‘Elsbeth’ Boss Teases Danger for Elsbeth With Returning Guest Stars in Prison (VIDEO)

Ileane Rudolph May 6, 2025, 10:00 am

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In the penultimate May 1 episode of the hit show’s sophomore season, NYPD police adviser Elsbeth Tascioni (the delightful Carrie Preston) was arrested after her efforts to catch a killer crossed the line, and now she’s in serious legal trouble. The judge, unfortunately for Elsbeth, was a great friend of the late Judge Milton Crawford (Michael Emerson), who had a contentious relationship with Elsbeth, who was trying to prove he had murdered two people decades earlier, and happened to be shot and killed while standing next to the lawyer-turned-sleuth.

The Thursday, May 8, guest star-packed season finale finds Elsbeth incarcerated with nine of the murderers she has helped put away. Among the miscreants making return visits: lecherous theater director (and Elsbeth’s first success as an amateur detective) Alex Modarian (Stephen Moyer), society matchmaker Margo Clarke (Retta), plastic surgeon Vanessa Holmes (Gina Gershon), fashion designer Matteo Hart (André De Shields), decluttering expert Freya Frostad (Mary-Louise Parker), and former Mafia princess Pupetta Del Ponte (Alyssa Milano). “And wouldn’t you know,” reveals Elsbeth showrunner Jonathan Tolins, “one of those people ends up murdered after she arrives, creating a new case for her to solve.” (Get a peek at some of those returning guest stars in TV Insider’s exclusive clip from the finale above.)

But first, Elsbeth better watch her back. “The other former guest stars are all suspects,” Tolins adds, “but Elsbeth could also very well be in danger because she is also the most hated person in the jail. Plenty of prisoners want their revenge.”

Tolins notes that the idea for the story, “like many things on Elsbeth, began with a joke in the writers’ room. Someone suggested a murder in prison, and that led to us wondering if we could fill a jail with former guest stars.”

The idea of having Elsbeth as a fellow prisoner came later. Recruiting top-notch actors for guest roles hasn’t been difficult, adds the exec. “[Agents] have heard that we treat people well and they’ve seen that we give them good material to work with. It was important to all us, including Carrie, from the beginning. We want a happy set where people can have fun and do their best work.”

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And what couldn’t be more fun than a musical return to the iconic show Chicago (Elsbeth’s beloved hometown) for the second time. Singing and dancing to the murderers’ number, “Cell Block Tango,” was particularly enjoyable for two of the guest actors: Season 1’s Stephen Moyer, who played a killer director, starred as flashy lawyer Billy Flynn in a Chicago staging and Alyssa Milano, Season 2’s murderous mob princess, had the role of Roxie Hart, who killed her lover, on Broadway.

Still, putting together such a star-studded finale wasn’t easy. “The whole thing was a little like a game of Jenga, with me writing the script in ways that could be rewritten quickly as the cast came together,” says Tolins. “Some people were unavailable due to their schedules, but we ended up with a fantastic mix of actors, and maybe some who were unable to join us might show up later on.” We’ll gladly visit the slammer again for that!

But we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention how much we’ll miss Carra Patterson, who plays Elsbeth’s bestie, recently promoted Det. Kaya Blanke. The Season 2 finale is the last episode in which she’s a regular, as Blanke heads to Washington D.C. for a federal task force. We’ve been promised by both Tolins and the actress that she’ll return as a guest star, and she’s already signed for an appearance in Season 3.

Elsbeth, Season 2 Finale, Thursday, May 8, 9/8c, CBS