Elsbeth Recap: Such a Perfect Day

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In our professional lives, we’ve encountered difficult colleagues, but there seems to be an exceptional level of challenging behavior that is unique to those who are privileged, arrogant, and possess authority as a result of nepotism and their affiliation with the state. Unfortunately, Captain Wagner encounters this type of individual in Detective Rivers (Braeden de la Garza), whom Captain Kershaw (Jenn Colella) considers an appropriate mentee for him. To aid Wagner, Kershaw reopened the Andy Merton baseball bat murder case, and now she expects Wagner to reciprocate by keeping Rivers from interfering while another detective takes over the investigation.

As a movie enthusiast, I must admit that the plot would have been intriguing if not for the overbearing and instantaneous air of authority that Rivers carries around. It seems assumption is his preferred method of operation, as an investigator. Instead of delving into the circumstances surrounding Nathan Jordan’s (Larry Pine) demise, he jumps to conclusions, assuming that the wealthy real estate mogul was murdered by his wife-in-name, Helen (Victoria Clark), and her boyfriend, Dr. Jason Yamamoto (Phil Nee). In his mind, they must have collaborated to eliminate him for his fortune!

Let’s rewind slightly to the final night of Nathan’s life. Before that, he had an exceptional evening, indulging in exquisite food like lobster drenched in butter, foie gras, caviar, and three martinis, which were brought to him by a stunning woman wearing a shimmering silver dress. This woman, later identified as Chloe (Jordana Brewster), subtly slipped some medication into Nathan’s last martini. She then escorted him back to his luxurious apartment with a view of Midtown, helped him change into stylish navy pajamas with white piping, and tenderly put him to bed. Despite any financial agreements, Nathan deeply appreciates and is fond of Chloe for making his day so wonderful, and she appears just as sincere in her affection towards him.

Leaving the apartment, she sets a medication bottle among his supplies in the kitchen, leaves the balcony ajar, and discards an expensive takeout container (containing a Tomahawk steak) into the building’s waste shaft. Previously, she’d performed similar actions when they were departing from their restaurant, which is situated on the uppermost level of Nathan’s towering apartment building. Although some peculiar murders have graced our screens on Elsbeth, throwing a perfectly edible steak down the trash chute stands out as an unusually twisted act. However, there seems to be a calculated plan behind this chaos, as the wind-tossed balcony door repeatedly slams against the wall. This racket wakes Nathan’s wife, Deborah, and her partner, Jason. When she goes to reprimand Nathan for neglecting to close the door again, she instead discovers his lifeless body.

The following day at the crime scene, Rivers failed to greet Kaya and Elsbeth politely before asserting that it was his case. It’s important to remember, friend, a crime scene isn’t like claiming the front seat in a car with your buddies. Let’s maintain some professional decorum, shall we? Deborah provides valuable context: she had assumed the role of caregiver for Nathan, who was no longer in a romantic relationship with her. Despite being declared medically incompetent, he struggled to perform daily tasks such as opening child-proof medication bottles, buttoning his own clothes, or even feeding himself foods like steamed lobster with butter.

Though Deborah had proved to Rivers that she wasn’t with Nathan for his money, he remained suspicious upon finding the pill bottle Chloe placed on the tray. The pills were pentobarbital, potentially lethal if overdosed, causing him to suspect immediately that Deborah may have intentionally given a fatal dose to Nathan.

Currently, Elsbeth’s composure fades, expressing to Rivers that he’s acting prematurely and requires further proof for an arrest. This arrogant individual, who has opted for sexist comments as the final touch to his abhorrent actions, dramatically declares he will summon Captain Wagner because, I kid you not, “he can’t function in this manner!” Kaya, understandably upset by the situation, questions why Rivers is in charge of this investigation when her promotion documents have been handed in and she’s standing right beside him. Sigh.

Rivers prefers not to join Kaya and Elsbeth as they collect information and clues back at the station. They aren’t using Venmo™, but an app with a similar interface that allows them to examine Nathan’s financial transactions. There seems to be a pattern in his public transactions (please review your settings), which are labeled with a person identified only as ‘C’, and accompanied by emojis that can easily be understood. The latest transaction includes an upward arrow and a skyscraper, suggesting they recently visited the restaurant Above The Sky, located in Nathan’s apartment building, Manhattan Towers.

One night at the exclusive restaurant open only to residents and their guests in the high-rise building, Paul Deo Jr., the friendly bartender, informs Nathan and Chloe that they were the only patrons there because the occupancy has decreased by 30% due to escalating rent prices and lackluster amenities. The tower shakes, the balconies on higher levels are inoperable due to strong winds at heights above 1500 feet, and objects dropped into the trash chute accelerate rapidly, causing a loud noise reminiscent of a neutron bomb explosion. This issue has indeed become a significant problem, and as a result, some residents have filed a lawsuit against Nathan, which is still being processed through the judicial system.

The experienced bartender not only shares insights about Nathan and Chloe’s extravagant menu, but also mentions frequent observations of Chloe with numerous affluent gentlemen from the city. However, his knowledge about Chloe personally is limited. When Kaya and Elsbeth arrive with some of those men, they shower her with compliments – she’s admired for her elegance, intelligence, beauty, and vast knowledge. Yet, they remain discreet when discussing what exactly she does. They refer to her role as consulting. Oh, I do enjoy a clever use of ambiguity!

