Fans of Carrie Preston’s beloved character Elsbeth Tascioni are finally getting their chance to see the attorney take center stage. After recurring roles on The Good Wife — for which she won an Emmy — and its streaming spinoff The Good Fight, Preston is set to head her own spinoff on CBS, aptly titled Elsbeth, which premieres on the 2024 TV schedule at 10 p.m. ET February 29. Critics were able to screen the first few episodes of the new mystery series, and they seem to like the lighter touch Preston adds to the universe.
Elsbeth sees the fan-favorite character move from Chicago to New York, where she connects with Capt. Wagner (Wendell Pierce) and de facto partner Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson), and continues to perplex and amaze with her unique observational techniques and investigative methods. David Bianculli of NPR seems delighted by this “sweet, off-beat” murder mystery series, whose format is in the same vein as Poker Face and Columbo. The review concludes:
"Great leading role; delightful guest stars; decent, clever mysteries that are solved by the end of each episode. And in an era where so much TV is so dark and depressing, Elsbeth stands out as a sweet, happy little treat."
The series was created by Michelle and Robert King, the same duo responsible for The Good Wife and its first spinoff. To that end, people who are already fans of the character likely know at least a little of what to expect from this new series. However, according to Variety’s Aramide Tinubu, that doesn’t keep Elsbeth from feeling fresh, with its impressive guest stars, infusion of humor and pop culture references. Tinubu writes:
"Elsbeth is unique as a character, and the series’ construction is also intriguing. The camera hones in on small details the audience and the other figures in this world, including Kaya, might miss, allowing viewers to observe crime scenes and suspects in the same manner that Elsbeth views them. Since procedurals have been a dime a dozen for decades, it’s hard to deliver anything distinctive to the genre. But Elsbeth breaks the mold by presenting different formats within the episodes."
Ben Travers of IndieWire grades the new series a B, noting that Elsbeth follows the case-of-the-week “howcatchem” formula, but with an overlying plotline having Carrie Preston’s character secretly investigating Capt. Wagner, there are a lot of exciting places the series could go. The initial episodes seem to be easing possibly new viewers in, Travers says, writing:
"The first three episodes screened for review don’t stretch too far from the formula, though I suspect that’s to help audiences get comfortable with Elsbeth as a lead. Anyone new to the character may need a little time with Preston’s performance to buy in, and even Good Wife/Fight veterans may be wary of the impossibly peppy attorney carrying an entire series. Fear not. Preston, who won an Emmy for this role in 2013, knows the exact pitch at which to play Elsbeth."
Manuel Betancourt of AV Club also gives it a B, warning viewers not to dismiss Elsbeth as too flighty or frivolous. Carrie Preston and the series creators have molded the supporting character into someone who can carry her own series, resulting in “a comfort watch the likes of which they don’t make that often anymore,” Betancourt writes. The critic continues:
"A show like this one lives or dies on the strength of its protagonist. Thankfully, the way the Kings have further shaped Elsbeth so she can finally be the focus is nothing short of miraculous. Rather than bend her into becoming a main character, what they’ve done (with Preston’s help) is make this quintessentially supporting character take center stage; this is the Elsbeth Tascioni The Good Wife fans all know and love. She’s just now been given room to breathe and grow as she tries to figure out whether she can have it all in the Big Apple."
Daniel Fienberg of THR says you don’t have to be familiar with Carrie Preston’s appearances on The Good Wife in order to enjoy Elsbeth, but it might give context to the series’ lighter tone. The critic notes that this spinoff seems to be molded around its main character’s sensibilities, rather than the darker series that preceded it, creating a “comfort-food spinoff.” Feinberg says:
"Elsbeth is immediately striking for how at ease it is. It’s more culturally topical than politically topical and while it’s a show driven by weekly murders, it handles that carnage with a distinctly light touch. As a result of that levity and the sense that Elsbeth would rather be a warm blanket than a burr in the saddle, it’s doubtful this series will generate the same passionate critical affection as the Kings’ earlier shows. But it’s designed to attract a wider audience as a fizzy, accessible comic thriller built around a charmingly quirky lead performance."
There seems to be a lot to like about the new The Good Wife spinoff, regardless of if you’re familiar with the fan-favorite recurring character. Elsbeth premieres at 10 p.m. ET Thursday, February 29, on CBS and can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription.
