#cbs elsbeth

[fanficandvidprompts]

Two crossover ideas for Tracker and Elsbeth; one serious, one crack

Crack: the kind of psychic abilities that Chrono Stasis was looking at (or at least what they would have if the timeline wouldn't line up for her to have a connection) while they aren't necessarily responsible for Elsbeth's gift at noticing shit, they are responsible (albeit-not-solely-to-the-degree-where-she'd-lose-a-big-part-of-herself-if-they-got-taken-away) for how metaphorically-90% of people she has enough contact with seem to (even if it's only platonically) fall in love with her as well as be willing to tell her things they wouldn't really tell other people (as well as perhaps her fast-and-loose-with-the-fourth-wall shit)

Serious: if Kaya wouldn't be out from undercover by the beginning of S4 this crossover would chronicle how she'd otherwise get out of that game for good as an operation would get thrown sideways when Kaya would go missing and whether whoever took her would be whoever the operation was trying to take down (even if they didn't know it yet) or she-in-whichever-new-identity/life-she-was-"trying-on"-this-time just was in the wrong place at the wrong time and, like, overheard the wrong conversation or pissed off the wrong people, either way Elsbeth would hire Colter to find Kaya in a way that wouldn't compromise the operation (even if it'd mean once found her continuing her part in it would still be too risky so she'd have to "go home") because through her many friends and six-degrees-of-"know[ing]-a-guy" she'd have heard of that job Colter did in Chicago even if show-timelines-lining-up would mean it'd have been after she moved (for those who don't remember the job we at least saw Colter do in Chicago (as he does ones "in between episodes" too) it was the S1 one where most of the original incarnation of the team was in the field together with the missing MMA fighter chick and the immigration issues)

[thewickedbohemian]

Thoughts on the Elsbeth season finale where Elsbeth's Abed-level meta reached new heights, we got breadcrumbs dropped that could lead to a musical episode, there was the best evidence yet for neurodivergent Teddy and I was crying in both the happy and not-happy ways

Kaya undercover-ing again?

amazed this show got Patti LuPone

outfit sure lives up to her name

Father Crime mention in an episode with Kaya

be any more of a fucking diva couldn't you

she's got her own tote bag

what the hell's going on

please don't let the why does everything have to change be meta meaning Kaya was only back working with Elsbeth proper for E17

left your statue at the crime scene

so this Captain Wagner wants to be in the field too

oh so that's a thing

Elsbeth please don't fangirl over the hotel

already we're with the speculation

can we enough with people name-dropping shit

same initials again

I was right about the tote bags

and she hasn't broken character

cool news, I thought that was supposed to be what S2 ended with

AuDHD!Teddy?

I think I know what the sneak peak's about

so is this little excursion of Kaya's gonna end here?

please tell me this guy isn't some kind of potential love interest even if this has to mean he's Kaya's suspect

not surprised Elsbeth's a Gleek (wonder if Kaya's one too)

Kayabeth shippers find any symbolism in "Taking A Chance On Love"?

I see that Annie joke

even more foreshadowing

wonder if they're meant to parallel anyone ;)

really rubbing it in with the Father Crime thing too

I hope Elsbeth sings eventually

nice little meta joke

Elsbeth talking about him or herself

not sure of the subtext here but this feels like an Elsbeth-missing-Kaya song

ok why'd she turn on her right after the serenade

of course the guy Elsbeth has a Moment with seems sus

and he also seems like he's stage-acting-on-screen

interesting Freudian slip

yeah he's definitely Kaya's guy

and Roy's pattern-mixing too

is this some kind of parallel to Elsbeth

please don't let Teddy leave-leave

another cute outfit especially Elsbeth's pin

now Ruby is seriously starting to piss me off

since we know Father Crime takes its stories from the headlines, was Ruby in Father Crime's equivalent of "And Then There Were Nuns"

girl's got the intel

murdered popstar, yeah, right, they freaking did the thing (and nice Paramount+ shade)

Elsbeth's got an idea and I see you Teddy fucking stimming

Teddy that's not what a proposal's supposed to be like

nice font change and nice man-to-man (wonder if that's also foreshadow of neuroweird-man-to-neuroweird-man)

