Spoilers forward for the Valentine’s Day episode of Elsbeth Season 2, referred to as “Tiny City” and obtainable streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription.
Elsbeth is the place to be within the 2025 TV schedule to seek out celebrities in visitor star roles, usually taking part in murderers with entertainingly weird motives. Season 2 began out sturdy with Nathan Lane as a murderous opera lover, and his former Producers co-star Matthew Broderick is on the way in which subsequent. Whereas I am hyped for Broderick as a Broadway fan after talking with the present’s costume designer, I am unable to assist however hope for extra of Ioan Gruffudd after “Tiny City” and his introduction as a dreamy musician/firefighter from Scotland to woo Carrie Preston’s character..
Within the Valentine’s Day episode, Gruffudd’s Angus was the unlikely witness to a homicide from Scotland by way of a video set up transmitting dwell video between NYC and his – you guessed it – tiny city 1000’s of miles away. He shortly managed to allure Elsbeth, complimenting her brightly-colored wardrobe, flirting by way of cellphone, and having his personal music obtainable. And since movie star visitor stars on the CBS present have a tendency play murderers, I used to be paranoid all through the episode {that a} reveal was coming that Angus was a foul man.
As an alternative, the reveal was a lot cuter, as he traveled these 1000’s of miles to fulfill Elsbeth in New York Metropolis and clarify that music is not his foremost supply of earnings. No, he is a firefighter, persevering with Elsbeth’s streak of catching the attention of fireplace first responders. He is no assassin – he is only a dreamy musician/firefighter who traveled from Scotland to have a good time Valentine’s Day. Alas, Angus lives an ocean away from the main girl, so this is not the start of a full-time, in-person romance for Elsbeth, however I can all the time hope to see Gruffudd again because the character, proper?
My hopes are actually excessive after talking with Elsbeth costume designer Dan Lawson just lately at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta. After placing collectively Carrie Preston’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s look again within the fall, Lawson chatted with me on the TVfest crimson carpet about what to anticipate with the present’s return in 2025:
It is a fantastic season, and the primary half was actually enjoyable, actually terrific, however the second half of the season is much more Elsbethian, if you’ll. It is fantastic. The writers do such an excellent job of each week, creating this distinctive world that we go into and examine, and it is so enjoyable to have the ability to do this and kind of develop with the present. However the second half of the second season, is incredible.
An enormous a part of that “distinctive world” is in fact the rotating forged of well-known visitor stars who will ship killer performances, with Season 2 standouts together with The Conners star Laurie Metcalf as a procedural star-turned-murderer, Pamela Adlon as a chef who’s not afraid to kill for her profession, and Eric McCormack in a way more chilling function than his work on Will & Grace. Dan Lawson went on to tease some extra upcoming stars:
Now we have such fantastic stars coming in, visitor stars on the present. Tracy Ullman, Mary Louise Parker. I am telling you, so many wonderful visitor stars. Alyssa Milano? Oh my god! Now we have such wonderful stars coming in.
I needed to shout out Nathan Lane as the primary visitor killer of Season 2, particularly since a former co-star of his is on the way in which within the not too distant future. Concerning Lane, who beforehand performed one other character on the earth of Elsbeth Tascioni, the costume designer stated:
How fortunate was that? We received him, and it is attention-grabbing as a result of he was in The Good Spouse. He was from that world. We’re very cautious about who can play a distinct character from these exhibits. It could possibly’t be too massive of a component that that they had earlier than, so we have been very fortunate that he was good sufficient to do it. After which Matthew Broderick’s going to be on it!
Information had damaged about Broderick approaching board Elsbeth shortly earlier than I spoke with Dan Lawson, and whereas it’s kind of of a bummer that he and Alan Ruck as his former Ferris Bueller’s Day Off co-star have been in several episodes of early 2025, I used to be thrilled that Elsbeth Season 2 landed each stars who originated the lead roles of Broadway’s Producers earlier than reprising the roles within the movie model. Once I admitted as a lot, the costume designer shared:
I am telling you, he is a honey. All of those visitors stars who are available… I imply, it is received to be so scary to step right into a world that you do not know the crew, you do not know, you do not know, you do not know. They usually are available and they’re so skilled, so gifted, so heat, so desirous to do a fantastic job and to embrace the sensation of the present and the way we shoot the present. We’re so fortunate.
Whereas Broderick will not share an episode along with his fellow Producers or Ferris Bueller alums in Season 2, his episode might be a household affair. His son, James Wilkie Broderick, may also seem as a visitor star, with the duo taking part in Lawrence Gray and Carl. Based on the episode description from CBS, the case kicks off with the demise of a school admissions officer, whereas Elsbeth fairly actually finally ends up fencing with Matthew Broderick’s character.
Referred to as “Foiled Once more” and airing on Thursday, February 20 in Elsbeth‘s regular 10 p.m. ET time slot on CBS, the episode may also function the return of Carrie Preston’s real-life husband Michael Emerson. Take a look at the promo beneath:
Watch On
Preserve tuning in to CBS on Thursdays following Matlock within the wake of Kathy Bates’ massive award for extra of Elsbeth Tascioni. If you happen to’ve missed any episodes thus far, the total first season and all of Season 2 thus far might be discovered streaming on Paramount+. If you happen to, like me, are a Broadway fan enthusiastic about Matthew Broderick becoming a member of Elsbeth in the identical season that featured Nathan Lane… properly, I would not depend on his character bursting into music, however maybe wielding a lethal weapon!