The first episode of Elsbeth premiered on CBS/Paramount+. It’s a tv show spin-off from The Good Wife and The Good Fight where she played Elsbeth Tascioni, a rather different kind of attorney. And while she was only in a few episodes on both shows I was really excited to see that they were going to be giving this particular character her own series. So, without needing to know much (much wasn’t given in the trailer or commercials to go by) I was sold. I am a bit biased towards CBS as the majority of my favorite television shows come from this network.
I was pleasantly surprised when the show opened in a rather familiar way. Now, I must preface this by saying, if you have never seen an episode of Columbo, you may be lost as to what I’m going to discuss next. But if you have and enjoy the concept of Columbo, and you’re on the fence about this show, let me tell you, this one pays homage in such a great way.
As most shows that are either based on a law firm, or police procedural, there is a crime but we (the viewers) don’t usually come in until the lawyers and cops arrive. We get to see the victim and maybe we’ll be shown how they came to die. But we are just as much in the dark as the lawyers and detectives on the case when it comes to solving for who did it.
That’s where a great show like Columbo comes into play. What made this show different than all the rest is that it starts from the POV of the killer. That’s right. We get to see how they commit the crime and sometimes even a bit of why, though the why is often the thing we get to see revealed over time. What’s so great about this process is the case becomes less about who did it, cause we know, and more about how Lt. Columbo goes about discovering who did it. Now, one thing that can become abundantly clear about the Columbo series is that 10/10 he knows who the killer is right away. They insert themselves into the investigation, you see, or they try to keep their distance. All the while, Columbo has sussed them out within the first few minutes. So, what makes it so intriguing then if we know who the killer is and Columbo knows who the killer is?
CHARACTER, CHARACTER, CHARACTER
Columbo is a rare breed of personality. He wears the same raincoat, button up shirt and brownish/pinkish/purplish suit, with shoes that look like he’s had them for decades. He smokes his cigars, drives a car that looks like it can’t make it up a hill, and is satisfied with a bowl of chili from a dive diner for his meals. He plays up the “I’m as dumb as I look” routine and sometimes the killer falls for it. But the times when they don’t, the times when it becomes a bit of a cat and mouse game between Columbo and the killer, those make for great television.
So, why am I telling you all this? Well, because seeing the murder from the killers POV is exactly how Elsbeth starts. When I saw this I was gobsmacked. I haven’t seen a show like this since the days of Columbo so I sat back and prepared to see just how a female Columbo would square up against a formidable opponent. A killer who thought he could never be caught.
I must say, as annoying investigators go, Elsbeth is right up there. She has all the key indicators and makings of a great detective. Just like Columbo she is unassuming. She pretends to be less than “on it” when it comes to how the letter of the law is done and when she’s stepped out of bounds.
However, her personality, some might say, is the complete opposite of Columbo. He’s quiet and keeps his cards close to the vest. Does he know who the killer is? Of course. Does he enjoy getting under their skin till they crack? Certainly. But he doesn’t go out of his way to seem less than knowledgeable. There have been occasion where he will not mince words and say, “I know you did it.” And it’s up to him to find irrefutable evidence to support his theory.
Now, with Elsbeth, I have only seen the one episode. So it is possible my entire theory on the premise of this show is incorrect. That it was just for this first episode that they started by showing us the killer and how they committed their crime. But for their sake I hope I am wrong and they do this every week. It will be just what this show needs to hopefully appeal to an audience that will appreciate this kind of cat and mouse game. But she will have to prove to us, the viewers, that she’s more than just a one trick pony. I’ll need to see much more and until I do, I reserve my judgement on whether this show is a winner. Or will CBS make that decision for me…
