I Thought Elsbeth’s Bloody Judge Crawford Twist Had To Be A Fake Out, But Now I Have Questions For The Season 2 Finale

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Warning: Major spoilers for the eighteenth episode of Elsbeth Season 2, titled “I Know What You Did Thirty-Three Summers Ago,” can be found below. To watch it, you’ll need a subscription to Paramount+ streaming service.

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As we get closer to the finale of Season 2 for the show “Elsbeth,” airing in 2025, I was taken aback by a twist so massive that I initially thought it must be a false alarm, given there are still weeks until the final episode ends. Michael Emerson reprised his role as Judge Milton Crawford, and Elsbeth’s discovery of incriminating evidence against Moriarty, her Sherlock Holmes equivalent, led to retaliation that affected everyone from Captain Wagner close to home to Elsbeth’s ex in Chicago. The plot had become increasingly complex…but then Delia appeared and fatally shot Judge Crawford.

The events unfolded so swiftly that it seemed like Elsbeth was still caught in a dream or hallucination. But surely, such a formidable adversary for this season couldn’t have been already defeated, could it? However, I was mistaken! Despite there being two more episodes left in the season, despite Crawford having influential allies in politics, despite Elsbeth and her team gathering evidence to legally imprison the judge… Delia ended up shooting and killing him instead.

The ending of Season 2 turned out differently than I anticipated, even though in retrospect, I should have been wary that Milton might not survive till the finale this spring. Back in March, CBS unveiled the finale’s synopsis, showing that the main character encounters several familiar suspects as she works to solve a murder. Interestingly, Carrie Preston’s real-life spouse, Michael Emerson, was not included on the list of potential suspects. Here is the lineup:

  • Stephen Moyer – theater director Alex Modarian
  • Retta – matchmaker Margo Clarke
  • Gina Gershon –  plastic surgeon Dr. Vanessa Holmes
  • Elizabeth Lail – tech CEO Quinn Powell
  • Arian Moayed – bar owner Joe Dillon
  • André De Shields – fashion designer Matteo Hart
  • Alyssa Milano – mafia princess Pupetta Del Ponte

In the past, the actor once associated with villainous roles wasn’t consistently part of the main cast, and his appearances were often announced in advance. Given that he was absent from the final cast list for Season 2, it could have raised questions about his survival. However, I was imagining Crawford introducing a succession of criminals who would eventually be imprisoned due to Elsbeth’s unique methods of solving cases, which might suggest her unorthodox approach to case-cracking.

With Elsbeth’s Season 2 antagonist now deceased, will the finale incorporate a continuous narrative thread connecting all the guest stars? Or should we expect standalone appearances from each character? Could Crawford have set up some form of posthumous revenge before his demise as an insurance measure? Is this the final chapter in this storyline?

On that note, let’s just observe the situation for now, as the preview for the upcoming episode seems to indicate that Crawford may no longer be on Elsbeth’s mind. Here’s a glance at it:

Don’t miss out! Tune to CBS this coming Thursday, May 1st, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time for a new episode of “Elsbeth” titled “I’ve Got a Little List”. This time slot was previously occupied by “Matlock”, which concluded its first season last week. You can catch up on past episodes of this popular drama series anytime on Paramount+.

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2025-04-26 04:37