dark side, so it’s not surprising to hear that he’d rather not continue that streak.
If Michael Emerson were to guest star on Elsbeth and not play the murderer, who could he play? Depending on his schedule, he could become a recurring guest star and have more of a prominent role, perhaps as someone who helps the NYPD and Elsbeth.
Maybe he could play the person who gets killed. However, that would definitely be a lot less fun, especially since viewers wouldn’t really see him and Carrie Preston interacting. However, it would be cool for a mystery to revolve around him.
It might all depend on how the story plays out, but it’s possible the couple may even have a few ideas in mind already.
When it comes to Preston’s dream guest stars on Elsbeth, Emerson was at the top of her list, of course. It’s clear that the two want to work together again and on Elsbeth, but it may not be so easy. On top of schedules working out, it would also have to be a role fit for Emerson that he would want to do. Specifically, he'd like a part that is not the villain, a.k.a. the murderer.
Since Preston and Emerson both want the guest starring role to happen, it probably will at some point, it might just take some time. Fans will just have to tune into Elsbeth Season 2 when it premieres on Thursday, October 17 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS and hope that Emerson makes an appearance in the near future. In the meantime, they can stream Season 1 with a Paramount+ subscription.