"they", will we meet his other kids

that is not Ruby's color

did something like that actually happen with the Elsbeth episode

wonder who else Elsbeth's talking about

again with the marriage themes

is this her attempt at being vulnerable

mirror mirror on the wall Elsbeth don't know that shit at all /s

okay when can we have the actual original musical episode

May-October, another meta joke

nice social commentary

Elsbeth has an epiphany

and more Ruby singing (don't want to waste that talent)

gotcha bitch

oh so that's we didn't see

thank you Kaya

Chekhov's Tote Bag Switcheroo

ooh even if sneak peek hadn't shown it off I'd have called it

awww <3 Teddy has a Voice^TM (and Elsbeth and Kaya peeking in on his love song hmm)

more Elsbeth being an Abed

so is this just gonna explain Kaya's between-seasons?

please don't tell me that's gonna be the new gimmick of her popping up in surprising places

called it

and my heart right now even more with them dancing and the painting and that conversation and the symbolism of that Maybe Happy Ending bit

[thewickedbohemian]

Week-late-because-I-was-traveling thoughts on an Elsbeth full of narrative foils, fabulous outfits, as much queer subtext as you'd get in an episode without Kaya, and evidence for both autistic Captain Wagner and why Elsbeth should be a fucking consultant already

more film-noir voiceover bullshit

"whatever happened to class"

ok news boomer

lady can match Elsbeth fashion-for-fashion

ok who's the mystery caller

peep the vanity plate

really you're that paranoid

casual mention of a guy's husband gotta love Elsbeth

houston we have a blackmailer

who is he

that's almost a Morgan outfit

wonder if the secret is they're more than friends

awful simple murder method

needle drop a little on the nose dontcha think

Buzz's back

and so's Grace

digging Elsbeth's rainbow beanie but what is that pin

so that's what's with the getup

that's awfully subdued for Elsbeth

a statement like that would make me want to yeet that vase at her head

never would have taken Elsbeth for a Ninja Warrior fan (but if you think about it) nor this show for the type to say another show's actual name not an Expy

so is Teddy a reporter or just a fact-checker, or is fact-checker what happened when he got taken off the campaign beat

so Connor found money from somewhere, did Tully do a thing

autistic!Wagner?

since iirc they're sorta-close wonder if Grace is why Buzz knows about this

surprise Elsbeth and that's not a combination of red and purple that works

ok Tahani shuh with the name-dropping

so she's not from Chicago-Chicago

suspicion awful early

nice meta reference with the psychic thing

interesting little clue here

feet off the desk Elsbeth (and that's a super-cute outfit)

Chekhov's PA

oh hi Nadine how the hell are you mixed up in this

not you with the name-dropping too

ok how many companies

between Nadine and Betty who can out-Tahani

Elsbeth I'm starting to need a string board

asked and answered

what's with that blouse, the rest of the outfit would be fine without it

nice Aesop Elsbeth

thank you Teddy for giving me flashbacks (and that outfit kinda fire too)

are they still truth-ball-ing (does Elsbeth keep burglarizing crime scenes)

Chekhov's license plate

Elsbeth hits the red carpet (similar dress vibe to her Vivienne Gala one) and kinda getting "I'm not a star here lady"ed (did that one guy seriously ask if she was Lady Gaga)

meanwhile Betty's dress is kinda making me have jealousies (as are Elsbeth's earrings)

ok Betty playing both sides

so how does this get back at Tully without hitting Elsbeth

and why isn't her job consultant?

