Spoilers ahead for Episode 6 of Elsbeth Season 1, called “An Ear for an Ear.”
Elsbeth tackled the case of a plastic surgeon who didn’t take kindly to her former protegé starting her own practice in “An Ear for an Ear,” with the titular character finding some connections where the officers of the NYPD missed them. Of course, her partnership with Kaya is a lot friendlier than some of the other cops, and this was a particularly interesting episode for the duo. Kaya did some investigating on Elsbeth herself when she noticed that Elsbeth was keeping secrets, and the result was a scene that could have gone a whole lot worse than it did. Actress Carra Patterson spoke with CinemaBlend about Elsbeth’s reveal… and the cast reactions to the Season 2 renewal news in the 2024 TV schedule.
Kaya finally confronted Elsbeth at the end of “An Ear for an Ear,” and the outside observer had a choice to make: lie to her friend and partner about her investigation into Captain Wagner, or tell the truth. To my surprise and relief, Elsbeth came clean, and Kaya just wants to be on the side of the truth. Carra Patterson, who plays Kaya, addressed the big reveal that is bound to change the course of the show:
I was happy to see that Elsbeth opened up to Kaya because I think Kaya is relieved to have someone that she can trust, someone who’s in her corner. And if it went on too long, Kaya would feel very much alone in this world with nobody to trust and I think you just need to know one person is trying to do the right thing, even though it’s making her question these people, you know, Noonan and Wagner, who she’s had a ton of respect for. But I think it was important for Kaya to see that Elsbeth is on the right side of justice and is really trying to do what’s best even though it’s making some good people look bad.
Considering how fundamental Elsbeth’s investigation into Wagner is to the series, it seemed all too possible that she’d lie to Kaya when she started to press for information. But that’s not the kind of character that Elsbeth is in this spinoff of The Good Wife, tote bags and bright colors and all. I went on to ask Patterson about Kaya’s level of trust in Elsbeth, considering how long she worked under Wagner, and the actress shared:
I think that was the source of the conflict because she has more history with Wagner, but she’s been following Elsbeth on these cases and seeing that Elsbeth’s instincts are right, and she’s seen it pay off time after time after time when everyone else has doubted her, and now her instincts are pointing at Wagner. And so I think that as much as she doesn’t want to face it by the end of this, when she sees that Elsbeth is opening up to her, now it scares her, but now she has to face the truth that Wagner might not be as noble as she thought.
While the season is still ongoing and plenty can change by the time the Season 1 finale airs on May 23, hopefully we’ll continue to see more of Kaya and Elsbeth teaming up now that Elsbeth has opened up. The show continues to prove what cast members meant about not needing to be an expert on The Good Wife to enjoy this new project, and CBS has already guaranteed that fans don’t need to worry about it ending for good this spring. When I asked Carra Patterson if the cast got the Season 2 renewal news while Season 1 was still filming, she explained:
In the middle of filming the season finale, like mid day, we found out about Season 2. So it was crazy because the first half of the day was very sad. You know, the crew, the cast, we were just kind of saying goodbyes. We started filming the first half of the scenes and it was very somber in tone because it’s really like the end. And then around lunchtime we found out we got a Season 2 and then it turned into one big party and then it got hard to go back and film serious scenes after that. [laughs] But it’s a good problem to have. We’re all so excited to be able to come back together and continue telling this really awesome story.
Considering that some other CBS shows – most recently including NCIS: Hawai’i after three seasons – have been cancelled this spring, getting the early renewal for Season 2 was worth celebrating by fans and stars alike. Plus, the show isn’t out of fun guest stars just yet, after Showgirls alum Gina Gershon had a role in “An Ear for an Ear.” Keegan-Michael Key will guest star in the next new episode, called “Something Blue.”
Keep tuning in to CBS on Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of Elsbeth in the wake of the leading lady’s big reveal to Kaya. You can also revisit earlier episodes streaming with a Paramount+ subscription now.