She’s the most unconventional investigator in the Big Apple: Elsbeth Tascioni, or as fans of the hit CBS Original know her, simply Elsbeth. Reprising the role she originated in the long-running drama The Good Wife, and continued in the Paramount+ original drama The Good Fight, Emmy® winner Carrie Preston stars in Elsbeth as the kooky Chicago lawyer who relocates to New York City, where the character shifts her singular point of view from court cases to murder cases.

Elsbeth is a crime drama with a twist; it’s less about high-stakes chases and more about the woman who quietly, quirkily bends the rules to get justice. She’s an investigator who knows the system is stacked against her clients, so she finds clever ways to outsmart it,  and hold people accountable. Unlike typical procedurals, the show isn’t a checklist of crimes and resolutions. It’s about strategy, character, and seeing someone turn the rules on their head without breaking the law outright.

Wendell Pierce anchors Elsbeth with his steady presence as Capt. C.W. Wagner, a potential antagonist who becomes a trusted ally. All around, the cast delivers a mix of humor and tension that keeps each episode lively. Part of the fun of Elsbeth is its case-of-the-week structure, which brings in a rotating lineup of guest stars.

So, ready for an Elsbeth cast case study? We thought so. Get ready to meet the cast of Elsbeth – season by season, and famous guest star by famous guest star. And don’t forget: All episodes of Elsbeth stream on Paramount+.

Spoiler alert: Plot points from Elsbeth will be discussed.

What is Elsbeth about?

Elsbeth is about an eccentric genius who sees things that others have missed, and helps the NYPD solve cases in her own unpredictable way. It’s part crime show, part character study. 

Meet the Elsbeth main cast

Get to know the Elsbeth main cast, plus the characters they play.

Carrie Preston in Elsbeth
CBS

Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni

Carrie Preston plays Elsbeth Tascioni on Elsbeth. If it seems Preston has the role of Elsbeth down to a science, it’s probably because she’s been playing the part on and off since 2010. Preston originally played Elsbeth on The Good Wife, logging her first appearance in the Season 1 episode, “Mock.” She went on to play the character a total of 14 times on the acclaimed legal drama. For her work on The Good Wife, Preston earned an Emmy® for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She reprised the role of Elsbeth five more times on The Good Wife spinoff, The Good Fight. (Preston even directed two episodes of that series: Season 5’s “And the Fight Had a Détente…,” and Season 6’s “The End of Democracy.”) After years as a supporting player, Preston’s redheaded alter ego emerged in 2024 as the main event – and titular hero – of Elsbeth. Other top credits: Claws, True Blood

Fun fact: Preston is married to Michael Emerson, one of the stars of the Paramount+ original drama series Evil.

Wendell Pierce in Elsbeth
CBS

Wendell Pierce as Capt. C.W. Wagner

Wendell Pierce plays Capt. C.W. Wagner on Elsbeth. Suffice it to say, when Wagner gives anorder, Pierce knows how to make it resonate. Pierce has plenty of experience playing the voice of authority. On The Wire, for instance, he portrays a homicide detective. You can also see him as an FBI parole officer on the SHOWTIMEⓇ original drama Ray Donovan, a CIA operative in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan alongside John Krasinski, and a law-firm partner in Suits.

Carra Patterson in Elsbeth
CBS

Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke

Carra Patterson plays Kaya Blanke on Season 1 and Season 2 of Elsbeth. She starred on the Disney+ series Turner & Hooch. Look for Patterson as a bartender in The Good Wife Season 5, Episode 12, “We, the Juries.” (Alas, her character doesn’t cross paths with Elsbeth; Preston is not a guest star in that particular episode.) Patterson can also be seen in Evil, as well as the long-running hit drama series Blue Bloods.

Character spoiler alert! During Season 2, Kaya is promoted from officer to detective, and the episode titled, “I’ve Got a Little List,” finds her accepting a special task force job in Washington, D.C. And, yes, the normally upbeat Elsbeth is bummed by this development as she and Kaya have become friends.

Elsbeth Season 1 guest stars

Each episode of Elsbeth brings in new guest stars who add their own spark to the central mystery. They don’t just show up for a cameo, they shape the story, and give Elsbeth someone new to puzzle out. Here’s a list of top Elsbeth Season 1 guest stars:

Elsbeth Season 2 guest stars

Elsbeth Season 2 brings with it a variety of famous faces, ready to go toe-to-toe with New York’s most idiosyncratic investigator. Here’s an overview of some of the guest stars who appear on Elsbeth’s second season.

When to watch new episodes of Elsbeth?

New episodes of Elsbeth air on CBS, and stream on Paramount+. Elsbeth Season 3 premiered Oct. 12, 2025. See below for tune-in details on Season 3:

Elsbeth Season 3

  • Premiere date: Oct. 12, 2025
  • New episodes air: Thursdays
  • Time: 10 PM ET/PT
  • Channel: CBS
  • Streaming: Paramount+*

New episodes of Elsbeth can be streamed live as they air on CBS with Paramount+ via the
Paramount+ Premium plan, and/or they can be watched on demand, starting the day after they
air, with Paramount+ (any plan).

But wait there’s more: You can watch all episodes of Elsbeth on Paramount+, including, yes, all episodes from Elsbeth Season 1 and Elsbeth Season 2.  

Elsbeth

Elsbeth

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Joan Kubicek

Staff Writer

See more by Joan Kubicek