Tully take a goddamn breath

did Alec Bloom do a thing or was this partially Marissa's brainchild?

girl don't make assumptions

wonder if she thought Betty would have a dog because she does

is she doing the Olivia Benson thing

stop making yourself sound like fucking Moriarty (or Willa Quinn from High Potential)

so Elsbeth noticed what I did

is this the first time Nadine's been over

and she accidentally solved the case

ok what did Elsbeth dooo

and another cute outfit

so Elsbeth didn't really do that Nadine did

nice bust and fact-checking aesop

no one gets between a captain and his coffee

pop off Connor get on your soapbox

[thewickedbohemian]

Belated-because-I-was-out-of-state-without-a-way-to-watch thoughts on an Elsbeth that had some unexpected character moments for unexpected characters but otherwise went as far as a good story still could straight into the uncanny valley.

and my rage is building as I've seen too much of people taking potshots at that part of YouTube

could she sound any more like she's fake-smiling

girl sounds like an Enneagram 3

note the visual difference between both of them

scandal brewing?

someone being a little controlling when she's the filmmaker

okay ew (literally and metaphorically)

get exposed bitch

lifestyle ew but that dress is adorable

she looks like a Juliet

smile you're on candid camera

stop treating her like she's the help

is this a piss-take on the Ballerina Farm thing like how the nun episode was for the Katy Perry convent scandal

I think I know how the murder's gonna happen

what does she see

DIY Tide Pod?

like we can't tell what she's gonna do (she feels like she's supposed to be stage-acting)

way to make it even more obvious

ooh cute Elsbeth outfit

interesting we've got Reynolds again and the guy from the Italian restaurant episode last season

okay who's that actor

so he's a user too

again with the motif of the arts are under attack

and Elsbeth's on the trail of the tradwife

I thought she was just gonna hide the footage not 86 it

and the natives are restless

oh hello commissioner jackass

and we're back to this bullshit, full-circle-y

I'd be kinda ok if that guy goes

and I would say I love Elsbeth's jacket but wtf is that one shoulder and wtf are those cuffs

how many times has she had to convince people

and the ADHD's going brrr

tell us how you really feel Elsbeth

at least they all know what a tradwife is

kids are adorable though

all the different tragedeighs do the number dance (but seriously "Deservedly" without even an eigh)

I'd be wary of anything she made

sounding a little psychosexual here

and Elsbeth found the stim toy

summer months away what's the timeline here

how to break it to that guy

why does he sound not really happy (does that tie into a theme here)

did that look like Kaya in the background

how the hell did they end up together

ok where'd the footage go if Elsbeth didn't take it

you okay detective

not sure how I feel about that color on Elsbeth

and again people just open up to her

okay Bobby the fuck was in those crackers

and breakthrough even we didn't know

okay who is she

writers have a sense of humor

okay the hell happened

lil girl is deservedly adorable no pun intended

follow the bouncing box

and houston it's a murder

at least getting a little bit realistic

and they're back to tete-a-tete

okay who watched this and wanted some kind of "Young Wagner" prequel

Wagner's got his game face on

okay Elsbeth lore or her just making a reference

hoollly beige

okay she is seriously creeping me out

and they're all drawing her (more evidence of Elsbeth's ridiculous CHR score) and adding some color to all this beige

do you see what I see

wasn't the box purple

fashion kinda fire

isn't that too short a skirt for tradwives

and husband is probably soon-to-be-ex

again 1 and 3 in her Enneagram tritype

take a breath

wonder if they have therapists in prison

again with the poker game and the suspicious food and I wish Kaya was here

okay who's the "protege"

please don't tell me that's anything

reverse-y power-dynamic

and Elsbeth's noticing another criminal

agreed to what kimosabe

seems like he learned from Elsbeth

not expecting this kind of characte rmoment

oh so this Wagner working off of a Selena Soto playbook

no retirement but still party

and I'm crying

where Kaya (or any other detective lady we know)

uh oh what do you mean by payback

[thewickedbohemian]

Thoughts on an Elsbeth that reunited our dynamic duo (and made me hope it's to-stay) with a lot of lesbian subtext and Camkaya maybe on the rocks and also a lot of themes about pretending and relationships that echoed that in the case

oh so it's that kind of therapy

you may not judge but I judge that blouse

if I didn't know better I'd swear this was the chick who played Reenie on Tracker and I swear I'm not just going off race

ok how tall is he

in the words of Falsettos "is this therapyyyy!!"

was she seriously expecting a diamond

maybe therapist needs some therapy (and I'd say that even if I didn't know she was gonna do a murder)

oh so that was a setup

who gets that close with a damn therapist outside of, well, Marvin, Trina, Whizzer and Jason on Falsettos

