‘Elsbeth’ Exclusive: Matthew Broderick Is on Guard With Carrie Preston in Sneak Peek (VIDEO)

Kelli Boyle February 19, 2025, 11:35 am

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Matthew Broderick and his son, James Wilkie Broderick, join Elsbeth this week, and TV Insider is exclusively debuting a first look at Broderick facing off with Carrie Preston‘s Elsbeth Tascioni in the episode airing this Thursday, February 20 on CBS.

In Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 12, “Foiled Again,” Elsbeth is investigating the mysterious death of a college admissions officer. During the investigation, she finds herself fencing with Lawrence Grey (Broderick), an independent educational consultant who promises an Ivy League future to high-paying clients and their painfully average kids.

The case also causes Elsbeth and her son Teddy (Ben Levi Ross) to question how well she prepared him for the real world. “Foiled Again” also marks Michael Emerson‘s return as Judge Crawford. Between the Broderick father-son duo guest starring, Elsbeth’s son returning, and Preston’s husband reprising his villainous role, this episode is a family affair on every level.

In the clip above, Lawrence questions Elsbeth before she questions him. “Why do you think your son failed to launch?” Lawrence asks, throwing shade at Teddy’s career in nonprofit work. Lawrence judges Teddy for his lack of an Ivy League education and his philosophy major. “They still do that?” he asks. Elsbeth defends her son (and how she raised him) by saying he’s “extremely thoughtful” about many subjects, but Lawrence isn’t impressed.

Carrie Preston Warns of Crawford's Power in Michael Emerson's 'Elsbeth' Return

“I’m sure he’s very well-rounded,” he says, “and that was fine when we were kids, but that’s not what the top schools are looking for now. Now they want pointy applicants…focused on one unusual thing.”

Pointy like a fencing sword, perhaps? Elsbeth playfully challenges Lawrence to a duel as she questions his suspiciously concealed alibi. “Actually, I asked my client to release me from that obligation,” Lawrence says before revealing where he was at the time of his colleague’s murder.

Preston previously told TV Insider that working with Broderick was a “pinch me” moment. She also said that Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker‘s son, James, was very well-rounded (unlike Lawrence, Preston means that as a compliment!).

Jamies Wilkie Broderick as Carl and Matthew Broderick as Lawrence Grey in 'Elsbeth' Season 2 Episode 12, 'Foiled Again'

Michael Parmelee / CBS

“Having him, somebody who I’ve watched my whole life on screen, standing in front of me doing a scene with me was one of those pinch-me moments,” Preston shared. “He couldn’t have been more lovely, relaxed, happy to be there, open to things, self-deprecating in a very charming way, obviously extremely comfortable on-camera.”

“And then watching him with his son on set was so beautiful, really,” she continued. “His son [James Wilkie Broderick] could not have been more adorable and more happy to be there on set. And I loved that this is a child of two very big stars, this kid was not at all jaded, which means to me, his parents did a really wonderful job of maybe keeping him from the world of filmmaking long enough for him to really train and start to find an interest because he wants to do it. It seemed like that to me, just watching them, and that was just lovely to see. And to see Matthew’s pride in his son, it was a moving thing to watch.”

See the father and son act together in this week’s episode of Elsbeth.

Elsbeth, Thursdays, 10/9c, CBS