The Elsbeth Season 3 premiere was broadcast on Sunday, October 12, 2025, on CBS. The first episode, titled “Yes, And…,” aired at 9 p.m. (Elsbeth returns to its normal time slot on Thursday at 10:00 P.M.).
Elsbeth episodes often involve workplaces where stress, tensions, and resentments create motives for murder. The Season 3 premiere has murder victim, Scotty Bristol, a successful late-night host (and miserable boss), played by outgoing host of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert. Colbert plays Scotty as nasty and cranky to his staff. He can’t be bothered to prepare for interviews with his guests, On top of this terrible behavior, Scotty abuses his writers by mocking them when they make their joke pitches.
So it comes as no surprise when the murder happens. Elsbeth returns from Scotland and tackles this case with her usual enthusiasm. If you’re a fan of Elsbeth, this is a welcoming episode to start the new season. If you’re not watching Elsbeth, you’re missing some fun. GRADE: Incomplete, but trending towards an A.
I’ve enjoyed Carrie Preston’s work on the ELSBETH series and THE GOOD WIFE, where her character originally appeared, enormously over the years…I have yet to see enough of THE GOOD FIGHT, the first sequel series to TGW, which has played mostly on a streaming service we haven’t pursued too readily. Also enjoyed seeing Preston playing the lost love of her husband Michael Emerson’s character Harold Finch on PERSON OF INTEREST, where the Finch character keeps his distance so as not draw vicious attention to her from his enemies on the series, which causes Finch no little distress (POI was a rather deftly paranoid series); Emerson now plays an abrasive judge on ELSBETH, an adversary of Preston’s character.
ELSBETH the series is rather like COLUMBO, where the protagonist’s mild eccentricity tends to both annoy and lull those who fail to perceive the protagonist’s doggedness and intelligence in pursuit of the truth when working on cases (Elsbeth Tascioni is a lawyer who is currently serving as an advisor to the NYPD, as opposed to Columbo’s police detective, but their approaches are not at all dissimilar).
Todd, some critics have pointed out that ELSBETH is the female version of COLUMBO. But, there’s more humor in ELSBETH.
Yeah, well COLUMBO got tedious and samey after a while, and ELSPETH did for us by the end of series one, despite how m I ch we like Preston. When even Jackie says to stop watching, I take notice.
It’s no PERSON OF INTEREST, that’s for sure.
Jeff, you’re right about COLUMBO becoming tedious and samey towards the end of its run. ELSPETH injects more humor than COLUMBO did. Diane enjoys the Guest Stars like Stephen Colbert.
Also, as Jackie pointed out this morning, Elsbeth is a great character…in a supporting role. But too much of a good thing can get tiresome.
Jeff, like all quirky characters, the audience will eventually tire of their weird behaviors…
Someone suggested this since I liked High Potential
I watched one episode – definitely NOT my cup of tea.
Elsbeth got annoying fast. I’m still loving Morgan though.
Beth, we love Morgan, too! She has a higher potential than Elsbeth!
Well…shtick is shtick. They are both simulacra of people, rather than people, as Columbo was, as all intentionally eccentric characters are. How they stroke one will vary.
I find Morgan no more likely nor less unrealistic than Elsbeth and at least the latter is less smug. Variations on Holmes, after all.
Todd, female variations on Holmes are always intriguing to me. There have been several. But the latest, in the SF/Fantasy THE TAINTED CUP by Robert Jackson Bennett, is good enough to launch a series.
Other than watching him drown in a sea of slime, I have no interest in seeing Colbert or his smarmy mug! This is another show that’s not on my cable package, so I won’t be watching it anyway!
OTOH, your package arrived today, and I appreciate the extras! Would you believe the mail came at 8:00?!
Bob, we’ve had deliveries recently at 9:30 P.M.! Glad the package arrived and I hope you enjoy the goodies!