I'm getting secondhand sensory issues

now I'm getting High Potential flashbacks

ok now is anything brewing for him

now did he tell all his friends before the inevitable happened

So that's what she was doingi

please tell me that's just a Watsonian way to express uncertainty over the actress's schedule in S4 (whether or not the break is temporary)

"the band is back together" powers-that-be take that advice

and we've got the baby cop (who was also the officer in Kaya's first case as a detective)

ok what is Elsbeth's suit (and Elsbeth in orange with Kaya again it's just Kaya's in green not blue)

thank you at least for clarifying the difference

ironic that the therapist is the oversharer

pieces getting put together

so he's back too (with facial hair too)

trouble in paradise?...

both girls probably fish out of water in here

grab hold of his...power

making a little bit of social commentary again here

okay so is this a victim that had it coming

oh hello there TruRose

that's an interesting backstory

and a very revealing comment from Kaya potentially meaning she'll stick around

you know that thing about killers making the best profilers as that was like fucking Spencer-Reid-level...

Elsbeth having anxieties

Cagney and Lacey can't catch a break (or at least a break from being together)

you think she'd know tearing out a page is never clean

Elsbeth as usual butting in

Kayabeth finishing each others' sandwiches and Wagner's a shipper on deck

Kaya again avoiding her boyfriend and so-how-do-you-really-feel about Dr. Mal

another big oof about undercover and I just want to hug Kaya

parallels potentially tearing both away from partners while they're in Wicked colors I see you show

and speaking of parallels everybody's relationships kinda going to shit

and now Elsbeth in the cool colors (yet Kaya in neutrals)

okay so is he being sarcastic or just desperate

communication is essential and I saw that look

girl sounds like she had a reason to want to kill Dr. Mal

at least Cam realized her game

and the dramatics

why does it sound like Kaya put a bit of Elsbeth into Denise

and more unclearness about Kaya's future

how would someone that detailed make a mistake that big

Scotland, everything's just coming back

mystery voice identified

what the hell; this may be a random reference but if anyone's ever heard of the indie game Only If there's a certain scene/minigame that destroying expensive pots in a white room reminds me of

a perfect duet of murder case breakdown

out damn spot damn spot I say

Mal kind of a Kaya dark-mirror?

girls in PJs with junk food as it should be

Elsbeth needs a therapist too and insert joke about someone she can commit to being right there

and reality shows too and Gonzo all their comfort everythings

I'm gonna need a screenshot of that last scene that is just utter wholesome perfection (and if I could get a screenshot that might become my new banner)

episode made me feel so good I'm already sad I didn't see Kaya in the preview for the next one (but maybe we're just having S3B parallel S2B)

[thewickedbohemian]

Thoughts on an Elsbeth that seemingly thrust Elsbeth's relationships (both romantic and not but even some of the friends a little queer-codedly in moments) into the spotlight as much as the case and Made A Point^TM but not in the preachy way about sexist bullshit without addressing the manosphere

I thought we were going to do a cooler intro for a sec

men writing women be like

let's play how much of that is gonna foreshadow things

is he supposed to be anyone in particular (as in like an Expy of them or w/e)

rats in the bookstore that can't be good

I don't think that's saying what you think

they both sound like they've got issues

make things up he says

at least sign some books

finance stuff here's where we set up red herrings

no glove no love

dude get your ego in check

so how do you really feel

I thought that was a little quicker than most S3 murder intros have been

why do I feel like Chekhov's Rat is gonna happen

I was gonna say that's a long intro but there's Elsbeth and is that Cheryl again (maybe took captain's advice about girlfriends)

and I would say that's a gap but they solved a decades-old cold case in S2

Cheryl now is not the time for shameless plug

ooh that's a cute Elsbeth outfit

Elsbeth getting all neurodivergent about this and almost solving the case right there

pieces start getting pieced

unimportant details you say

ok how have they met idr

guys stop trying to hide the fact you're reading the smut

and Connor continues to be as autistic as ever

Grace, Teddy and Marissa, talk about non-Kaya recurring-guest-star paydirt

again with the Elsbeth butting up against the guys

foreshadowing Elsbeth changing position?