Equipped with the information from an unnamed source (not Venmo) about the substantial amount of six-figure transfers Nathan made to Chloe in a year’s time and the difficulty he had buttoning his pajamas, Elsbeth is certain he wasn’t alone at his apartment that night. The next sensible move would be to visit Chloe herself. Her home exudes warmth and comfort, yet hints of seduction linger subtly beneath the surface. Chloe offers her services in culinary arts, interior design, and fashion styling for a rate of $5,000 per hour. Among these listed skills, she also maintains an assortment of sexy outfits and, intriguingly, a large painting stored in a custom wood shipping crate. Much of her work, as Chloe puts it, is about making clients feel like genuine individuals by showing interest in their lives. While Elsbeth doesn’t openly suggest it in Chloe’s presence, she appears to be a successful sex worker with diverse talents. There was no incentive for her to murder Nathan, as they no longer had a professional relationship and she could have continued to earn substantial income working with him.

The current situation is that we’re trying to understand why Chloe picked up two orders of takeout steak, supposedly for Nathan’s non-existent dog. Elsbeth and Kaya are working on this mystery, as the security cameras from that night didn’t capture Chloe entering or leaving Nathan’s apartment due to this strange action. The items dumped in the trash chute create a loud noise during their descent, which causes the AI-controlled surveillance cameras to focus on the trash room instead of the hallways where someone trying to avoid detection might be hiding.

At the station, Rivers’ questioning of Deborah is proving to be quite challenging. He’s pressing her so relentlessly that she barely manages to utter a word, and her fear is evident in her body language. Elsbeth steps in and sends Rivers off to the observation room with Wagner. It doesn’t take long for Elsbeth to figure out that despite their mutual dislike, Deborah and Nathan had a common concern: ensuring their adult children and supposedly talentless grandchildren were financially secure. In fact, one of the reasons she had Nathan declared incompetent was because he was frivolously spending large sums on modern art, expensive books, and even a $9 million Cézanne painting. She was safeguarding Nathan’s money for the grandchildren’s sake, but also ensuring that he was taking his medication for gout and arthritis at the right times.

After Deborah becomes particularly talkative, she shares a detail: Her late husband was deeply concerned about his appearance. The loss of his good looks and mental abilities as he grew older was a terrifying ordeal for him. This brought to mind what he told Chloe as he was being put to bed – that they had spent a perfect day together. Was his final day on earth intentionally planned? Equipped with fresh insights about the link between the trash chute and security cameras, along with new queries regarding Chloe’s bond with Nathan and the mysterious painting, Elsbeth makes another visit to her at home.

Indeed, the Cezanne Deborah mentioned to Elizabeth is the same artwork they discussed earlier. Given her conviction that art should be accessible for all, keeping it privately seems improper. Interestingly, Chloe holds a master’s degree in art history and frequently collaborates with Nathan on art acquisitions, which she refers to as blue-chip investments. This partnership has been instrumental in honing his discernment for contemporary art. Despite her financial limitations, Chloe hasn’t pursued the traditional path of being a gallerist. Instead, she’s channeled her expertise into an unconventional consulting career.

Elsbeth isn’t completely absolving Chloe, but without any reason for Deborah, Jason, and herself to implicate Nathan, the case seems weak for an arrest. However, a glimmer of possibility arises thanks to Rivers, who has apprehended Jason due to high amounts of phenobarbital, similar to those found in Nathan’s apartment, being present in his office. Since these pills are illegal in the U.S., Jason must have obtained them illegally. To add to this, his staff call him Dr. Sandman. Hmmm… Even a broken clock is right twice a day. During questioning by Rivers, Jason admits that he had a romantic involvement with Chloe and she used her relationship with him to steal phenobarbital from his office. Chloe refutes the affair, asserting that she sought his medical help, not romantic interest.

The solution to the mystery lies in Deborah’s unsuccessful attempt to return a unique John Keats book delivered to Nathan on the day he passed away. This action led the dealer to notice some water damage that hadn’t been there at the time of purchase, but what if it wasn’t actually water? A DNA test conducted on the damaged page produced a match with Chloe, which helped solve the rest of the puzzle. Facing a gradual deterioration, Nathan sought Chloe’s assistance to spend one last joyful day together. This culminated in Chloe’s amusing antics involving a garbage chute/security camera and reading aloud from the Keats anthology to him while he wore his favorite pajamas. Using pentobarbital would implicate Deborah and Jason, whom Nathan deeply resented for having him declared incompetent, and his death would mean avoiding the repercussions of the lawsuit. Chloe doesn’t mind being caught by Elsbeth and Kaya, and besides, she knows several excellent defense attorneys. I predict a lenient plea bargain is in her future.

From This Week’s Tote Bag

To Wagner’s dismay, Rivers cannot be dismissed from duty due to his uncle being the head detective in the force. However, at least some consolation comes from the fact that he is required to attend counseling sessions and must wear a tie during our next encounter.

Listen carefully: Let’s envision an exciting tournament similar to March Madness for Elsbeth’s coats. This week, we have two stunning contenders – a captivating peacock blue and cream blazer adorned with elegant suede elbow patches, and a breathtaking cream coat that shimmers due to iridescent threads woven into its fabric. These extraordinary pieces deserve more than just brief mentions in these bullet points!

Cam, who typically keeps his messages formal, ended a message to Kaya with a heart symbol. Important note: This isn’t a test! Attention, all stations!

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2025-02-28 08:55