Will ‘Elsbeth’ return for Season 4? Everything we know about Carrie Preston’s CBS mystery hit so far
Fans of the CBS mystery series ‘Elsbeth’ and its lead star Carrie Preston are going to have to sit tight for a while because the show has officially wrapped up its third season. The finale aired on May 21 and, true to form, the episode brought murder, oddball humor, and Elsbeth Tascioni’s wonderfully strange detective style into one entertaining hour. Luckily, viewers are not saying goodbye for good. CBS already renewed the series for Season 4, so the break is only temporary. At the moment, the network has not confirmed the exact premiere date for the next season. The network usually keeps ‘Elsbeth’ in its Thursday night lineup, and if it sticks to its normal routine, new episodes will probably return sometime in the fall. September or October seems the safest bet right now.
Production is also expected to get rolling fairly soon. HELLO! Magazine reports that filming for Season 4 could begin in Brooklyn this July. That turnaround is actually pretty quick considering the cast only finished shooting Season 3 near the end of March. The Season 3 finale itself leaned into old-school mystery fun with a very theatrical twist. The episode brought in Broadway icon Patti LuPone as Ruby Lane, a glamorous cabaret singer living inside a fictional luxury New York hotel called The Reilly. The episode focused on the murder of Duke Sebastian Mason (Byron Jennings), known as the Lord of Sussexford, who arrived in New York for a heated vote involving the future of The Reilly. Residents of the hotel were deciding whether to sell the property, and tensions were already running high.
Then came the murder, and naturally, Elsbeth found herself right in the middle of the investigation alongside Captain Wagner (Wendell Pierce). Viewers discovered very early in the episode that Ruby was responsible for the Duke’s death. The fun was not about learning who did it. It was about watching Elsbeth slowly piece everything together while Ruby tried to stay one step ahead. Ruby’s financial situation became one of the biggest clues. Even though she appeared strapped for cash, she continued to live lavishly in the hotel and charged everything to an unpaid tab. As the investigation moved forward, the motive became clearer.
Selling the hotel would mean Ruby’s massive debts could finally come due. Keeping the property in its current state gave her more breathing room financially. So, in a desperate move, she k*lled the Duke to stop the sale from moving ahead. Eventually, Elsbeth cornered Ruby with evidence tied directly to the murder weapon. The episode also featured help from a few colorful supporting characters. Broadway veteran Nathan Lee Graham appeared as Jolly, Ruby’s pianist and close companion. Meanwhile, Michael Urie played wealthy philanthropist Montgomery 'Monty' Blakemont III, whose inside knowledge of the hotel became useful during the investigation.