Elsbeth and Grace being adorable in a way that makes me miss Kaya

oh hi chick-who's-also-Sally-on-Best-Medicine

and more past connections idr

love Elsbeth's little physics demo

ADHD girlies with autistic.lieutenant this should be fun

please don't tell me the writing is Doing A Thing

Marissa not with Alec for once and she's trying to persuasion-check Wagner

what was that about Teddy again

Elsbeth's top kinda making her look like a doll in a good way

that winter wear is making me have jealousies

dude's got some serious mommy issues

hmm interesting that Wagner's considering it

and there's the tension we're supposed to think means Elsbeth's job's on the line but I feel like either that means he'll have sympathy or Elsbeth will become a consultant proper

and there's the red herring I was talking about

and non-recurring musical theater guest star #2 with Joanna Gleason

is everyone writing a book here

is that how you pronounce puerile

so book club squad and even including Cheryl

Grace Making A Political Point

what is that outfit Elsbeth even by her standards

I want more depth on Grace she seems even more awesome not Kaya awesome but different way

okay not sure of how many days this episode covers

thank you Elsbeth knowing to cut off the schnapps

nice little scheme and why she feeling a little like Marissa here

I didn't think this would happen in not-the-season-finale

speaking of Marissa my eye immediately went to her right by him (symbolic that she's his "right-hand woman") even before Alec

so how's this gonna shake out for the ship and is captain gonna accept and is Marissa gonna get an appointment or something too

thank you again Elsbeth for showing the sexist bullshit what's what

don't burn that

that's a cute outfit (and what is that necklace)

the way to a man's heart

gotcha

thematic little lie

is she trying to do a little bit of fakey flirtation

thank you for calling him out

is he really talking to her or is this a Shirley-in-the-Halloween-episode-of-Community-S1 sitch

I'm gonna cry

don't thank her thank Marissa, she Cupid-ed

isn't that some kind of conflict of interest

was the going further thing inspired by something people have said about Zohran Mamdani

I hope my theory's right about narrative scaffolding (that we'll only get the approach to relationships you'd expect in a procedural of this type now that she's broken up with Alec

Elsbeth breaks up and then very next scene rainbow parka

and Teddy being supportive and Elsbeth has her epiphany

what is that shirt

thank you Grace for the social commentary

not them sounding like Tumblr fan-theorizers (and me stemming off all that Ne (if you'll pardon a MBTi reference) with things like noticing that the Howard's End guy was also stabbed with a sword...just like the murder-method of the other murderer-of-the-week played by a Succession star (Izzy I think her name was from the debutante ball episode) or wondering if Doylistically because of how political this episode got otherwise Elliot Pope was named after the Pope family from Scandal)

hi Marissa again looking even cuter than usual that outfit's on point

now I'm getting High Potential flashbacks but this Wagner was on the other side of the promotion shenanigans

please tell me this means more Marissa in S4 (also maybe it's just me but why did that sound a little more-than-friend-coded, y'know, "Elrissa" anyone?)

[thewickedbohemian]

Thoughts on an Elsbeth that felt a little High Potential and a little high school where the plot-parallels were working at a level you'd expect of the 911 franchise and where Beanie Feldstein was the one-off Elsbeth guest star so far most deserving of at least an Emmy nomination for Best Actress In A Guest Role even if some of it felt like channeling Rachel-Bloom-as-Rebecca-Bunch

again the intro bit throws me off

what's with the aesthetic

so that explains the Bridgerton of it all but why does it feel like Christmas

girl why are you being such a diva

okay who is he

I like the font in the transition

and Elsbeth again delivers with the texts-on-screen

okay are those names a reference

alexa play Pity Party by Melanie Martinez

that cape is a vibe

you're the idiot he's flirting with you

why Rachel sounding like Rebecca Bunch

someone needs a therapist

okay who is Kimberly

do we genuinely have an accidental situation on our hands

we doing a round 2 or just a frame-up

ah (but that ain't gonna fool the squints)

