As Elsbeth’s Carrie Preston Hypes Real-Life Husband Michael Emerson’s ‘Almost Untouchable’ New Character, I’m Already Glad He’s Sticking Around

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As a long-time fan of both CBS’s “Elsbeth” and the captivating world of Michael Emerson, I am positively thrilled to witness the arrival of my favorite actor as Judge Crawford on this week’s episode! Having been a fan since his days on “Lost,” it’s a delight to see him reprise his talent in a recurring role.

In the 2024 TV lineup, it seems that Elsbeth might be wrapping up, but fans of the popular CBS drama have a delightful surprise coming their way in this week’s episode. Michael Emerson, who is married to leading actress Carrie Preston, makes his debut as Milton Crawford on December 12th. Unlike previous guest stars such as Nathan Lane or other firefighters with interests in Elsbeth, Milton Crawford isn’t just a transient character. Instead, he’s described by Preston as “almost untouchable,” hinting at a more significant role. Excited about her husband’s arrival, Preston shared some insights with TopMob, and I can’t wait to see Emerson back for more episodes!

Michael Emerson’s role in the upcoming episode “One Angry Woman” of the show “Elsbeth,” initially announced in October, was a role he had pondered over as a potential guest character back when the series started. Viewers will have to wait and watch the new episode to see him portray Judge Crawford. The character seems tailor-made for Emerson, who has previously starred in “Lost” and “Evil.” Prior to the 2024 TV schedule release, Carrie Preston, a member of the “Elsbeth” team, revealed that this role was specifically written for Emerson, the “Lost” and “Evil” alum.

They recognized their desire to incorporate him into the series somehow. After all, who wouldn’t want Michael Emerson on the show? I believe they had been keen on having him join the cast, regardless of our marital status. However, there was a bonus motivation to introduce the title character’s spouse, keeping her content. [laughs] They were simply searching for a suitable role for him and wanted to find something that wasn’t limited to a single appearance. Instead, they aimed to discover a part with potential to make an impression as the season unfolds.

Absolutely! Instead of making occasional appearances like other guest actors, Michael Emerson will reappear regularly in Season 2 as the judge. In the episode “One Angry Woman,” Elsbeth will find herself in an interesting predicament when she’s called for jury duty and ends up on a murder trial where she’ll come face-to-face with a particularly challenging judge.

Given that we’re discussing Elsbeth, it appears that Crawford could hold many hidden secrets. It’s also possible that the arrival of her son Teddy in town may not be the best timing for Elsbeth herself! (You can catch Teddy’s first appearance by subscribing to Paramount+ and streaming the episode now.) Preston continued:

They sketched out the plan for the entire second season with the expectation that Michael would be able to participate, and fortunately, he could! I believe it’s an excellent part, and he certainly shines in it. [laughs]

Michael Emerson concluded his stint on the show “Evil” during its series finale in August, which might have made room for him to reappear on another production. Interestingly enough, Emerson was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on “Evil” mere hours before I chatted with Carrie Preston about “Elsbeth”.

In light of Judge Crawford appearing to take on somewhat of an opposing role towards Elsbeth, one might wonder about Carrie Preston’s thoughts on his character as a person. Specifically, I inquired about this very aspect, and she responded:

She isn’t accustomed to not having the ability to apprehend a criminal, making this an entirely new challenge for her. It’s been quite intriguing to observe her in a predicament where she seems to have encountered an equally formidable adversary. Moreover, she hasn’t faced someone who possesses such extensive legal power. As we all know, judges, due to their position, are almost immune to challenge. Consequently, it will be challenging for her to bring down someone like that. I believe this unfolding struggle will make for engaging viewing.

In her days on shows like “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight,” Elsbeth Tascioni was a practicing lawyer instead of residing in New York to supervise the consent decree for the NYPD. It will be intriguing to observe if her legal skills are utilized more prominently when going up against a judge, compared to her routine investigations with Wagner, Kaya, and the rest. Take a look at the trailer for “One Angry Woman,” which marks Michael Emerson’s first appearance:

Don’t forget to catch CBS this coming Thursday, December 12 at 10 p.m. Eastern Time for the episode titled “One Angry Woman” from the series Elsbeth. This installment will mark the comeback of Ben Levi Ross as Teddy. Immediately following it is the fall finale of Matlock. As Carrie Preston mentioned earlier this year, she believes that Elsbeth and Matlock make a great pairing on Thursday nights. If you’d like to rewatch previous episodes of the spinoff from The Good Wife, you can do so with a Paramount+ subscription right now.

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2024-12-11 07:07