Elsbeth Season 2’s New Villain Is Better Because of a Real-Life Connection to Carrie Preston

A new villain is coming to town in Elsbeth Season 2, and they have a touching connection with the show’s real-life main star, Carrie Preston. The CBS crime comedy-drama TV series, created by Robert and Michelle King, serves as a spin-off of The good wife following Elsbeth Tascioni from Preston. Preston had a recurring role as Elsbeth on The good wife in season 1 and seasons 3 through 7. Almost 10 years later, Preston’s character described as an unconventional lawyer turned de facto detective returned in Elsbeth on CBS.

Elsbeth premiered in February 2024 and has been a huge success for the network. It gets impressive ratings, which is quite a feat for a network TV show these days. The crime dramedy follows Preston’s Elsbeth, who moves to New York City at the start of the series and uses her unique skills to help the NYPD catch criminals. Although each episode follows the inverted detective story format Elsbeth it also contains serialized plots that take place over the course of a season. However, a new star will take on a recurring role (villain) in some episodes of the second season.

Elsbeth Season 2 Casts a New Villain – Judge Milton Crawford

Michael Emerson plays Judge Milton Crawford

Put TV lineCBS has cast Michael Emerson in a recurring role on Elsbeth season 2. The actor will star as Judge Milton Crawford, making his first appearance in episode 7 on Thursday, December 12th. As one might imagine, Emerson’s character is a judge, but he is apparently a villain who serves as a “counterpoint” to Carrie Preston’s Elsbeth. Judge Crawford’s character description reveals that he is “an arrogant, soft-spoken, bespectacled man from an old family of New England civil servants who views his place among the country’s elite as his birthright.” So it’s safe to say that Judge Crawford and Elbeth will clash.

Many Elsbeth viewers will recognize Emerson from some of his past TV shows papers. Most notably, Emerson starred as the Lost antagonist Ben Linus. However, the actor is also known for playing Harold Finch on the CBS crime drama. Person of interest and Dr. Leland Townsend in the CBS/Paramount+ supernatural drama series Evil​​​​​​. Now, Emerson will star alongside Preston in Elsbeth 2nd season.

Actor Michael Emerson’s Connection to Carrie Preston Explained

The actors are married

Michael Emerson shares a strong connection with Elsbeth the protagonist of season 2, Carrie Preston – she is his wife. The two actors got married in 1998 after meeting while performing in a theater production of Village. Preston and Emerson have been together ever since and have even worked together on several TV shows including Elsbeth.

The couple first collaborated briefly on Lost when Preston starred as Emerson’s character’s mother in a flashback in season 3, episode 20. Five years later, Preston and Emerson reunited by joining the cast of Person of interest. Emerson’s Harold Finch was the main character, while Preston had a recurring role as Grace Hendricks. Now, Preston and Emerson will work together once again in Elsbeth 2nd season.

Source: TV line