‘Elsbeth’: Everything to Know About Season 2 & More

Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke in Elspeth - 'Subscription to Murder'
Michael Parmelee / CBS

Elsbeth returns to her crime-solving ways this October, and joining in on the deadly fun this season are guest stars Nathan Lane, Vanessa Williams, and more.

A spinoff of The Good Wife and The Good FightElsbeth stars Carrie Preston as the titular Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney who utilizes her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD. Elsbeth wasn’t seen in a courtroom in Season 1 like she was throughout the previous two series. In the first installment, Elsbeth was secretly investigating the Captain Wagner (Wendell Pierce) for corruption while assisting the NYPD on various cases. Season 2 just may see her return to a courtroom in a new way.

“She still has to take the bar in New York if we do that,” showrunner Jonathan Tolins previously told TV Insider. “We have a fun idea of possibly bringing her back into a courtroom, but not necessarily in the same way we’ve seen her before.”

Elsbeth still has her office in an NYPD precinct for now, and she’s very much in the field in the trailer for the second season (below). Here, we break down everything there is to know about Elsbeth Season 2 ahead of its October premiere.

When does Elsbeth Season 2 premiere?

Catch the Season 2 debut on Thursday, October 17 at 10/9c on CBS. The episode will be available for next-day streaming on Paramount+.

Who is in the Elsbeth Season 2 cast?

In addition to Preston and Pierce, Carra Patterson returns as Officer Kaya Blanke. Lane guest stars as Phillip Cross in the premiere episode. The Nanny‘s Daniel Davis also makes an appearance. The trailer below, debuted on September 13, reveals Williams, Pamela AdlonRob Riggle, and Brittany O’Grady as guest stars for later in the season as well.

Preston’s husband, Evil‘s Michael Emerson, expressed interest appearing in the series after Preston named him as her dream guest, though it’s not known if he will. Aisha Tyler directs one episode this season.

What happens in the Elsbeth Season 2 premiere?

Titled “Subscription to Murder,” Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 1 will see a womanizing finance executive found stabbed to death after a night at the opera. Elsbeth suspects an obsessed opera lover (Lane’s Phillip Cross) was driven to murder because of a ringing cell phone. Meanwhile, Elsbeth, Captain Wagner, and Kaya must adjust to changes in the precinct as the consequences of Noonan’s (Fredric Lehne) wrongdoing revealed in Season 1 continue to loom.

Get a deeper look into the episode in our Elsbeth Season 2 premiere gallery.

Is there an Elsbeth Season 2 trailer?

Yes! See Lane in his guest star role from the premiere in the trailer above, among other guest stars.

Elsbeth, Season 2 Premiere, Thursday, October 17, 10/9c, CBS