A new villain is coming to town in Elsbeth season 2, and they have an exciting connection to the show’s main star, Carrie Preston, in real life. The CBS police procedural comedy-drama TV series, created by Robert and Michelle King, serves as a spinoff from The Good Wife following Preston’s Elsbeth Tascioni. Preston had a recurring role as Elsbeth in The Good Wife in season 1 and seasons 3 through 7. Almost 10 years later, Preston’s character, described as an unconventional attorney turned de facto detective, has returned in Elsbeth on CBS.
New episodes of
Elsbeth
season 2 air on Thursdays at 10 pm ET on CBS.
Elsbeth premiered in February 2024 and has been a huge success for the network. It pulls in impressive ratings, which is a feat for a network TV show in this day and age. The police procedural comedy-drama 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. While each episode follows the inverted detective story format, Elsbeth also contains serialized plots that take place over the course of one season. However, a new star will take on a (villainous) recurring role a few episodes into season 2.
Elsbeth Season 2 Casts A New Villain — Judge Milton Crawford
Michael Emerson Plays Judge Milton Crawford
Per TVLine, CBS cast Michael Emerson in a recurring role in Elsbeth season 2. The actor will star as Judge Milton Crawford, making his first appearance in episode 7 on Thursday, December 12. As one could guess, Emerson’s character is a judge, but he’s seemingly a villain who serves as a “foil” to Carrie Preston’s Elsbeth. Judge Crawford’s character description reveals he is “a haughty, soft-spoken and bespectacled man from an old New England family of public servants who sees his place in the nation’s elite as a birthright.” So, it’s safe to say that Judge Crawford and Elbeth will clash.
Most notably, [Michael] Emerson starred as the
Lost
antagonist Ben Linus.
Many Elsbeth viewers will recognize Emerson from a handful of his past TV show roles. Most notably, Emerson starred as the Lost antagonist Ben Linus. However, the actor is also known for playing Harold Finch in the CBS crime drama Person of Interest and Dr. Leland Townsend in the CBS/Paramount+ supernatural drama series Evil. Now, Emerson will star opposite Preston in Elsbeth season 2.
Related
Why Does Elsbeth Always Carry So Many Bags
Elsbeth’s quirky title character is in the habit of carrying a lot of bags, but there’s a reason she constantly carries so many with her at a time.
Crawford Actor Michael Emerson’s Connection To Carrie Preston Explained
The Actors Are Married
Michael Emerson shares a strong connection with Elsbeth season 2’s leading lady Carrie Preston — she is his wife. The two actors married in 1998 after meeting while performing in a stage production of Hamlet. Preston and Emerson have been together ever since, and they have even worked on a handful of TV shows together, including Elsbeth.
Carrie Preston and Michael Emerson’s TV Shows |
Carrie Preston’s Role |
Michael Emerson’s Role |
---|---|---|
Lost |
Emily Linus (season 3, episode 20) |
Ben Linus (main role) |
Person of Interest |
Grace Hendricks (recurring role, seasons 1–3, 5) |
Harold Finch (main role) |
Elsbeth |
Elsbeth Tascioni (main role and producer) |
Judge Milton Crawford (recurring role, season 2) |
The couple first briefly collaborated on Lost when Preston guest starred as Emerson’s character’s mother in a flashback in season 3, episode 20. Five years later, Preston and Emerson reunited when joining the cast of Person of Interest. Emerson’s Harold Finch was a main character, while Preston had a recurring role as Grace Hendricks. Now, Preston and Emerson will work together once more in Elsbeth season 2.

Elsbeth is a crime drama series that began airing in 2024 on CBS and Paramount+. The series follows attorney Elsbeth Tascioni, who leaves her career behind to join the NYPD and become an investigator, using her unique skills to catch criminal masterminds. Elsbeth is also a spinoff of the original television series The Good Wife.
- Cast
- Carrie Preston , Fredric Lehne , Danny Mastrogiorgio , Jane Krakowski , Wendell Pierce , Gloria Reuben , Retta , Linda Lavin
- Release Date
- February 29, 2024
- Creator(s)
- Michelle King , Robert King
Source: TVLine