'There's This Real Genuine Threat': Carrie Preston On Elsbeth Being Thrown 'Off Her Game' In The Season 1 Finale
The first season of Elsbeth is on the verge of wrapping, and considering that the penultimate episode threatened to completely destroy the show's status quo, fans may want to celebrate more than ever that it was already renewed for Season 2! In the Season 1 finale on May 23, Elsbeth has a new case to investigate while also reeling from Captain Wagner's reveal that he intends to send her back to Chicago due to her deception. Leading lady Carrie Preston spoke with CinemaBlend about how Elsbeth will deal with her sticky situation as the spring 2024 TV season winds down.
The Season 1 finale is called "A Fitting Finale" and will see the team on the case of a murdered fashion photographer, and it will feature real-life Broadway stars Laura Benanti and Andre De Shields. (You can check out their character introductions in a sneak peek here.) And while the case is unfolding, Elsbeth has to question her own future at the precinct with Wagner wanting to send her away due to what Wendell Pierce decribed as as "always personal" betrayal. So, how will she manage it? I asked Carrie Preston that very question, and she responded:
Well, I think it's pretty clear that Elsbeth has really fallen in love with this new life that she has created for herself in New York. And now that the rug has been pulled out from underneath her, there's this real genuine threat. That she has to go back to Chicago is like a gut punch to her. And you know, when you get hijacked by emotions like that, you can't do your best work. So we're gonna see Elsbeth get thrown off of her game a little bit, or not a little bit. Quite a lot.
Elsbeth getting "hijacked by emotions" seems like it will happen at an inconvenient time. She faces the unintended consequences from what was basically a long con on Wagner hidden behind smiles and tote bags. Carrie Preston continued:
And I think [it's] smart and great writing that they've given her this vulnerability because she's so capable in so many other ways, albeit in an offbeat way, she is quite a genius. And so I always find it's more interesting when we see a character up against something, trying to jump a hurdle, and maybe not always making it over.
It remains to be seen if this particular hurdle can be jumped; Wendell Pierce did tell CinemaBlend that there is "no compromise" as of the end of the penultimate episode. It is easy to understand why she has fallen in love with living in New York. Elsbeth has been able to shoot in some incredible locations over the course of the first season, and that's certainly the case for the finale. When I noted to Carrie Preston that NYC almost feels like its own character, she responded:
I've lived in New York for over 30 years now. I have become obviously very used to it, this is my hometown now, but I have really loved seeing it through Elbeth's eyes. She has such a passion for it and such an appreciation. As New Yorkers, we always keep our head down, and we're just on our way trying to get where we need to go. But Elsbeth is looking up and noticing things and admiring all the art and being taken in by this architecture and the street performers and the street food, all that stuff. So it has really given me a new perspective, or it's resurrected a point of view that I haven't had in a long time. That's been really wonderful, for me to see my hometown through her eyes.
Fortunately, the wait for the Season 1 finale of Elsbeth is nearly over. The episode looks like it will still pack plenty into just one hour of primetime, including a walk on the runway and plenty of fashion to go around. Take a look below:
Tune in to CBS on Thursday, May 23 at a special time for Elsbeth's first season finale. Instead of airing at 10 p.m. ET as per usual this season, it will hit the airwaves at 9 p.m. ET. If you missed any of the earlier installments, you can find the freshman series streaming Paramount+ subscription. You can also find The Good Wife and The Good Fight on the streamer, since Elsbeth is technically an offshoot of those shows.