so we're picking up where we left off

I'm not crying you're crying

why Elsbeth kinda looking like a tigress

as unsure how Elsbeth's feeling as she is

Donnelly's back yay

the beret just makes the outfit 20% cooler

not me taking every pot has a lid as a metaphor

that still don't look like a match

if that was a reference to using some sort of AI please tell me that justifies High Potential's

nice social commentary

of course Elsbeth likes Regency Chic

no Marissa :( but Julia Wagner :)

let's play how is this gonna parallel

did Julia change her hair (this is gonna get the same backlash as happened with Daphne on High Potential)

not the parallel I was thinking

ooh this was written by someone high up the show

told you we'd see Elsbeth in a cowboy hat

another veiled lesbian joke with the Rachel bringing a plus one assumption

kinda vibing with Rachel's particular variety of cowgirl outfit

I think I can guess her Enneagram

gender reveal parties oy gevalt

we wouldn't have to have seen the intro to see through your lie girlie

Kaya mention yay (please let this foreshadow her return)

Elsbeth took the hat?

what's he doin' here?

another lie but at least his heart is in the right place

oof awkward tension

rare to see Elsbeth in cool colors

why these girls reminding me of the weird teen squad on Best Medicine

pieces getting put together

why this feeling like a Morgan and Karadec argument

and I think I've seen this method-of-covering-up-shit on High Potential too

was Rivers in the credits? (and he looking less like Todd now)

stop trying to be cool-dad

just tell the damn truth is the theme of the episode it seems

does he have a dead aunt or is this a "game over moonpie" moment

again Elsbeth contrasts the decor

what is that dress

Elsbeth kinda feeling like a bit of a Cady here

imagining this in Morgan Gillory style

there's the trailer line (but slightly different delivery)

not sure what the hell is going on with the food

that's a different Elsbeth outfit

and there's the non-Alec way to sneak the social commentary in

ah that's where the seafood went

now that I see the bottoms it's more coordination

Elsbeth being neurodivergently literal again

bull forking shirt stop going full rom-com

why do I feel like this is part of the parallel

heavy-handed amount of social commentary

if Rachel paid for the cybertruck that's the one thing about her aesthetic I hate

new implied Donnelly lore she knows from Regency history (she just a Bridgerton fan or more of a nerd)

more orange from Elsbeth and Donnelly in a trenchcoat

what is Rachel's dress ow

thematic symbolism about damn spot not out

I love it when the breakdowns get theatrical

and it's all in the tiny little details

and Julia sees right through his bullshit

she's at least willing to own up to her own faults

romance rekindled?

actually seeing ET and looks like Alec was Affected

[thewickedbohemian]

As this episode made me anxious about a certain someone

Which non-Teddy non-police recurring guest star on Elsbeth do you most want to see recurring-guest-starring in Elsbeth S4?

Marissa Gold

Nadine Clay

Teddy's boyfriend Roy [does he even have a canon last name yet]

Julia Wagner

Voting ended onApr 10

Reasons why I'd want to see each

Marissa: especially since she has that prior connection to Elsbeth she deserves to still show up outside the campaign arc as I doubt she moved to New York just for the campaign so much that she'd move back once it's over (at least if Alec doesn't stay in the race, win and give her some kind of position) and a badass woman like her deserves to have her time on such a women-supporting-women show not defined by supporting a man. Also, Elsbeth needs more non-cop girl friends

Nadine: in addition to my point about the girl friends fashion and feminism do seem to be major motifs of this show and with the unfortunate end of the Late Show, Laura Benanti will have a little more free time due to not playing Melania Trump

Roy: we've mostly seen Teddy in the context of his job/the campaign and we haven't really seen Roy all that much which I think is a shame and I'm surprised people haven't called that homophobic considering people have got that kind of mad at the show for much less

Julia: given that Gloria Reuben's too busy on Boston Blue to play Claudia Wagner Julia's the way to give us more Wagner personal plots (and maybe when Kaya comes back you could add an interesting layer with how albeit-in-her-absence S3E4 implied that Wagner sees Kaya as like another daughter to him so maybe some subplot could spotlight that)