As a long-time viewer and admirer of NBC’s Law & Order: SVU, I found myself drawn to the quirky and captivating world of CBS’ Elsbeth. The show, with its NYC-set crime drama backdrop and leading lady who has been on board since day one, felt like a fun, indirect spoof of Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson and Christopher Meloni’s Elliot Stabler. However, when I had the chance to chat with Jonathan Tolins, the showrunner of Elsbeth, he assured me that any resemblance was purely coincidental.
Spoilers ahead for the fall finale of CBS’ Elsbeth Season 2, called “Toil and Trouble” and available streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription.
Crime-related dramas continue to dominate the television landscape, with both fresh hits like “Elsbeth” and long-running series such as “Law & Order” and “NCIS,” now in their 20th+ seasons, holding strong. In its second season, “Elsbeth” has been a success, culminating in the fall finale that concluded the 2024 TV schedule, featuring none other than Laurie Metcalf as the murderer. As a fan of this genre, I found the CBS dramedy’s fall finale particularly amusing, and my thoughts were reminiscent of “SVU” when I spoke with showrunner and executive producer Jonathan Tolins.
In the TV series “Toil and Trouble,” an actress renowned for her comedic roles in shows such as The Conners and Roseanne portrayed Regina Coburn, the star of a successful police procedural TV show with a devoted fanbase. Her character was involved in a prolonged will they/won’t they romance with another main character, a dynamic that felt quite authentic to many fans of Law & Order: SVU. Later, instead of missing out on the chance to play Lady Macbeth abroad, Regina chose to act upon a script for a murder, fatally stabbing her boss with a stiletto heel through the eye. Quite an unusual move, one might say?
Since Elsbeth was known for maintaining the lighthearted vibe of the show as it approached the 2025 TV lineup, Laurie Metcalf joined in with her knack for comedy by playing a murderer. Regina figured out the secret when Elsbeth discovered that Laurie’s poor attempts at accents were always replaced with better versions during post-production, leading her to believe that she was an expert in accents and securing the role of Lady Macbeth without needing to audition for it.
Surprisingly, she opted for a high-heeled shoe as the murder weapon, given her two decades of experience with the “Father Crime” scripts didn’t seem to include thorough reading. (Just a side note – “Father Crime” is an amusingly absurd concept and title for a network procedural that could easily serve as a midseason replacement.) During my conversation with Executive Producer Jonathan Tolins regarding the fall finale shortly after the unveiling of Moriarty to Elsbeth’s Sherlock, he explained that one of the advantages of a procedural is its longevity on network TV, and there are certainly many instances to support this. He continued by saying:
Initially, I was apprehensive, thinking, “Oh dear, how on earth will we devise so many murder mysteries or cases?” However, there’s a certain charm to it. I often liken it to composing in sonata form for a musician. The structure provided by the form opens up endless possibilities, and you can continually find new ways to push yourself, surprise yourself, and maintain freshness. On the other hand, if you were tasked with creating a 20-hour TV show, that could be daunting because there’s a risk of overextending and stretching things too thin.
Given that Tolins, being an opera aficionado, infused his role in the Season 2 premiere where Nathan Lane portrayed a murderer, it’s quite fitting to liken him to a “sonata.” Meanwhile, Elsbeth has yet to perform for a full season of twenty hours. Unfortunately, the WGA writers strike limited the first season to just ten episodes. However, we can expect a full season of twenty episodes in Season 2!
The halfway point of the fall finale found us witnessing Regina’s grisly and darkly humorous demise. It takes a certain level of depravity to stab someone with a high-heeled shoe, but it seems that not thoroughly reading instructions was all it took for this unfortunate incident. Tolins enlightened us on the backstory of Regina mistaking a stiletto heel for a stiletto dagger, revealing:
In crafting the intricate details of each week’s case, I adhere to a personal rule: Everything should stem directly from the richly textured world of that specific episode. Any clue that might reveal the murderer’s identity ought to be intimately tied to their character, such as when Vanessa Williams’ character in Episode 4, her compulsion for a complete set of silverware, led her to get caught stealing the spoon used to poison Claude, revealing a crucial piece of the puzzle.
Among all the episodes I’ve watched, the one featuring Vanessa Williams undoubtedly left an impression due to its portrayal of Elsbeth and Kaya’s friendship. As Tolins pointed out, it also served as a gripping demonstration of a killer unwittingly providing evidence for their own capture – essentially shooting themselves in the foot, so to speak. The showrunner added:
In Episode 209, Regina’s blunder with the stiletto is due to her long-standing role as an actress who primarily focuses on her lines in the script. [laughs] These kinds of details, which seem to perfectly fit the character, often serve as the clue that reveals the murderer, and this is the kind of intrigue we aim to create. We find it more entertaining than merely revealing a security camera.
In a world where solving mysteries through security footage and forensic evidence is common in procedural TV shows, one might argue that the charm of Elsbeth lies in the climactic unveiling at the end of each episode for its main character. As someone who watches and appreciates many procedurals as part of my work, this unexpected twist has been a delightful breath of fresh air over the past year.
Even though I’ve only occasionally watched NBC’s long-running drama, Law & Order: SVU, since high school – featuring a NYC backdrop, a dedicated actress who’s been there from the start, and an enthusiastic fanbase rooting for their favorite couple – it made me consider creating a playful take on Mariska Hargitay’s character, Olivia Benson, and Christopher Meloni’s character, Elliot Stabler.
During my conversation with the person in charge of the “Elsbeth” series, I felt it necessary to ask Jonathan Tolins if any resemblances to “SVU” were intentional. He revealed:
Any resemblance is coincidental.
It’s only natural that when a series like SVU, which has run for 26 seasons and taken some unexpected turns over three decades, there will be similarities with other crime shows. After Tolins dismissed any intentional references to SVU, he did explain one of the most enjoyable aspects of “Toil and Trouble”, aside from Laurie Metcalf herself.
When I inquired about whether the hidden-camera footage from the series “Father Crime” was filmed using the Elsbeth set with the cameras facing backward rather than forward, the showrunner clarified:
Occasionally, we shared the same acting space. I really enjoy the joke in which they’re in the interrogation room, and then the wall disappears to reveal it’s actually the Father Crime interrogation room. I can’t say for certain if that was our specific interrogation room set or if we utilized some parts of it. But yes, we certainly enjoyed the fun elements of this production. We were essentially acting on a cop show set within our own cop show set.
In summary, “Toil and Trouble” has become one of my favorite episodes from Elsbeth’s initial two seasons, thanks to the engaging Father Crime storyline. Despite this, a dramatic cliffhanger was still introduced, courtesy of Judge Milton Crawford, portrayed by Carrie Preston’s real-life spouse Michael Emerson. I can’t wait to see how the show maintains its momentum in the upcoming year, though it is unfortunate that the winter break will extend until almost February.
Tune back into CBS on Thursday, January 30 at 10 p.m. ET for the winter premiere of Elsbeth Season 2, following Matlock as usual. For now, you can always revisit earlier episodes of Carrie Preston’s show on Paramount+, and I’d recommend at least giving another look at the pair of episodes featuring Ben Levi Ross as Elsbeth’s son.
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2024-12-20 14:37