Since the start of the series, Elsbeth has made a name for itself by taking big swings with its episodic cases and overall
storytelling. The show has remained fresh and interesting by keeping viewers on their toes.
However, the most recent episodes of the current season have us wondering what exactly is going on in that writer’s room. Things have begun to go from whimsical to cringe-worthy.
With a protagonist like Elsbeth Tascioni, the plot behind the show is always going to have questionable storytelling choices. Thankfully, most of those decisions have worked in the show’s favor.
For instance, it’s how we got a chef willing to bash her head in with a meat tenderizer on Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 5. We love to see a killer committed to their craft.
That said, not every installment in Season 2 has knocked it out of the park.
Yes, there have been a few transgressors, and even we at TV Fanatic can’t deny the episodes that have fallen short of Elsbeth’s phenomenon.
There’s Only So Much Elsbeth Can Get Away with in a Valentine’s Day Episode, but “Tiny Town” Pushed It to the Limit
The first ding for Elsbeth Season 2 happened during that sweet Valentine’s Day episode, “Tiny Town.” As adorable as the story was, it was hard to get past some of the glaring issues.
First, and this is coming from a few readers, the depiction of the tiny town in Scotland rubbed a few viewers the wrong way for the rather cliched depiction of The Land of Scots.
My personal gripe with “Tiny Town” is a little more nit-picky, but having New York City and Scotland in the same time zone was weird.
How was there not a single overlap between day and night? It’s a simple detail that can make a big impact on viewers.
Finally, and this might just aggravate me, but after getting hit on by two firemen in previous episodes, Miss Tascioni waited until Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 11 to show a little interest.
All the hot firemen in New York City and Elsbeth has to fall for Angus (Ioan Gruffudd), the Scottish fireman who lives over three thousand miles away.
There was a lot in “Tiny Town” that had us scratching our heads. Like Elsbeth shirking away with fear in the face of the killer. When has she ever been scared while squaring off with an episodic murderer?
The only redeeming thing about “Tiny Town” was the cute but brief romantic moments between Angus and Elsbeth (Carrie Preston).
Sadly, the same could not be said for some of the other offenders on this list.
The Staple of Every Murder Mystery, No Matter the Genre, Is That It’s Supposed to Make Sense in the End. That’s Just Homicide 101
Sure, Elsbeth isn’t your typical police procedural in that the show consistently switches genres.
One week, the series will depict a “howcatchem” with all the details of the murder neatly laid out. Then, the following week, Elsbeth will feature a genuine murder mystery.
Half the fun of the show is not knowing what we’ll get from the weekly grab bag.
However, the change-ups have become more frequent since Elsbeth Season 1, with every other episode ranging from a “whodunnit” to a “whydunnit.”
Variety may be the spice of life, but too much change too fast can lead to a poorly executed episodic case where not everything fits into place.
Take Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 13, for example. The fabulous Chloe goes out for a night with wealthy real estate billionaire Nathan.
Chloe then slips something into Nathan’s drink, and before you know it, we have our murder victim. Pretty cut and dry, right?
It certainly seems that way until you finish “Tearjerker” and think back on the events that transpired. The crux of this episode was that it didn’t make sense why Chloe would want to kill Nathan.
He seemed to genuinely care about her, not to mention that Chloe was a well-off woman who was not hurting financially.
I’d say she’s a pretty successful, uh, “consultant” if she needs an assistant. Ultimately, it was revealed that Nathan and Chloe had planned the entire thing to frame Nathan’s ex-wife.
Here’s the thing with misdirection like this one: Everything is supposed to make sense in the end, with the twist nicely wrapped in a satisfying conclusion for the audience.
So, if Nathan was in on the plan with Chloe, why did Chloe need to wait till Nathan wasn’t looking to drop the drugs in his drink?
Furthermore, if Nathan had built that building, couldn’t there have been an easier way to get Jordana Brewster’s (Lethal Weapon) Chloe in and out without being seen by the surveillance cameras?
Hell, why didn’t Nathan just pay off a security guard? Writers love an “easily bribed union worker” as a convenient plot device.
While this episode cut some rather blatant corners with the plotting, nothing compares to the transgressions committed by this next one.
Even Elsbeth Is Entitled to a Dud from Time to Time, but How Does a Show Like This One Drop the Ball on a Murdering Psychic?
I really wanted to like Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 15 — I really did. It doesn’t matter how great a show is. Even the best of the best can put out a real stinker from time to time.
There was so much in “I See … Murder” that did not work or didn’t have that usual Elsbeth sparkle that gives every episode its signature pizazz.
The case in question had to do with a genuinely forgettable victim who was shot to death with a bow and arrow while waiting to meet up with an online date at a park in the middle of the night.
There’s not an ounce of creativity in that setup. The character may as well have been walking around with a bullseye on his chest.
The murder was utterly uninspired, but that’s okay because Elsbeth always delivers truly wild and over-the-top murderer suspects.
Remember the actress who stabbed the producer in the eye with the stiletto in Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 8? Well, there was none of that in “I See … Murder.”
I so badly wanted to like the killer because Marilyn was played by none other than the legendary Tracey Ullman (Curb Your Enthusiasm). Sadly, not even she could add the much-needed infusion of pep to this episode.
You would think a murder with a psychic as the primary suspect would be a camp-comedy gold mine, but it was the exact opposite.
The jokes fell flat, and Ullman’s character was more cringe than charismatic.
Overall, the back half of Elsbeth Season 2 does not look too hot. Hopefully, things will course-correct. There’s still the matter of Judge Milton Crawford.
For the most part, Michael Emerson‘s character has been absent.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we see some traction from that arc because these recent episodic cases have been missing the mark.
Do you think some of these episodes of Elsbeth could have been better?
What’s something about the show that leaves you scratching your head?
Please drop a comment below to let me know what you think, and join me again when I bring you more fun questions and opinions about Elsbeth!
Watch Elsbeth Online
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We’re saying it here: Elsbeth has gumption by the bucket hats with Season 2 blowing Season 1 out of the water.
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